Tag Archives: British Columbia

Last night strong, gusty winds contributed to aggressive fire activity on the Spatsum Creek wildfire in British Columbia.

The fire is now estimated at 850 hectares in size.

Today, approximately 80 fire fighters, five helicopters, heavy equipment and airtankers will action the fire.

The fire has spread into an area that is accessible by heavy machinery, which is now being utilized in combination with retardant dropped from the air to establish fuel-free areas around the fire to slow its growth.

The Thompson Nicola Regional District has issued an evacuation alert for an area west of Highway 97C, and spanning five kilometres north of the wildfire. Area residents requiring additional information may contact the Thompson Nicola Regional District at 250-377-7188.

The unstable weather and steep, rocky terrain has continually challenged our crews who have been fighting this wildfire over the last week. A specialized incident management team is on route to support the personnel already engaged on this wildfire.

Source: Government of British Columbia

Prince Edward Island

In PEI, fire officials are battling a major forest fire on the Friston Road near Pleasant Grove and Covehead area.

The fire started this afternoon and quickly spread. Strong southwesterly winds have turned the fire into a crown fire.

By 6pm local time, the fire was 10 acres in size. The area is heavily wooded and difficult for firemen to attack.

The fire appears to be suspicious in nature. A second fire, smaller in size, broke out near by, and firefighters report an earlier fire was extinguished earlier this week.

The forest fire index was increased to high across the province on Monday.

Read more:
BREAKING: ‘Major’ fire burning woods near Pleasant Grove (The Guardian)

Nova Scotia

In Nova Scotia, firefighters are battling a forest fire on Lansdowne Road in Digby County.  2 helicopters are helping fight the blaze.

2 homes were at risk earlier, but have been spared.

More info:
Fire crews battle Digby County forest fire (CBC)

British Columbia

As of this morning, the Spatsum Creek wildfire (10 km south of Ashcroft) is now 240 hectares in size.

Sustained-action crews, helicopters and airtankers worked hard attacking the fire yesterday.

Today, approximately 60 fire fighters, three helicopters and airtankers were set to action the fire.

The Spatsum Creek wildfire started on April 27. Last week crews created hand-guards where it was safe to do so; however, this wildfire is burning in some challenging steep and rocky terrain. With high temperatures and low relative humidity, the fire passed a threshold late Sunday afternoon and additional personnel responded.

Read more:
Increased activity on Spatsum Creek wildfire (British Columbia)

West Fraser Mills‘ Chetwynd Forest Industries is continuing on with Phase 2 of a $35 million upgrade to its sawmill in Chetwynd, British Columbia.

The sawmill is being upgraded from a one million board feet per day average up to 1.365 million a day.

With the increase in productivity, 2 shifts will be maintained at the mill, with additional hours for the planer.

Darren Brkic, Chetwynd Forest Industries General Manager, was on hand at the District of Chetwynd council meeting recently to provide an update on the mill’s upgrades.

To read what Brkic reported to council, read:
Brkic Provides District Council with an Update on $35 million CFI Upgrade  (Tumbler Ridge News)

A logging truck driver was killed in British Columbia on April 8.  The death is the second direct harvesting fatality of 2013 in British Columbia.

The driver was fatally injured while attempting to cut free a log that was not positioned properly in the load. After using a chainsaw to buck a section of the log free, the remainder of the log swung around and struck the driver.

This incident occurred on West Thurlow Island, which is located east of Campbell River.

The incident is under investigation.

A Forest Industry Safety Alert has been issued by BC Forest Safety Council :

View Fatality Alert

Visual quality objectives and scenic areas in the Fraser Timber Supply Area of British Columbia have been revised.

Revisions were made to about 22% of the existing visual quality objectives boundaries in the northern portion of the timber supply area.

The amendments were made under the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Land Act, following public consultations and discussions with First Nations, forestry companies and local stakeholders. These changes were based on revised visual inventory data, which considers factors such as public use, visibility and significant viewpoints, as well as comments submitted during the consultation process.

Refinements to the visual quality objectives were made mainly in the northern portion of Harrison Lake, Stave Lake and Nahatlatch River. Scenic areas were expanded to include the upper portions of Stave Lake as an update to the previous visual landscape inventory.

Visual quality objectives became more restrictive in areas with higher viewing or recreation use, such as Harrison Hot Springs and areas near parks along Alouette Lake and Nahatlatch River. Visual quality objectives became less restrictive in areas that have less viewing or recreational activity, such as the northern portion of Harrison Lake.

