Five years ago Norm Goodell cut down trees he wasn’t supposed to. It was a mistake a hundred years in the making. McBride’s community forest contracted with Walter Jervis, who contracted with Goodell, to log a block of forest about 20km up Hwy 16. The community forest gave straightforward instructions to log the young wood…
The Invasive Species Centre has launched a comprehensive new website on invasive species in Canada’s forests. Forest Invasives Canada (www.forestinvasives.ca) provides an easily-accessible portal for information regarding the invasive species that threaten Canada’s urban and working forests and green spaces. The website features profiles of target species, recent research and management strategies, and in-depth discussions on the overall ecological, social,…
The devastation caused by the little mountain pine beetle is on the decline, but there are some areas in the South Okanagan that are still feeling the affects of this pesky insect. “We have had little mountain pine beetle activity in the past few years as it has collapsed throughout much of our region. There…
With blazes in Fintry, Falkland, Kelowna and West Kelowna burned into the collective memory of local residents, communities are being urged to take action against wildfires. On Thursday, the provincial government announced an additional $5 million for the strategic wildfire prevention initiative. “The top priority is safeguarding British Columbians,” said Forests Minister Steve Thomson during…
Top birding and nature organizations in Canada and the United States are pressing government for increased protection of boreal forests, including portions of northern Alberta. The coalition, which includes the Audubon Society and Ducks Unlimited, is launching a campaign Monday that seeks to have at least half of North America’s boreal forest set aside from…
The public and conservation groups are voicing a mixture of opposition and support for the BC government’s wolf cull that aims to kill 144 to 184 grey wolves in two separate regions. The cull began in mid-January with aerial sharp shooters in helicopters aiming to kill 24 wolves in the South Selkirks to protect 18 remaining mountain…
Norway spruce and Scots pine samples have entered the vault inside a mountain on the Arctic archipelago. The frozen depository opened in 2008 and is designed to withstand all natural and human disasters. Researchers hope the tree seed samples will help monitor long-term genetic changes in natural forests. Frozen forests “The possibility to have seed…
The province has committed to fine-tuning the way it manages Crown land in environmentally sensitive areas. On Thursday, the province announced it will postpone harvesting in designated environmentally sensitive areas until special management practices are in place, except on land already approved for harvest during the spring road closure. The Natural Resources Department will also…
A record fire year in the Northwest Territories in 2014 may not be an isolated occurrence, according to a professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton who is an expert on forest fires. Historically, bad fire years are caused by conditions that may last for several years, Mike Flannigan said. “They often come in clumps,” he said. “So if…
Canada’s new rail safety legislation would make it possible for governments to recover costs from railways for any fire they cause, not just accidents that involve crude oil, said Transport Canada, a change that could force railways to pay millions in costs associated with forest fires. Canadian National Railway Co, which is in a legal dispute with…