Evergreen Alliance Staff
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Journalism: The over-exploitation of BC forests
Library: Destruction of wildlife habitat and loss of biodiversity
Journalism: Loss of forest-related employment
Journalism: The need to expedite final treaties with First Nations
Journalism: Loss of primary forest
Journalism: Loss of carbon sequestration capacity
Other notable forest-related writing and reports
Noteworthy writing and reports from the forest-industrial complex
Forest News
Library: The over-exploitation of BC forests
Library: Loss of primary forest
Library: Loss of the hydrological functions of forests
Make conservation of the hydrological function of forests a higher priority than timber extraction
Library: Loss of forest-related employment
Library: The need to expedite final treaties with First Nations
Transition from clearcut logging to selection logging
Library: Increase in forest fire hazard
Journalism: End public subsidization of BC's forest industry
Library: End public subsidization of BC's forest industry
Library: The need to reform BC forest legislation
Journalism: The need to reform BC forest legislation
Library: Creating a new vision for BC forests
Forest industry public subsidy calculator
Manufacturing and processing facilities
Forest Trends
Investigations
Community Forest Mapping Projects
Area-based calculations of carbon released from clearcut logging
Journalism: The increase in forest carbon emissions
Library: Increase in forest carbon emissions
To protect biodiversity, transition away from clearcut logging
Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance
Library: Loss of future employment resulting from exporting raw logs
Mapping old forest on Vancouver Island
Mapping old forest in Omineca Natural Resource Region
Mapping old forest in Skeena Natural Resource Region
Mapping old forest in Northeastern Natural Resource Region
Mapping old forest in Cariboo Natural Resource Region
Mapping old forest in South Coast Natural Resource Region
Mapping old forest in Thompson-Okanagan Natural Resource Region
Mapping old forest in Kootenay-Boundary Natural Resource Region
Forest Conservation Organizations
Mapping old forest on Haida Gwaii
Mapping old forest on the central coast
Library: Ecologically damaging practices
Journalism: Ecologically damaging practices
Critical Issues
Analysis
Comment
Listed species: Cascades Natural Resource District
Listed species: 100 Mile House Natural Resource District
Listed species: Campbell River Natural Resource District
Listed species: Cariboo-Chilcotin Natural Resource District
Listed species: Chilliwack River Natural Resource District
Listed species: Fort Nelson Natural Resource District
Listed species: Haida Gwaii Natural Resource District
Listed species: Mackenzie Natural Resource District
Listed species: Nadina Natural Resource District
Listed species: North Island Natural Resource District
Listed species: Peace Natural Resource District
Listed species: Prince George Natural Resource District
Listed species: Quesnel Natural Resource District
Listed species: Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District
Listed species: Sea-to-Sky Natural Resource District
Listed species: Selkirk Natural Resource District
Listed species: Skeena Natural Resource District
Listed species: South Island Natural Resource District
Listed species: Stuart-Nechako Natural Resource District
Listed species: Sunshine Coast Natural Resource District
Listed species: Thompson Rivers Natural Resource District
Listed species: Coast Mountains Natural Resource District
Action Group: Divestment from forest-removal companies
Fact-checking mindustry myths
First Nations Agreements
Monitor: BC Timber Sales Auctions
BC Timber Sales auction of old-growth forests on Vancouver Island
Monitoring of forest fires in clearcuts and plantations: 2021
Library: End public subsidization of forest industry
Examples of engaging the mindustry:
Portal: The over-exploitation of BC forests
Portal: The need to reform BC forest legislation
Portal: The need to expedite treaties with First Nations
Portal: The need to get more organized, informed and inspired for change
Portal: Develop a new relationship with forests
Portal: Destruction of wildlife habitat and loss of biodiversity
Portal: Loss of the hydrological functions of forests
Portal: Increase in forest fire hazard
Portal: Loss of carbon sequestration capacity
Portal: Increase in forest carbon emissions
Portal: Ecologically damaging forestry practices
Portal: Loss of forest-related employment
Portal: Loss of future employment resulting from raw log exports
Portal: Costs of floods, fires and clearcutting of watersheds
Portal: The economic impact on communities of boom and bust cycles
Portal: Loss of economic development by other forest-based sectors
Portal: The true cost of subsidies provided to the logging industry
Help
Loss of trust in institutions
Portal: The instability of communities dependent on forest extraction
Portal: The psychological unease caused by forest destruction
Portal: Loss of trust in institutions caused by over-exploitation of BC forests
Portal: Social division caused by over-exploitation of BC forests
Journalism: The instability of communities dependent on forest extraction
Journalism: Psychological unease caused by forest destruction
Journalism: Loss in trust of institutions as a result of over-exploitation of BC forests
Journalism: Social division caused by over-exploitation of BC forests
Library: The instability of communities dependent on forest extraction
Library: Psychological unease caused by forest destruction
Library: Loss of trust in institutions as a result of over-exploitation of BC forests
Library: Social division caused by over-exploitation of BC forests
Resources: Psychological unease caused by forest destruction
Resources: The economic impact on communities of boom-and-bust cycles
Resources: Loss of economic development potential in other forest-based sectors
Journalism: Cost of floods, fires and clearcutting of community watersheds
Journalism: The economic impact on communities of boom-and-bust cycles
Journalism: Loss of economic development potential in other forest-based sectors
Library: Cost of floods, fires and clearcutting of community watersheds
Library: The economic impact on communities of boom-and-bust cycles
Library: Loss of economic development potential in other forest-based sectors
Portal: Permanent loss of forests to logging roads
Portal: The economic costs of converting forests into sawdust and wood chips
Journalism: Permanent loss of forests to logging roads
Library: Permanent loss of forests to logging roads
Journalism: The economic costs of converting forests into sawdust and wood chips
Library: The economic costs of converting forests into sawdust and wood chips
Resources: The economic costs of converting forests into sawdust and wood chips
Resources: Ecologically damaging forestry practices
Resources: Conversion of forests to permanent logging roads
Library: Getting organized
Journalism: Getting organized
Forest politics
Forest Stewards
Portal: Plantation failure
Library: Plantation failure
Journalism: Plantation failure
Library: Loss of carbon sequestration capacity
Portal: Soil loss and damage
Journalism: Soil loss and damage
Library: Soil loss and damage
Resources: Soil loss and damage
Journalism: Loss of employment resulting from export of raw logs
Journalism: Destruction of wildlife habitat and loss of biodiversity
Journalism: Loss of the hydrological functions of forests
Journalism: Increase in forest fire hazard
Action Group: Sunlighting professional reliance
Making the case for much greater conservation of BC forests
Science Alliance for Forestry Transformation
Bearing witness:
Economic State of the BC Forest Sector
Big tree mapping and monitoring
Reported Elsewhere
Protect more
Start a forest conservation project
Get involved
Article reference pages
Physical impacts created by logging industry
Nature Directed Stewardship at Glade and Laird watersheds
References for: How did 22 TFLs in BC evade legal old-growth management areas?
