I am writing in regards to the draft range plan recently released under Alberta’s Caribou Action Plan, which attempts to address the preservation of the Little Smoky and A La Peche herds located around Grande Cache. While no one can argue the importance of preserving the natural beauty and wonder of local wildlife around us,…
A wildfire burning north of Campbell River is proving very tough for crews to tackle. Dry conditions, steep terrain, slopes of fallen timber are fueling a blaze that has already consumed hectares of forest, blanketing the region with smoke and putting residents on alert. Resident Cody Card explains that “this whole entire mountainside…this whole ridge…
It’s still not known what led to a wildfire in a Vernon neighbourhood. While the Ministry of Forests has indicated that Saturday’s blaze on Tronson Road may be human-caused, the Vernon Fire Department is remaining cautious. “We’re working with the ministry to determine the cause,” said Keith Green, Vernon fire chief. “As you gather data,…
Tolko Industries would like to have an answer sooner than later. The company’s need to secure a wood supply in its efforts to reopen its OSB plant west of High Prairie was cited in a letter July 22 from the company to Bruce Mayer, assistant deputy minister, Forestry Division, Agriculture and Forestry. At stake is…
Pilots have started taking to the air to help the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations assess the progress made on combatting an outbreak of the spruce beetle in the Omineca region. Project manager Heather Wiebe said Tuesday an airplane has been deployed this week to check for evidence of the insect and…
French Creek is suffering from 100 years of logging and other human impact, which The Friends of French Creek Conservation Society has been working to counteract. “It’s a very sick creek,” said Robin Robinson, of the group which is being recognized next week by Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Salmonid Enhancement Program for 10 years of…
Nelson Hydro will hold an open house in the early fall to update the public on the progress of itsplans to heat selected public buildings in Nelson using heat created by burning lumber mill waste. Fiona Galbraith, a local consultant for Nelson Hydro, says the project at full capacity would use only15 per cent of…
Almost like Lazarus rising from the dead, a new St. Elias Ukrainian Catholic Church is emerging on the same footprint in northwest Brampton, Ont. as the first church that was destroyed by fire in 2014. “The fire was heartbreaking. But we made the decision to rebuild almost immediately,” says Pastor Rev. Roman Galadza in explaining…
Life can be nasty, brutish and short for Edmonton’s street trees, stuck growing in small tree pits between a sidewalk and a heavily-compacted road. Starved of space to spread their roots, 85 trees on 124 Street died in the past three years alone, 40 per cent of the tree canopy. The others are scrawny. Planted years ago, they still…
Research suggests pine trees with strong natural defences are their own worst enemy when it comes to the destructive mountain pine beetle. Although the sap produced by the lodgepole pine is toxic to the beetles, the smell of the sap can attract large numbers of the tiny bugs that can collectively end up killing a…