Daily Archives: February 8, 2019

Diane Nicholls

Effective Feb. 7, 2019, Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 54 on the west coast of Vancouver Island will have an area-based allowable annual cut level of 170 hectares. The previous allowable annual cut for TFL 54 was set in 2011 at 315.8 hectares. The new lower cut level is due mainly to land base exclusions for Maa nulth Treaty settlement lands, inoperable areas and the use of a more conservative modelling approach in the Clayoquot Sound area.  “After reviewing all of the facts and information presented, taking into consideration recommendations from the Clayoquot Sound Scientific Panel and consulting with First Nations regarding cultural heritage resources, I am satisfied that my decision reflects sustainable forest management practices for Tree Farm Licence 54 over the next 10 years,” said Diane Nicholls, chief forester.

While forestry corporations are exporting raw logs, shutting mills and laying off workers, our MP Richard Cannings’s question in his regular ‘From the Hill’ spot (Gazette, January 16th) “How can the federal government help forestry?” opens a can of worms. In the four years to 2016, 26 million cubic meters of raw logs – with a value of about $3 billion(!) – were exported, mainly to China. In 2016 alone 6.3 million cubic meters of logs went overseas. That amount represents some 3,600 on-shore value-added jobs… According to the BCGEU, 70 mills closed between 2001 and 2011, taking 36,000 jobs with them. …Our MP’s question smacks of social democracy kow-towing to big business. His question should be, ‘How better must we manage the resources entrusted to our stewardship, in our time?’ In your deliberations of this bear in mind that we live on a stolen continent (that’s where the ‘Crown’ came in) and that sooner than later it will revert to rightful ownership. 

Telkwa’s mayor is spearheading an effort to get forestry information flowing again to northern communities. Mayor Brad Layton says ever since the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition (OBAC) dissolved in 2017 when provincial funding dried up, municipalities have been operating in the dark. “Since then, we don’t get any information unless we track somebody down and get them to come and speak to us,” Layton said. “I’m hoping that with my meeting with [Stikine MLA Doug] Donaldson that we can institute something at least for our regional level here. The reason OBAC worked so well was these ADMs (assistant deputy ministers) that would come and to explain where the government was going would have all the mayors from Vavenby through to Smithers in a room so basically one trip covered a big area. Now, if we wanted the same thing, they’d basically have to come to every council.”

Evan Saugstad

…Now, I love trees, and for part of my life, worked to ensure they were cut down and delivered to sawmills (and re-planted), or by fighting fire to ensure trees grew up to be adults and useful to our economy, or hunting animals who hid in our many forests. …Our love affair with trees is nothing new, but it seems to have reached an epidemic of silliness when it comes to how we don’t manage them. …We can start by being real and staying simple. Why not go back to doing some of the things we used to do, like cutting down problem trees and forests? And, we need to stop blaming everything on climate change… In short, make decisions that reflect reality. Removing more of our “big” trees and replacing them with “little” ones will make our communities safer.

Natural Resources Canada’s Indigenous Forestry Initiative (IFI) provides funding to support Indigenous-led economic development in Canada’s forest sector. The funding aims to increase Indigenous participation in forestry-related opportunities, businesses, careers and governance. A recent IFI funding agreement with the Yunesit’in government resulted in management and skills training to further Yunesit’in’s vision to build community pride and create community-based opportunities in forestry.  Located close to Williams Lake, Yunesit’in is one of the six Indigenous communities of the Tsilhqot’in Nation.  The Yunesit’in Forest to Frame project began in 2016 as a collaborative project. The intent is to use oversize Douglas-fir and develop marketable products, primarily for use in homes and other construction projects within Yunesit’in.  A woodmizer (portable mill) was purchased and trainees honed their skills as sawyers, creating wood products that come from the community’s own business, local forest resources and labour.