References for: BC's triangle of fire: More than just climate change
References for: Teal Cedar goes after Fairy Creek leaders
References for: Is the draft framework on biodiversity and ecosystem health something new? Or just more talk and log?
IWTF events, articles and videos
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A report by Ben Parfitt for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Summary British Columbia’s forests and its once mighty forest industry are in crisis. After decades of intense logging, the province’s forests are depleted and fragmented and the forest industry is hard-pressed to find enough trees to cut down. In the midst of this, demand for wood from BC has soared from an unusual quarter: thermal energy producers that burn millions of tonnes of wood pellets annually to generate electricity. This demand is fuelling the loss of the province’s primary forests—forests never before subject to industrial logging—and if allowed to continue, will further deplete them. Fundamental reforms to the management of the province’s forests must be a priority and buyers of wood pellets and other forest products must temper their demands as a result. The indicators of unsustainable demand are evident in BC’s trade in wood pellets, which has doubled in the past decade led by massive increases in shipments to Japan, a country rocked by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Faced with the loss of nuclear reactors damaged by the tsunami and a decision to temporarily shut down all nuclear facilities in the country, Japan raced to increase energy production from other sources, including thermal electricity plants that burn wood pellets. As Japan steadily increased production of thermal electricity, its purchases of wood pellets from BC shot up. In 2014, Japan imported a modest 61,700 tonnes of wood pellets from BC. Ten years later, those imports had reached nearly 1.7 million tonnes. The likelihood that such volumes can be sustained is, however, in doubt given the crises in BC’s forests. Rising demand and shrinking supply is a volatile mix and all signs point to a collapse in available wood supply from BC for all manner of forest products, including wood pellets. Over the same decade that Japan’s demand for wood pellets soared, logging rates in BC fell by 38%. That decline will continue. Within the next 10 years it is expected that logging rates in the province will be roughly half what they were 20 years ago. The decline in logging is the primary reason the number of sawmills in BC continues to fall. By 2035 it is estimated there will be only 47 sawmills left, down from the 111 that operated at full tilt in the province in 2005. As sawmills close, the tremendous amount of wood waste generated at those mills will decline too, a matter of importance because large amounts of wood pellets are made from such waste. The other major wood fibre source for pellet mills is whole logs. But cutting down trees just to make greenhouse gas-emitting wood pellets is climactically and ecologically irresponsible and has been roundly condemned by scientists. Then there’s the wildcard of climate change. In 2023, wildfires burned 2.5% of BC’s land base setting a new record, the third such milestone in just eight years. All of this and more underscores why BC’s forests are in crisis and why BC will be increasingly unable to supply the huge quantities of wood pellets it has to Japan, the United Kingdom and other countries. This report concludes with six policy recommendations that will help put the management of BC’s forests on a better footing and set the stage for a more ecologically responsible supply of wood pellets and other forest products to domestic and international buyers alike. The six recommendations are: Increase dramatically protection of remaining primary and old growth forests. Zone the province’s primary forests and existing plantations into three broad categor- ies: fully conserved primary and old-growth forests; forests and plantations managed specifically to enhance key “non-timber” resources such as water and wildlife; and lastly a portion of previously logged lands to be managed for timber production and forest products, but with ecological guidelines that must be met. Require by law that all timber-processing facilities, including wood pellet mills, must submit annual reports detailing all the wood used at their facilities, with a clear, verifiable breakdown of what form that wood takes. Strictly prohibit pellet mills from converting trees logged in primary or old-growth forests directly into wood pellets and require pellet producers to only use the residual waste from sawmills, verifiable wood waste from logging sites, or thinnings from tree plantations as sources of raw material for pellet production. Apply the carbon tax to all emissions associated with logs or wood waste that is currently burned as “slash” at logging operations. This will act as an incentive to either leave such wood unburned at logging sites or to bring it into mill towns where it could be used to make a range of forest products, including but not limited to wood pellets. Enact a solid-wood-first strategy and penalize all companies that convert logs or portions of logs to wood pellets that could instead be used to make other forest products. Solid wood products like doors or lumber used to frame a house hold the carbon originally sequestered by the tree, while wood pellets instantaneously release stored carbon upon combustion. Download the full report: CCPA-Log it and burn it-web final.pdf -
This was a special investigation report by the BC Forest Practices Board. Executive Summary: Drinking water is of paramount concern to British Columbians. Government regulates the safe and reliable supply of drinking water primarily under the Drinking Water Protection Act. However, additional laws are in place to protect drinking water while carrying out activities like mining, forestry, range use and oil and gas development on Crown land. The law that regulates forest and range activities on Crown land is called the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). In the FRPA legislation, government sets rules that apply to all forest and range activities on the ground. Most harvesting in the provincial forest is conducted by licensees with a government approved forest stewardship plan (FSP). In the FSP, licensees propose results or strategies consistent with government’s objectives. This special investigation is about how well forestry and range use provides for the protection of drinking water as required under FRPA. The investigation focuses on how the requirements for drinking water are being met in a sample of 466 designated areas, referred to as community watersheds. These areas are designated because government decided the watersheds require special forest management for the protection of drinking water. The investigation sampled 48 of the 131 community watersheds where some amount of forest harvesting has occurred under FRPA. Investigators examined how each forest licensee working in those watersheds and required to have an FSP, addressed government’s community watershed objective and followed through with the commitments in their plans. In 12 of the 48 watersheds in the sample, investigators field-assessed watershed condition and determined whether forest and range practices complied with rules on the ground. In this investigation, the Board also explored whether the legislation provides clear direction to forest and range users; whether government is monitoring forest and range practices on the ground; and how government decides which watersheds need special forest management. The Board’s investigation found several significant weaknesses and some positive aspects in how drinking water is protected in community watersheds. Clarity of FRPA’s requirements and approval of forest stewardship plans by government Some legal requirements for the protection of drinking water in FRPA are too limited in scope or unclear. When government approved the FSPs examined in the 48 sample watersheds, it did not always ensure the content of the plans related to community watersheds met the requirements of FRPA. For instance, 3 of the 471 approved FSPs