Signs of a fir bark beetle outbreak are emerging in a forested area within city limits. About 200 trees at the Otway Nordic Centre are showing the telltale reddish-brown dust that marks the boring holes the insects leave as chew their way into the tree. Runners and cyclists are being asked to keep their eyes…

Is it time for a moose tax? Faced with declining game populations and the increasing complexities of wildlife management, people are starting to look at new funding models. And a tax to help moose and other game animals might be one way to go. A few years ago, in response to growing concerns that British…

Crews have begun to thin certain forests around Banff National Park, in some cases removing entire strips of trees. It’s preventative work but the goal is to make sure it’s difficult for wildfires to spread, endangering buildings and communities. “For us safety of visitors in the park is a top priority and one of the…

Vancouver Island’s rainforests are among the rarest ecosystems on the planet — temperate rainforests have never occupied more than 0.5 per cent of the earth’s land surface. They are also among its richest — they have been home to First Nations for time immemorial, and they contribute to a diverse economy including forestry, tourism and…

Approaches to forest management must change if B.C. wants to end bug outbreaks sooner, said the closing speaker at a two-day summit on managing the spread of spruce beetles. “We need to keep the system in focus and remember the beetles are always there. They may not always kill trees but we need to act…

About a third of this year’s spruce beetle larvae are expected to mature a early, adding their number to the outbreak as next year’s crop takes flight in the spring. Most of the spruce beetle in the Omineca region – about 85 per cent – typically follow a two-year life cycle, said Robert Hodgkinson, a…

The impact of the spruce beetle on Northern B.C. forests continues to grow, with areas impacted by the pest up 35 per cent in the last year. B.C.’s Spruce Beetle Project coordinator Heather Wiebe says the spread of the spruce beetle is concerning, but not as much as the mountain pine beetle’s rise was. “The way…

Great Bear Rainforest Legislation: A Unique Solution Bob Craven, RPF, Interfor Corporation, Coastal Woodlands Land Use Mgr Not many people likely want to read about legislation; however, the Great Bear Rainforest (GBR) legislation is special. It’s the result of an epic journey — a story complete with drama, conflict and weary characters slogging through tough…

Fort McMurray is taking steps to prevent another catastrophic forest fire by extinguishing a fire threat in the heart of the the city. The wildfire hazard, the Birchwood Trails, has been described as a“tinder box” waiting to go up in flames. Birchwood Trails is a network of more than 130 kilometres of maintained trails sandwiched…

In June of 2016, Premier Rachel Notley’s government released a bold conservation plan for one of Alberta’s most challenging environmental problems – woodland caribou. Woodland caribou are a flagship species for the boreal forest, protected under the federal and provincial Species-at-Risk Act. Nearly all of Alberta’s remaining 15 caribou populations are declining after decades of…