Scenic areas are established under the Land Act and define broad geographic areas where scenic values are a priority. Visual quality objectives are defined under the Forest and Range Practices Act’s forest planning and practices regulation, and they range from ensuring that no logging activity is visible to logging activity being fully visible.

The revised objectives will come into effect on April 18.

A map showing the visual quality objectives for the Fraser Timber Supply Area can be viewed online at: http://ow.ly/jZaXU

For more information on visual quality management, visit: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/pubs/Docs/Mr/Rec044.htm

British Columbia is investing $8.4 million to build new markets for B.C. wood products at home and in major markets around the globe, including China and India.

Nine associations, which operate market development programs in China, Japan, South Korea, the United States and other major markets, will receive $6.0 million from the Province for international market development.

Those associations, and the activities they will undertake with the funding, include:

• APA – The Engineered Wood Association
  • Obtain regulatory approval to expand use of Oriented Strand Board in building construction in Japan, and promote new uses to builders and developers.
• B.C. Shake and Shingle Association
  • Promote B.C.’s Western Red Cedar Shakes & Shingles in the U.K., France and the U.S.
• BC Wood Specialties Group
  • Develop market opportunities for value-added wood products in Europe, Asia, the U.S. and domestically.
  • Host the 10th annual Global Buyers Mission in Whistler to connect international wood products buyers with B.C. value-added wood product manufacturers.
• Canada Wood Group
  • Continue market access and market development programs in China, Japan, Korea and Europe.
  • Develop innovative building solutions to expand the use of SPF and coastal species in non-residential applications.
  • Monitor and address market barriers in key international markets for B.C. wood products.
• Coast Forest Products Association
  • Expand sales of coastal species in Japan and China.
• Council of Forest Industries
  • Promote the benefits of wood frame construction in China and South Korea.
  • Expand opportunities for SPF lumber in the Japanese non-residential and post & beam sectors.
• Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
  • Promote Western Red Cedar as a superior green building material in the U.S. and Canada.
• Wood Pellet Association of Canada
  • Build the profile of the industry in Europe and address supply chain issues.
  • Investigate market opportunities in South Korea.
• Wood Products Council
  • Promote the use of wood in a variety of non-residential and multi-unit construction projects in the United States.
  • Provide technical advice, education, and support to the design community to enable greater understanding and use of wood in non-residential and industrial settings.
  • Support the expansion of markets in the US for innovative wood products and building systems (e.g., cross-laminated timber).

The remaining $2.4 million is for B.C.’s Wood First program, which promotes the use of wood as a preferred building material in mid-rise and non-residential construction, and advances B.C.’s reputation as a global leader in wood innovation.

Funds are being distributed through Forestry Innovation Investment (FII), the Crown agency responsible for developing and diversifying markets for B.C. forest products. Since 2003, FII has been partnering with industry and the federal government to grow the markets for B.C. wood products internationally.

Since 2003, FII has established a major presence in China, with an office in Shanghai. In 2012, FII opened an office in India to pursue emerging opportunities to export B.C. wood products there.

Learn More:

• Forestry Innovation Investment: www.bcfii.ca
• Naturally Wood: www.naturallywood.com

British Columbia is expanding a program called Wood Waste 2 Rural Heat that helps turn wood waste into heat for buildings and homes in rural communities in the province’s interior.

A total of $240,000 will be invested in over two years in the Wood Waste 2 Rural Heat project.  $50,000 will be coming from the B.C. Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training.  The provincial government is partnering with:

• Columbia Basin Trust (donated $60,000 to the program)
• Southern Interior Beetle Action Coalition (donated $60,000 to the program)
• Omineca Beetle Action Coalition (donated $36,000 to the program)
• Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition (donated $35,000 to the program)

Rural British Columbia has a reliable fuel supply of wood waste produced by ecosystem restoration projects, community forests, woodlots and other small tenure holders. Converted into pellets and chips, this woody biomass can power heating projects for smaller communities and businesses, a practice that has been hugely successful in Europe, most notably throughout Austria.