examined did not address the community watershed objective. Also, not all commitments made in the plans were measurable or verifiable as required. This means it may be difficult for government to enforce adherence to these commitments. Commitments made in forest stewardship plans Most forest licensees retained a professional to complete some type of watershed assessment prior to harvesting or road construction. However, deficiencies were identified in those professional assessments. Of the 31 assessments in the Board’s sample: 11 did not follow the content for the assessment as described in the FSP; 26 considered, to varying degrees, the hydrological effects of FRPA and pre-FRPA forest activities over the entire watershed; and only 6 considered the potential effects of planned forest development on water quality, quantity or timing of flow in relation to the licensed waterworks—key elements of the community watershed objective. Investigators found most results and strategies provided meaningful content because they were intended to assess hydrological responses associated with planned forest harvesting. However, for 41 of 44 FSPs, 2 the results or strategies were not sufficiently detailed for investigators to conclude if they were consistent with the community watershed objective. Compliance with drinking water-related practice requirements on the ground (field sample of 12 community watersheds) Investigators found that woodlot licence holders and range agreement holders met the requirements of the legislation. Forest licensees4 met the requirements to retain buffers adjacent to streams, lakes and wetlands, and to provide water licensees with at least 48 hours notice of planned road construction or deactivation. However, on forest roads, investigators observed little evidence of measures to minimize erosion and control sediment deposition into streams. In 3 of 12 watersheds, investigators found those practices to be unsound. In 4 of 12 watersheds, licensees did not meet all of the requirements that provide for protection of drinking water quality, including prevention of landslides, road maintenance and maintenance of natural surface drainage patterns. Monitoring achievement of the community watershed objective • While, government has a program to monitor water quality, it does not specifically monitor the effectiveness of forest and range practices to protect drinking water quality generally or in community watersheds. Designation of community watersheds and use for drinking water Government has draft guidelines for designating or delisting community watersheds. Since 2004, six community watersheds were designated and one was delisted. In 16 of the 48 community watersheds, the source of drinking water has changed from a stream to a well or lake. Of the 16 community watersheds, 7 still maintain the stream intake as an emergency back-up supply. Full report: (2014) Forest Practices Board investigation—From-Objectives-to-Results-on-the-Ground.pdf
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By D.B. Lindenmayer and R.F. Noss Abstract: We summarize the documented and potential impacts of salvage logging—a form of logging that removes trees and other biological material from sites after natural disturbance. Such operations may reduce or eliminate biological legacies, modify rare post-disturbance habitats, influence populations, alter community composition, impair natural vegetation recovery, facilitate the colonization of invasive species, alter soil properties and nutrient levels, increase erosion, modify hydrological regimes and aquatic ecosystems, and alter patterns of landscape heterogeneity. These impacts can be assigned to three broad and interrelated effects: (1) altered stand structural complexity; (2) altered ecosystem processes and functions; and (3) altered populations of species and community composition. Some impacts may be different from or additional to the effects of traditional logging that is not preceded by a large natural disturbance because the conditions before, during, and after salvage logging may differ from those that characterize traditional timber harvesting. The potential impacts of salvage logging often have been overlooked, partly because the processes of ecosystem recovery after natural disturbance are still poorly understood and partly because potential cumulative effects of natural and human disturbance have not been well documented. Ecologically informed policies regarding salvage logging are needed prior to major natural disturbances so that when they occur ad hoc and crisis-mode decision making can be avoided. These policies should lead to salvage-exemption zones and limits on the amounts of disturbance-derived biological legacies (e.g., burned trees, logs) that are removed where salvage logging takes place. Finally, we believe new terminology is needed. The word salvage implies that something is being saved or recovered, whereas from an ecological perspective this is rarely the case. (2006) Salvage Logging Ecosystem Processes and Biodiversity Conservation.pdf
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A publication of the BC Ministry of Forests. 2022 Economic State of British Columbia's Forest Sector.pdf
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A report by three unions (Unifor, United Steelworkers, Public and Private Workers of Canada) on the troubled BC forest industry as of March 2024. Authors included Ken Delaney from the Canadian Skills Training and Employment Coalition and Jim Stanford from the Centre for Future Work. (2024) A better future for BC forestry.pdf
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Graph by Dr. David Hughes -
Jennifer N. Baron, Paul F. Hessburg, Marc-André Parisien, Gregory A. Greene, Sarah E. Gergel and Lori D. Daniels Abstract Background A clear understanding of the connectivity, structure, and composition of wildland fuels is essential for effective wildfire management. However, fuel typing and mapping are challenging owing to a broad diversity of fuel conditions and their spatial and temporal heterogeneity. In Canada, fuel types and potential fire behavior are characterized using the Fire Behavior Prediction (FBP) System, which uses an association approach to categorize vegetation into 16 fuel types based on stand structure and composition. In British Columbia (BC), provincial and national FBP System fuel type maps are derived from remotely sensed forest inventory data and are widely used for wildfire operations, fuel management, and scientific research. Despite their widespread usage, the accuracy and applicability of these fuel type maps have not been formally assessed. To address this knowledge gap, we quantified the agreement between on‐site assessments and provincial and national fuel type maps in interior BC. Results We consistently found poor correspondence between field assessment data and both provincial and national fuel types. Mismatches were particularly frequent for (i) dry interior ecosystems, (ii) mixedwood and deciduous fuel types, and (iii) post‐harvesting conditions. For 58% of field plots, there was no suitable match to the extant fuel structure and composition. Mismatches were driven by the accuracy and availability of forest inventory data and low applicability of the Canadian FBP System to interior BC fuels. Conclusions The fuel typing mismatches we identified can limit scientific research, but also challenge wildfire operations and fuel management decisions. Improving fuel typing accuracy will require a significant effort in fuel inventory data and system upgrades to adequately represent the diversity of extant fuels. To more effectively link conditions to expected fire behavior outcomes, we recommend a fuel classification approach and emphasis on observed fuels and measured fire behavior data for the systems we seek to represent. This study was reported in the March 3, 2024 Globe and Mail: Inaccurate data on forest fuels amy stoke wildfires, study finds (2024) Fuel types misrepresent forest structure and composition in interior British Columbia: a way forward Jen Baron et al.pdf
