Starting on May 5th, municipalities from coast to coast to coast will join a national effort to reduce wildfire risk to local homes and environments in anticipation of this year’s wildfire season. A total of $47,000 was awarded to 94 successful community applicants across Canada for Wildfire Community Preparedness Day. This annual, national program was…
CRANBROOK B.C. — After widespread evacuations, last summer Cranbrook, B.C is looking at how to fireproof the community. The city has hired fire ecologist Bob Gray to look at the different options and evaluate the cost of creating a buffer zone. In a report by the CBC, Gray argues that it’s a case of paying…
Alliance says despite meaningful progress the Federal government could now derail plans. An Alliance of First Nation and non-First Nation leaders were pleased to see Premier Wynne and the Ontario Government have clearly listened to their concerns and are moving forward with a two-year extension to the current regulation for forest management under the provincial…
TOKYO/SAN FRANCISCO – As key decision-makers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics met on March 29th JST, Rainforest Action Network (RAN) delivered over 110,000 signatures to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo 2020 Olympic authorities, raising concerns about the use of rainforest wood and human rights violations associated with the construction of Olympic facilities, and…
The Canadian Press — A caribou researcher says Alberta’s decision to suspend portions of its draft plan to help the threatened animals recover is the first major test of the federal Species at Risk Act. The province has sent Ottawa a letter that raises concerns about the socio-economic impacts of the recovery plan. “It’s a…
Thomson Reuters Foundation — A deal in last week’s U.S. federal spending bill to fund wildfire fighting has drawn praise but also some concern over a provision relaxing rules on cutting trees in national forests. The $1.3-trillion bill signed by President Donald Trump set up a contingency account for wildfire fighting funded with up to…
A critical milestone is reached as the Standards Development Group and FSC Canada Board of Directors reach historic consensus on Forest Management Standard in Canada. In February 2018, the FSC Canada Standards Development Group and Board of Directors reviewed and approved the final draft of the National Forest Management Standard. FSC Canada’s forest management standard…
Bark beetle devastation has been an ongoing issue in Colorado’s forests for years and remains a concern into 2018. The latest Colorado State Forest Service report says more than 200,000 acres of active infestations were observed in high-elevation spruce-fir forests in Colorado. Dan West, an entomologist with the service, says drought conditions have contributed to…
Canadian carbon offset projects related to forestry generally take one of two forms: either afforestation (adding forest, the opposite of deforestation) or “improved forest management.” A successful afforestation project has been running in Ontario for several years now. The Ontario Biodiversity Afforestation Project is a forest carbon project that converts historically farmed but currently fallow…
Komatsu is expanding its line of forestry equipment with the acquisition of the Quadco and Southstar forestry attachment operations from Prenbec Equipment Inc. of Quebec. The deal excludes the forestry equipment businesses of Tanguay and Forespro delimbers. The acquisition will be made through a wholly owned subsidiary of Komatsu in the United States and is…