Canada’s softwood lumber trade agreement with the U.S. expires one week before the Oct. 19 federal election, yet almost no one seems to be talking this long-contentious issue. We ignore it at Western Canada’s peril. Not having a softwood lumber agreement leaves Canada vulnerable to punishing tariffs at the whim of the protectionist U.S. industry….
A new Yale-led study estimates that there are more than 3 trillion trees on Earth, about seven and a half times more than some previous estimates. But the total number of trees has plummeted by roughly 46 percent since the start of human civilization, the study estimates. Using a combination of satellite imagery, forest inventories,…
The BC Interior Forestry Museum is putting on an outdoor movie night series starting this Friday, September 4. The four-movie series looks at all aspects of the forest industry and forest ecology, from firefighting to tree planting. “It is clear Revelstoke cares about their forests. One thing I’ve learned in the five wonderful years I’ve worked at…
A search is underway at UBC for tree seedlings with the DNA to thrive under rapidly changing conditions, with the aim of better preparing B.C.’s forests to withstand climate change. B.C. experienced the driest summer on record this year, and experts say loose soil and brittle root systems may have contributed to the tree wreckage that…
In less than a decade, WorkSafeBC’s video production has evolved from a handful of cassette tapes to tens of millions of views online. Gordon Thorne, manager of product and program development, said WorkSafeBC started out distributing videos in the form of VHS tapes out of a bookstore. The reach was limited. A study showed that…
Alan Walter refers to himself as a “tree hugger” when he first purchased his hilly, heavily wooded property in Harrison County. “I bought this 150-acre farm in 1990 because I was looking for a place to mushroom hunt. I had always liked nature and liked being in the woods, but at that point I really…
West Fraser’s two divisions in Williams Lake are celebrating the company’s 60th anniversary with a community event. On Saturday, Sept. 12 the company will host a full afternoon of activities for the whole family at the Cariboo Memorial Complex and Boitanio Park. “It will be an opportunity to celebrate with our employees and the community,”…
Predator management, timber supply, and human-caused fires were some of the discussions local stakeholders had with Steve Thomson, B.C. Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations when he visited the Cariboo-Chilcotin last week. Accompanied by Cariboo Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett, Thomson met with representatives of Williams Lake City Council, Cariboo Regional District, West Fraser,…
Area residents can expect to see plenty of trees falling in Oakville’s woodlands next week as the Town begins the removal of ash trees killed by the Emerald Ash Borer. The impacted areas will include Parkway 1 on Bayshire Drive, Parkway 2 on Rockingham Drive, Joshua Creek Trail (North), and East Joshua Creek Trail 2…
A study funded by WorkSafeBC is questioning the effectiveness of a certification program tree-fallers in B.C. have been required to pay for and obtain for nearly a decade, suggesting the certification process has had no effect to reduce injuries. Lead author Chris McLeod, an associate professor in the University of B.C. School of Population and…