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By David Bysouth, Julee J. Boan, Jay R. Malcolm, Anthony R. Taylor Abstract Recent research has shown forest-related emissions reported in national greenhouse gas inventories are much lower than global estimates from models summarized in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports. A substantial part of this discrepancy could be explained by conceptual differences in what is counted as part of the anthropogenic forest carbon sink and the way countries report on their forest harvesting sectors. With Canada as a case study, we used published National Inventory Report and Common Reporting Format tables to isolate emissions and removals directly associated with forestry from those associated with forests more broadly. Forestry-related factors that affect CO2 emissions and removals include tree harvesting, post-harvest forest regeneration and growth, and carbon storage in long-lived harvested wood products. We found that between 2005 and 2021, forestry in Canada represented a net source of carbon (annual mean = 90.8 Mt. CO2e), and that total area logged was a significant predictor of net forestry emissions. In contrast, Canada’s NIR reported a small net carbon sink during the same time period (annual mean = −4.7 Mt. CO2e). We show this discrepancy can be explained by Canada’s GHG reporting approach that claims GHG emissions from wildfires are natural, but GHG removals from forests at the age of commercial maturity, despite being primarily natural disturbance origin, are anthropogenic. This reporting approach may lead to climate mitigation policies that are ineffectual or detrimental to reducing net carbon in the global atmosphere. (2024) High emissions or carbon neutral? Inclusion of “anthropogenic” forest sinks leads to underreporting of forestry emissions.pdf
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Full document can be downloaded by clicking on link below Executive Summary. (2024) Felling Short_2024_CPAWS-BC.pdf
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How much of the ecosection that you live in is protected? There are 139 ecosections in BC (including both marine and terrestrial). If you know what ecosection you live in—or are interested in—scroll down the list below. The “Percentage Protected” column indicates how much has been protected. The least-protected ecosections are at the top of the list. Fifty-seven ecosections have less than 6 percent of their area protected. The most-protected ecosections are toward the bottom of the list. Twenty-four BC ecosections already have 30 percent or higher protection. If you don’t know the name of the ecosection you live in, find where you live on the map below the list. Zoom into the map using the "+" button. Click on the coloured area surrounding your location. A dialogue window will appear. To find the name of your ecosection, go to the second page of the dialogue box by clicking on the outlined triangle in the grey bar at the top of the dialogue box. Are there old forest deferral areas mapped for your ecosection? Zoom into the map until you can see dark green polygons. These are “priority deferral areas” mapped by the Technical Advisory Panel. NOTE: This map is maintained by GeoBC but may not show the most recent configuration of deferral areas. What are ecosections? Learn more about ecoprovinces, ecoregions and ecosections here.
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by Henry C. Pham, Younes Alila Abstract A century of research has generated considerable disagreement on the effect of forests on floods. Here we call for a causal inference framework to advance the science and management of the effect of any forest or its removal on flood severity and frequency. The causes of floods are multiple and chancy and, hence, can only be investigated via a probabilistic approach. We use the stochastic hydrology literature to infer a blueprint framework which could guide future research on the understanding and prediction of the effects of forests on floods in environments where rain is the dominant form of precipitation. Drawing parallels from other disciplines, we show that the introduction of probability in forest hydrology could stimulate a gestalt switch in the science of forests and floods. In light of increasing flood risk caused by climate change, this probabilistic framework can help policymakers develop robust forest and water management plans based on a defensible and clear understanding of floods. (2023) Science of forests and floods: The quantum leap forward needed, literally and metaphorically.pdf
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By Huy Tran, Edie Juno and Saravanan Arunachalam Abstract: Despite a significant increase in United States biomass energy sector activity, including domestic bioenergy deployment and wood pellet production for overseas exports, the associated criteria pollutant emissions are not well quantified in current regulatory emissions inventories. We present an updated U.S. emissions inventory, with emphasis on wood-based biomass pretreatment (e.g., drying, condensing, storage of wood pellet) and the use of biomass for energy generation. As a significant number of wood pellet production facilities are not included in current inventories, we find that this sector’s emissions could be potentially underestimated by a factor of two. Emissions from biomass-based facilities are on average up to 2.8 times higher than their non-biomass counterparts per unit energy. We estimate that 2.3 million people live within 2 km of a biomass facility and who could be subject to adverse health impacts from their emissions. Overall, we find that the bioenergy sector contributes to about 3–17% of total emissions from all energy, i.e., electric and non-electric generating facilities in the U.S. We also review some drivers of bioenergy expansion, such as various feedstocks and technologies deployed with an emphasis on wood-based bioenergy and discuss their implications for future air quality and health impacts. (2023) Emissions of wood pelletization and bioenergy use in the United States.pdf
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By John D Sterman, Lori Siegal and Juliette N Rooney-Varga Abstract Bioenergy is booming as nations seek to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union declared biofuels to be carbon-neutral, triggering a surge in wood use. But do biofuels actually reduce emissions? A molecule of CO2 emitted today has the same impact on radiative forcing whether it comes from coal or biomass. Biofuels can only reduce atmospheric CO2 over time through post-harvest increases in net primary production (NPP). The climate impact of biofuels therefore depends on CO2 emissions from combustion of biofuels versus fossil fuels, the fate of the harvested land and dynamics of NPP. Here we develop a model for dynamic bioenergy lifecycle analysis. The model tracks carbon stocks and fluxes among the atmosphere, biomass, and soils, is extensible to multiple land types and regions, and runs in ≈1s, enabling rapid, interactive policy design and sensitivity testing. We simulate substitution of wood for coal in power generation, estimating the parameters governing NPP and other fluxes using data for forests in the eastern US and using published estimates for supply chain emissions. Because combustion and processing efficiencies for wood are less than coal, the immediate impact of substituting wood for coal is an increase in atmospheric CO2 relative to coal. The payback time for this carbon debt ranges from 44–104 years after clearcut, depending on forest type—assuming the land remains forest. Surprisingly, replanting hardwood forests with fast-growing pine plantations raises the CO2 impact of wood because the equilibrium carbon density of plantations is lower than natural forests. Further, projected growth in wood harvest for bioenergy would increase atmospheric CO2 for at least a century because new carbon debt continuously exceeds NPP. Assuming biofuels are carbon neutral may worsen irreversible impacts of climate change before benefits accrue. Instead, explicit dynamic models should be used to assess the climate impacts of biofuels. (2018) Does replacing coal with wood lower CO2 emissions? Dynamic lifecycle analysis of wood bioenergy.pdf
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Statement of Claim Teal Cedar Statement of Claim.pdf
