Monthly Archives: October 2018

The federal government was preparing last May to override BC’s powers over logging and permitting, in order to protect the endangered southern mountain caribou. Ottawa warned at the time that the province needed a robust protection plan or it would lose control over resource-development decisions. …Five months on, it looks like an empty threat. …In the statement declaring an imminent threat, the federal government said the most significant and immediate threat to recovery is unsustainable predation. However it has not acted to prevent BC’s new logging plans, saying instead it is working “to come to an agreement as soon as possible”. …Doug Donaldson, B.C.’s Minister of Forests, said… “We want to avoid unilateral measures by the federal government based solely on habitat considerations,” he said in an interview. “We want to make sure these iconic species are recovering, but logging has not stopped.”

Anyone who has been in an aspen forest can relate to the name Trembling Aspen when there is a slight breeze which creates one of the most unique and unforgettable forest sounds. …From an industrial viewpoint, aspen was once considered a weed species but around 1975 with the introduction of wafer-board, oriented strand board, wood panels and pulp the use of aspen increased many fold. The increased utilization caused concern that the aspen cut could exceed the growth rate in some area. …While the strength properties are relatively low, bending strength and stiffness compare favourably to the soft woods. …While a wide variety of animals use aspen leaves and young stems, some insects like the Aspen Leaf Miner use them exclusively.

Dave Robinson is no rookie tree planter. After a steady campaign planting nearly 300,000 trees across B.C., Alberta and Quebec this year, the veteran planter says he earned about $30,000 for 95 days of work. “I like working in the field, and I like generating wealth,” said Robinson when asked why he keeps returning to what’s often described as a gruelling job. But after five years in the industry, Robinson admits he’s had his highs and lows. Last year, he got into a labour dispute with an employer after his piece work wages worked out to be below B.C.’s minimum wage. “My gross pay was $355 for 55 hours of work,” he said, noting that he did eventually get paid the difference after working with labour regulators to resolve the dispute.  … In recent years, many tree planters in B.C. have reported earnings below minimum wage, despite the industry having a reputation of high earnings and hard work.

Bruce Blackwell

Scott Stevens

Wildfires in British Columbia could become just as deadly within 20 years as those burning now in California, says top Canadian forestry expert Bruce Blackwell. …”I think the pace of [housing] development, in combination with the growing probability of wildfire, are on a collision course where we will continue to see growing levels of wildfire damage, potential loss of life, and unsustainable suppression costs that will overwhelm our capabilities to recover in the short term and impact the quality of life of all British Columbians,” stated Blackwell. British Columbia just experienced two record-breaking fire seasons back to back. The 2018 season was the worst, with more than 3.2 million acres of land scorched. …Scott Stevens, fire science professor at University of California, Berkley, said that the fatalities in California were due to developing homes in fire prone areas without taking the necessary precautions to prevent future fires.