Wood Waste 2 Rural Heat staff will work with First Nations, local governments and organizations to explore the feasibility of new bio-energy projects and develop business plans in these areas:

• Village of Telkwa
• Village of Lumby
• District of Clearwater
• One project in the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition region
• Two projects in the Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition region
• Two projects in Southern East Kootenay region
• One project in the West Kootenay region

To help rural B.C. communities make the leap to wood biomass heating systems, this expanded project – formerly known as the Green Heat Initiative – will work at the local level to develop business plans that identify technological solutions and financing opportunities.

Source: Government of British Columbia

British Columbia has fulfilled a commitment to bring into force new financial protections for forestry contractors, effective April 1, 2013.

Forestry sector contractors have the ability to secure payments for work done under contract by making a charge on accounts or registering a lien on forest products that have been delivered to licensees. A lien is a right to keep property belonging to another person until a debt is paid. Contractors can register a lien using the Personal Property Registry at B.C. Registry Services.

Earlier this year, a $5 million Forestry Service Providers Compensation Fund became active, supporting financial protections for logging contractors. In the event of licensee insolvency, forestry contractors can now access this compensation fund to better protect their financial interests.

The financial protection measures were established last year through the Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Statues Amendment Act, as well as through the Forestry Service Providers Protection Act, which created the compensation fund and a lien framework for contractors.

Learn More:
To learn more about registering a lien, visit B.C. Registry Services at: http://www.bcregistryservices.gov.bc.ca/

British Columbia has approved the removal of 116 hectares of private land from Tolko Industries’ Tree Farm Licence 49.

“We’ve worked closely with stakeholders to make this plan come to life. We believe that access to additional parkland in the Central Okanagan will enhance the quality of life of people in the region while providing the opportunity to address ongoing road safety concerns of local residents.”

~Tolko Industries Ltd. Brad Thorlakson, CEO and president

The decision to allow Tolko to remove two parcels of non-commercial forest land from TFL 49 was reached after an extensive consultation process that involved local First Nations and the Regional District of Central Okanagan. Forest management issues such as old growth management areas, wildlife habitat, recreational access, road access, water users and others also were considered.

TFL 49 covers 141,975 hectares of Crown land west of Okanagan Lake near Kelowna, Vernon and Armstrong. About 116,165 hectares are considered suitable for timber harvesting.

Tolko has agreed to donate approximately 30 hectares of land to the regional district as parkland. The deletion allows the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to work with Tolko with ongoing safety improvements to Westside Road, including land for a vehicle safety pull-out.

Tree farm licences in British Columbia have 25 year terms and require a management plan for the establishment, management, and harvesting of timber in a described area (Crown and private land) on a sustained or perpetual yield basis.  Tree farm licences often cover areas with both private and Crown land.

Source: Government of BC

The Government of British Columbia and the Haida Nation have joined forces to establish an integrated, collaborative and co-ordinated approach to natural resource compliance and enforcement activities in Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands).

The compliance and enforcement delivery model will be implemented on April 2, 2013. It will streamline compliance and enforcement procedures in Haida Gwaii and ensure that the islands’ natural resource priorities are fully considered when conducting inspection and enforcement activities. These priorities will be directly managed by a core group of B.C. government compliance and enforcement staff and the Council of Haida Nation.

The new structure recognizes the need to incorporate the interests and priorities of two governments — the Haida Nation and the B.C. government — to address common concerns in Haida Gwaii. Responsibility for enforcing natural resource-related provincial laws and regulations is currently shared amongst several government agencies, including the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.

Once the new system is in place, the team will be led by a member of the Conservation Officer Service based in Haida Gwaii. The rest of the team will be made up of natural resource officers from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and a member of the Haida Nation.

The team supervisor will work with senior staff in the two ministries and the Council of Haida Nation to ensure that local interests, sensitivities and cultural values are considered in planning and managing natural resource issues. This new initiative will provide a coordinated presence on the landscape, with improved monitoring of cultural values and enhanced stewardship of natural resources and the environment.

The new Natural Resource Officers will enforce the following legislation:

• Forest and Range Practices Act
• Forest Act
• Land Act
• Wildfire Act
• Wildlife Act
• Water Act

Learn More: 

• Compliance and Enforcement Branch (Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations): http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hen/index.htm
• Conservation Officer Service (Ministry of Environment): http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/cos/
• Council of Haida Nation: http://www.haidanation.ca/
• Kunst’aa Guu – Kunst’aayah Reconciliation Protocol:http://www.newrelationship.gov.bc.ca/shared/downloads/haida_reconciliation_protocol.pdf