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The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship issued the following press release today: B.C. prioritizing ecosystem health, biodiversity VICTORIA - The Province is taking more steps to conserve nature for the long-term health and well-being of communities with the release of a draft biodiversity and ecosystem health framework. “People in B.C. share a deep connection to nature, from our ancient forests and diverse wildlife, to our coastal waters and mountain ranges,” said Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. “Together, we are charting the next steps for conserving B.C.’s rich biodiversity and healthy ecosystems that support us all.” B.C. has the greatest diversity of species, ecosystems and habitats of any jurisdiction in Canada. The resilience of the province depends on an integrated and inclusive approach to stewarding B.C.’s water, land and natural resources. The framework is another action the Province is taking as part of ongoing work to improve stewardship of B.C.’s lands, forests and water, to implement the recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review and to honour B.C.’s commitments under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. “Our government is building comprehensive and integrated initiatives to protect the environment, including conservation financing, our accelerated action to protect old-growth forests and our commitment to conserve 30% of B.C.’s land base by 2030,“ Cullen said. “All these efforts are fundamental to protecting against the worst effects of climate change and creating a healthier future for everyone.” The draft framework was developed through engagement throughout 2023 with First Nations and other parties, including industry, non-governmental organizations, local communities, municipal leaders and academia. The Province is formally consulting with First Nations Rights and Title Holders, and engaging with multiple natural resource sectors and industry, as well as local governments, and other partners on the draft framework. Members of the public can access the draft framework here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/biodiversity/bc-s-draft-biodiversity-and-ecosystem-health-framework Provide comments by contacting: biodiversity.ecosystemhealth@gov.bc.ca The framework is expected to be finalized in early 2024, following consultation. B.C. will co-develop new or update existing legislation to achieve the vision and intent of the framework. Quotes: Garry Merkel, co-author, Old Growth Strategic Review - “The biodiversity and ecosystem health framework provides a clear strategy for establishing the management and conservation of ecosystem health and biodiversity as an overarching priority for British Columbia. Achieving this priority will result in a new stewardship approach for land and water, which, in turn, requires an essential prerequisite - a deep change in our thinking about land. This paradigm shift that will be accelerated by the implementation of this framework and will help guide us toward a much more certain and stable social and economic relationship with lands, waters and the resources that they provide.” Chief Harry F. Nyce Sr., co-chair, Minister’s Wildlife Advisory Council (MWAC) - “The Minister’s Wildlife Advisory Council endorses the draft biodiversity and ecosystem health framework for British Columbia. This visionary and collaborative initiative underscores the importance of adopting a co-ordinated, inclusive approach to conserving ecosystem health and biodiversity in our province. The draft framework serves B.C.’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and highlights the urgent need for a transformative paradigm shift toward shared decision-making, fostering a sustainable, equitable and resilient future.” Nancy Wilkin, co-chair, Minister’s Wildlife Advisory Council - “MWAC has been involved in shaping this framework and commends the ministry’s commitment to transparency, co-operation and adaptive, ecosystem-based management and stewardship - all of which are vital in our journey toward a healthy environment, stable communities and prosperous economies. MWAC looks forward to continued involvement as the framework’s detailed implementation plan and enabling legislation are developed.” George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy - “Ecosystem health and biodiversity are deeply connected to our own well-being. We are proud to work with our federal partners and the First Nations Leadership Council on this initiative as we protect beautiful British Columbia.” Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests - “Forests are at the heart of our identity here in B.C., and essential to a thriving and diverse ecosystem. We are using the best science and data available, and collaborating with First Nations, local communities, and industry to create stronger, more sustainable forest stewardship. This new framework is another step to enhance our forests and natural systems for the generations to come.” Murray Rankin, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation - “The work we are doing together with First Nations to develop a biodiversity and ecosystems framework centres upon listening and learning from those who have been stewards of the environment for generations. The framework also responds to a key action item in our Declaration Act Action Plan.” Anne Kang, Minister of Municipal Affairs - “The conservation of our ecosystems and biodiversity is essential for the health and well-being of communities. That’s why my ministry’s commitment extends not only to investing in locally owned infrastructure, enhancing services for communities, but also to making sure provincial investments safeguard our clean air, land and water resources.” Learn More: For information about this work and to read the draft framework, visit the biodiversity and ecosystem health framework website: https://www.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/biodiversity/bc-s-draft-biodiversity-and-ecosystem-health-framework
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A publication of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. 2021 Economic State of British Columbia's Forest Sector.pdf
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Organizations call on Premier David Eby to keep his promise to accelerate action on old growth and deliver needed paradigm shift. səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Territories (Vancouver, BC) – Today marks the third anniversary of the BC NDP’s commitment to implement all 14 recommendations of the 2020 Old Growth Strategic Review (OGSR) on a three year timeline. To date, none of the recommendations have been fulfilled, while at-risk old growth forests continue to fall. Clearcut logging of old-growth in a priority deferral area on Nootka Island (Photo by Alex Tsui, Wilderness Committee) The Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), Sierra Club BC, Wilderness Committee and Stand.earth are calling on the BC government to make up for years of delays and further loss of threatened old growth by fast-tracking implementation milestones for all 14 recommendations from the OGSR, including immediate logging deferrals for the most at-risk old growth forests. “We are at an urgent crossroads amidst the rampant wildfires that have destroyed many communities in BC this year and many more are still rebuilding from previous wildfires,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, UBCIC President. “The sheer number of forests that we have lost to the climate crisis already, is devastating. The BC government cannot ignore this any longer; stop logging our old growth trees and help us start rebuilding in an ethically and environmentally friendly manner. The OGSR recommendations are merely a stepping stone; we must go above and beyond. At this rate, there will be nothing left for our children. Stop putting profit and votes over people and get to work on saving our land, water, and air.” The OGSR outlined the need for a paradigm-shift in forest stewardship to prioritize community and ecosystem values above timber. As part of its commitment, the province pledged to work with First Nations on long-term solutions, and immediately pause harvest in the most at-risk old growth forests. Despite those promises, forests mapped as candidates for deferral continue to be targeted by logging companies. The three-year anniversary of the OGSR falls during an unprecedented drought and record wildfire season, with more than 2.2 million hectares burned in BC, fueled by the climate crisis and exacerbated by industrial logging. “The last three years have been devastating in terms of escalating biodiversity and climate crises in forests in BC, with continued habitat loss of at-risk species like caribou and spotted owl and two of the worst wildfire seasons on record,” said Jens Wieting, Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner at Sierra Club BC. “Old growth forests are more resilient to the impacts of climate change, but the window to preserve them is closing and the BC government must double its efforts to end the delays and make the promised paradigm shift a reality.” The BC NDP made its commitment to protect old growth and implement the OGSR in advance of the 2020 election. Despite announcements about long-term steps like an upcoming ecosystem health framework and conservation financing, BC has routinely failed to implement measures to keep forests standing and ensure transparency. “Since Premier Eby promised to ‘accelerate action on old growth’ last November, we’ve seen thousands of hectares of old growth forests destroyed. Our satellite surveillance tool Forest Eye is getting alerts for new clearcuts and road-building every day, in the same forests this government said it would put off limits to logging,” said Tegan Hansen, Senior Forest Campaigner at Stand.earth. “If this government wants to keep its promises, it has to move beyond empty words and start taking real action to keep forests standing.” BC’s unfulfilled promises on old growth have been met with criticism and community-led mobilizations throughout the province. On Sept. 28, communities are planning a day of action to call on elected officials to uphold their government’s old growth pledge. “The public is exhausted with ‘talk and log,’ with the endless commitments and new processes accompanied by photos of fresh clearcuts in irreplaceable old growth forests,” said Torrance Coste, National Campaign Director at the Wilderness Committee. “People can connect the dots between the biodiversity and climate crisis and irresponsible forest management, and thousands remain committed to reminding the NDP of the promises they seem to be hoping we’ll forget.” The BC government has not yet shared how much old growth has been logged in 2022 or how much old growth logging has been stopped through the deferrals process since 2020. The latest available provincial data from 2019 to 2021 showed an annual old growth logging rate equivalent to approximately 150 soccer fields per day. The organizations state that in order to deliver on his promise to accelerate action on old growth, Eby must: • Immediately stop logging in at-risk old growth forests, including all areas mapped for deferral by the Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel where logging and road building is continuing, as well as any areas identified by First Nations. • Provide full and urgent financial support to First Nations to ensure deferrals are economically viable, including compensation for revenue-sharing agreements and employment, and work with the federal government to secure a substantial increase in funding to support Indigenous-led land use planning and protection. • Ensure fully accessible and transparent information about forests and logging — including by releasing updated maps and data showing where recent, ongoing and planned logging overlaps with at-risk old growth — and full compliance with Free, Prior and Informed Consent and the rights of Title holders. A recent clearcut in old growth on Kwakwakaʼwakw territory, northern Vancouver Island. (Photo by Mya Van Woudenberg) -
Economic modelling of the global carbon cost of harvesting wood from forests shows a much higher annual cost than that estimated by other models, highlighting a major opportunity for reducing emissions by limiting wood harvests. By Liqing Peng, Timothy D. Searchinger, Jessica Zionts, Richard Waite Abstract: After agriculture, wood harvest is the human activity that has most reduced the storage of carbon in vegetation and soils1,2. Although felled wood releases carbon to the atmosphere in various steps, the fact that growing trees absorb carbon has led to different carbon-accounting approaches for wood use, producing widely varying estimates of carbon costs. Many approaches give the impression of low, zero or even negative greenhouse gas emissions from wood harvests because, in different ways, they offset carbon losses from new harvests with carbon sequestration from growth of broad forest areas3,4. Attributing this sequestration to new harvests is inappropriate because this other forest growth would occur regardless of new harvests and typically results from agricultural abandonment, recovery from previous harvests and climate change itself. Nevertheless some papers count gross emissions annually, which assigns no value to the capacity of newly harvested forests to regrow and approach the carbon stocks of unharvested forests. Here we present results of a new model that uses time discounting to estimate the present and future carbon costs of global wood harvests under different scenarios. We find that forest harvests between 2010 and 2050 will probably have annualized carbon costs of 3.5–4.2 Gt CO2e yr−1, which approach common estimates of annual emissions from land-use change due to agricultural expansion. Our study suggests an under-appreciated option to address climate change by reducing these costs. (2023) The carbon costs of global wood harvests.pdf
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By Robbie S.H. Johnson and Younes Alila Abstract Drawing on advances in non-stationary frequency analysis and the science of causation and attribution, this study employs a newly developed non-stationary stochastic paired watershed approach to determine the effect of forest harvesting on snowmelt-generated floods. Moreover, this study furthers the application of stochastic physics to evaluate the environmental controls and drivers of flood response. Physically-based climate and time-varying harvesting data are used as covariates to drive the non-stationary flood frequency distribution parameters to detect, attribute, and quantify the effect of harvesting on floods in the snow-dominated Deadman River (878 km2) and nested Joe Ross Creek (99 km2) watersheds. Harvesting only 21% of the watershed caused a 38% and 84% increase in the mean but no increase in variability around the mean of the frequency distribution in the Deadman River and Joe Ross Creek, respectively. Consequently, the 7-year, 20-year, 50-year, and 100-year flood events became approximately two, four, six, and ten times more frequent in both watersheds. An increase in the mean is posited to occur from an increase in moisture availability following harvest from suppressed snow interception and increased net radiation reaching the snowpack. Variability was not increased because snowmelt synchronization was inhibited by the buffering capacity of abundant lakes, evenly distributed aspects, and widespread spatial distribution of cutblocks in the watersheds, preventing any potential for harvesting to increase the efficiency of runoff delivery to the outlet. Consistent with similar recent studies, the effect of logging on floods is controlled not only by the harvest rate but most importantly the physiographic characteristics of the watershed and the spatial distribution of the cutblocks. Imposed by the probabilistic framework to understanding and predicting the relation between extremes and their environmental controls, commonly used in the general sciences but not forest hydrology, it is the inherent nature of snowmelt-driven flood regimes which cause even modest increases in magnitude, especially in the upper tail of the distribution, to translate into surprisingly large changes in frequency. Contrary to conventional wisdom, harvesting influenced small, medium, and very large flood events, and the sensitivity to harvest increased with increasing flood event size and watershed area. (2023) Johnson&Alila-Clearcut-Logging-Effects-on-Floods.pdf
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Groups call on Province to suspend pellet mill permit: company misled public and government about improved air quality. A pellet mill in the northwestern interior of BC that converts whole logs into pellets for thermal generation of electricity. CONSERVATION NORTH and Bulkley Valley Clean Air Now are calling for the provincial government to suspend a permit given to a company making wood pellets in Smithers because the company misled both the government and the general public about key aspects of the mill’s future operations. In a letter today to Environment Minister George Heyman, the two organizations say that the pellet mill proponent, NewPro, told the BC government, Smithers town council and the general public that the mill would help to substantially reduce “slash burning” in the Smithers area. NewPro applied for a permit amendment under the Environmental Management Act for a conversion from a particle board plant to a wood pellet mill based on particulate matter emissions. Every year in the Bulkley-Nechako airshed, thousands of slash piles—the woody debris left behind at logging operations—are deliberately set on fire, filling the Bulkley Valley with smoke containing fine particulate matter that can cause serious lung and heart ailments. NewPro claimed that the pellet mill plan would dramatically reduce the smoke associated with slash burning because the mill would use much of the slash as material to make wood pellets. In one presentation it claimed that it would take the slash from 1,200 such piles each year and turn the wood waste into pellets. The company explicitly said in a public presentation that this would “help reduce debris burning . . . the largest contributor” to air pollution in the valley. The BC government subsequently issued NewPro an amended permit under the provincial Environmental Management Act, paving the way for the pellet mill to be built. But no apparent reductions in slash burning resulted after the pellet mill opened late in 2018. “We are extremely concerned at what has unfolded. Despite the company’s assertions, the slash burning continues and our airshed continues to be choked with smoke for months on end. Instead of chewing through slash, the local pellet mill is chewing through whole logs,” says Len Vanderstar, co-founder of Bulkley Valley Clean Air Now. Bulkley Valley Clean Air Now along with Conservation North have asked the government to suspend the pellet mill’s permit. Vanderstar notes that the pellet mill yard is stacked full of whole logs that are generally considered to be pulp wood or Grade 4 logs. “Such logs have never been considered to be ‘logging slash’ before,” Vanderstar says. The organizations say that upon suspension of the permit, the government should require the pellet mill’s current owner – the United Kingdom’s Drax Group - to fully disclose exactly how many logs and actual logging slash it uses at its Smithers facility and to clearly show how many slash piles have not been burned as a direct result of its operations. “We also want to see the Environmental Management Act amended so that it is clear that permits will be cancelled outright if companies make misleading claims in support of their applications,” Vanderstar says. “We are losing on so many fronts, not just with this pellet mill but others in BC. Contrary to claims that they use ‘residual’ wood including logging slash and sawmill waste, pellet makers like Drax use hundreds of thousands of logs per year. Those logs all come from BC’s rapidly disappearing primary forests, which partly explains why we are in the ecological crisis we are,” says Conservation North Director, Michelle Connolly. The BC government’s own data shows clearly that large quantities of whole logs are turned directly into wood pellets at the Smithers’ mill, along with pellet mills in Burns Lake, Houston and Quesnel. After receiving the amended permit, NewPro sold its Smithers particle board plant to Pinnacle Renewable Energy and local sawmill owner, West Fraser. The pellet mill, which opened in 2018, became the newest of a number of such mills owned by Pinnacle in BC’s interior region. Pinnacle was later purchased by Drax. Drax operates the largest single-point source of wood pellet consumption in the world, a giant thermal electricity plant in North Yorkshire England, where wood pellets are burned to generate steam that then spins the facility’s turbines. Drax holds a clear monopoly in BC. It owns or co-owns seven of BC’s 12 pellet mills, which account for about two thirds of all of the province’s wood pellet production. Last fall, investigative documentaries by CBC’s Fifth Estate (watch video below) and BBC’s Panorama both chronicled the large volume of whole logs being run through Drax’s BC pellet operations and also noted the large piles of slash that continued to be left behind at logging operations and burned. “Clearly, the Smithers pellet mill has not contributed to a dramatic reduction in slash-burning in our airshed. Unfortunately, slash-burning continues to be the single-worst source of air pollution in our valley,” Vanderstar says. -
By Jennifer Skene and Michael Polanyi Introduction A glaring omission in Canada’s climate policy is undermining the rigour and integrity of the government’s climate commitments, leaving unaddressed the net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from one of the country’s highest-emitting sectors: the logging industry. A new analysis of government data conducted by Nature Canada and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NDRC) shows that the logging industry is one of Canada’s major GHG emitters, with a footprint that’s equal to more than 10 percent of Canada’s overall emissions. This figure, which is a conservative estimate, places the logging sector’s GHG emissions on par with oil sands production and higher than emissions from electricity generation. However, Canada does not clearly report the logging sector’s emissions. Instead, logging emissions can only be calculated through a complex process of piecing together official data dispersed across various government sources (some of which are available only upon request). In addition, unlike its approach to all other high-emitting sectors, the Government of Canada has not articulated a clear strategy to reduce this sector’s emissions, effectively exempting the logging industry from its keystone climate policies. The exclusion of this high-emitting sector jeopardizes Canada’s climate ambition. The government’s achievement of its commitment to reduce Canada’s emissions to 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 depends on a full and accurate accounting of—and effective actions to reduce— emissions from all sectors of the economy. The lack of recognition of the logging sector’s significant emissions also leads to a fundamentally flawed basis for forest sector policy decisions, including forest carbon regulation, perpetuating policy decisions grounded in the myth of logging’s carbon neutrality and exempting the industry from accountability. Canada’s climate leadership depends on a comprehensive accounting and mitigation of impacts across all sectors. The atmosphere does not distinguish between emissions from logging and those from fossil fuels and, by the government’s own numbers, the logging industry ranks among Canada’s greatest climate liabilities. Canada should transparently and accurately report logging emissions, addressing them alongside emissions from all other high-emitting sectors in its 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) and other policies. This report outlines the key findings from the new Nature Canada and NRDC technical report, and proposes key policy recommendations for the Government of Canada to address the high level of GHG emissions from the logging sector. These recommendations include: 1.) Transparently report the logging industry’s emissions; 2.) Develop a strategy for reducing these emissions; 3.) Directly regulate the sector’s emissions; and 4.) Address biases, flaws, and omissions in Canada’s logging emissions accounting. Download the report: (2022) Lost-in-the-Woods-Report Canada’s Hidden Logging Emissions Are Equivalent to Those from Oil Sands Operations.pdf
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By N.L. Stephenson et al Forests are major components of the global carbon cycle, providing substantial feedback to atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Our ability to understand and predict changes in the forest carbon cycle—particularly net primary productivity and carbon storage—increasingly relies on models that represent biological processes across several scales of biological organization, from tree leaves to forest stands. Yet, despite advances in our understanding of productivity at the scales of leaves and stands, no consensus exists about the nature of productivity at the scale of the individual tree4–7, in part because we lack a broad empirical assessment of whether rates of absolute tree mass growth (and thus carbon accumulation)decrease, remain constant, or increase as trees increase in size and age. Here we present a global analysis of 403 tropical and temperate tree species, showing that for most species mass growth rate increases continuously with tree size. Thus, large, old trees do not act simply as senescent carbon reservoirs but actively fix large amounts of carbon compared to smaller trees; at the extreme, a single big tree can add the same amount of carbon to the forest within a year as is contained in an entire mid-sized tree. The apparent paradoxes of individual tree growth increasing with tree size despite declining leaf-level and stand-level productivity can be explained, respectively, by increases in a tree’s total leaf area that outpace declines in productivity per unit of leaf area and, among other factors, age-related reductions in population density. Our results resolve conflicting assumptions about the nature of tree growth, inform efforts to understand and model forest carbon dynamics, and have additional implications for theories of resource allocation and plant senescence. Click to download: (2014) Rate of tree carbon accumulation increases continuously with tree size.pdf
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Fairy Creek blockade contempt charges collapse following judge's ruling that the RCMP did not properly communicate injunction to forest defenders. Fairy Creek Rainforest defenders confronted by RCMP in 2021 (Photo by Alex Harris) THE BRITISH COLUMBIA PROSECUTION SERVICE has withdrawn contempt charges against 11 forest defenders who had been accused of breaching a court injunction during blockades of old-growth logging by Teal Cedar at Fairy Creek on Vancouver Island in 2021. The decision follows an earlier ruling that acquitted protester Ryan Henderson in February of this year. That acquittal resulted from the RCMP’s failure to properly read the injunction to people arrested during the protest. The Crown is reviewing the remaining cases that were affected by the Henderson decision and that could lead to further withdrawals. Lawyer Karen Mirsky, who has represented forest defenders, has said that the Crown is expected to withdraw charges against as many as 150 people in the coming weeks because of BC Supreme Court Justice Douglas Thompson’s February decision. The RCMP’s Community-Industry Response Group (CIRG) had been responsible for enforcement actions at Fairy Creek. According to Mirsky, president of the BC Civil Liberties Association, the charge withdrawals resulted from police not “having the wherewithal to stand in one place and read an injunction fully and hand a copy of an injunction to an individual who is protesting.” While the prosecutions against forest defenders may be collapsing, the dubious tactics employed by police against reporters and the public at the Fairy Creek blockades has resulted in a class action suit being filed against the RCMP. -
By Dylan Stuart Cunningham, Douglas C. Braun, Jonathan W. Moore and Amanda Mary Martens Abstract: Freshwater ecosystems that support juvenile salmonids can be degraded by human pressures such as forestry. Forestry activities can alter water temperatures and the delivery and storage of water, nutrients, wood, and sediment in streams, resulting in changes to the habitat, growth, and survival of juvenile salmon. Previous research on forestry impacts on habitat has focused on small, intensively monitored coastal systems. Here we examined forestry impacts, watershed characteristics, physical habitat, and stream temperature for 28 midsized tributaries of the North Thompson River to examine relationships between forestry and juvenile coho stream habitat in interior watersheds. Forest harvest had a positive correlation to maximum summer stream temperature. Streams with 35% of the riparian area harvested since 1970 had maximum summer temperatures 3.7°C higher on average than those with 5% harvested. Stream gradient explained most of the variation in physical habitat and had negative correlations to pool cover, pool depth, and fine sediment cover. Taken together, these results indicate that watershed characteristics drive physical habitat, but forestry harvest can be a primary driver of water temperatures. Download study in PDF format: (2023) Forestry influences on salmonid habitat in the North Thompson River Watershed, British Columbia.pdf
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The firm vouched for an Indonesian company with a supply chain beset by deforestation allegations and a project in Canada that led to an Indigenous forest’s “death by a thousand cuts”. By Scilla Alecci for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Just past mile 73 on the highway that connects Canada to Alaska, north of the small city of Fort St. John in British Columbia, a dense line of spruce and pine abruptly ends. It is replaced by a vast expanse of brush and stumps scarring the clear-cut forestland. Sherry Dominic and her family once fished, hunted moose and picked berries here, following traditions of the native Blueberry River First Nations that stretch back hundreds of years in Canada’s westernmost province. The land was once covered in boreal forest and laced with clear streams. Then the loggers came. In 2015, after more than a decade of intensive logging, Dominic and the Blueberry River First Nations sued the provincial government alleging that it had approved a “sustainable forest management” plan that failed to protect the forest. Instead, the project allowed companies including forestry giant Canfor Corp., to overharvest timber, damage native people’s territory and threaten their way of life. First Nations members sent letters to the logging companies and the government, but their concerns “always fell on deaf ears,” said Dominic, a council member from the Blueberry River community. “They just kept going and going.” In 2021, a provincial court suspended the approval of new logging permits, finding that the provincial government had promoted “intensive use” by forestry companies and other industries that left the Blueberry River First Nations’ territory and wildlife “drastically altered.” Project audit reports point to another, less examined, point of failure that may have contributed to what the court calls “irreparable harm.” KPMG, the global accounting firm, has served as both environmental auditor for the project and financial auditor for Canfor, a forestry conglomerate with $6 billion in annual revenue. Even as Canfor and other giant logging concerns cleared acres of forestland in the project area, KPMG was issuing reports that downplayed evidence that loggers were not complying with the project’s regulations, a review of the documents by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has found. The examination of KPMG’s environmental auditing practices is part of Deforestation Inc., an investigation led by ICIJ in collaboration with 39 media partners. The cross-border investigation exposes the flaws of the environmental auditing and certification industries designed to combat deforestation, illegal logging and other abuses. Go to the full story
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