Tag Archives: Ministry of Forests

Forests, Politics

Political maneuvers? SRD proposal to meet with province about the allowable cut and other forestry matters

It has been 85 years since the Truck Loggers Association was founded to give independent loggers a collective voice in society and the forest industry. Now they would like the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) to intervene on their behalf with BC’s Minister of Forests, Minister of State for Workforce Development and Chief Forester. This was disclosed during the discussion of a motion from the SRD’s Natural Resources Committee at the Wednesday December 11 Board Meeting. 

Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney said she is not a member of the Natural Resources Committee, but the issue is a concern to her. The Forest Practises Board recently released a report that stated there was a deficit of old growth on Quadra Island and only about 1% of the trees were greater than 250 years old. Three companies were found to be out of compliance with some aspect of forest legislation. The reported added that “the bigger issue  is that no one is responsible for monitoring or ensuring that Quadra Island’s old forests are conserved, or that enough mature forests are protected from logging so that they can develop into old forest in the future.” 

Mawhinney had brought this matter to the SRD Board asking that “that the board write a letter to the Minister of Forests, the Minister of Water, Lands and Natural Resources, and BC’s Chief Forester, highlighting concerns with old forest management on Quadra Island.” 

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Forests

Concerns About Old Growth Management On Quadra Island Referred to SRD Committees

The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) referred concerns with old forest management on Quadra Island to the Natural Resources and First Nations Relations Committees for recommendation.

In August, the Forest Practices Board released a report stating that three Forestry companies were out of compliance with ‘some aspect of forestry legislation.’ ‘TimberWest does not employ a strategy to ensure that the appropriate amount of mature forests will become old (p 16).’ Okisollo Resources Ltd ‘did not follow its wildlife tree retention strategy when it harvested cutblocks 19-01 and 19-02’ (p 22). Younger Brothers Holdings ‘harvested trees from an area where its Woodlot License Plan said harvesting was to be avoided (p 23). 

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Politics

Area C Director’s Report: UBCM, advocacy, island forestry, & well questionnaire

From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney

Hello, The last week was jam-packed, a blur of learning, meetings, and networking as I attended the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) annual convention in Vancouver. UBCM is an opportunity to meet with provincial Ministers and Ministry staff and advocate for local and regional priorities & concerns, as well as learning & listening at workshops, forums & town hall-style events.

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Forests

Evasion of forest regulations confirmed on Quadra Island

Originally published by the Discovery Islands Forest Conservation Project.

By David Broadland

In April 2023, the Discovery Islands Forest Conservation Project filed a complaint with the Forest Practices Board. Our surveys showed that the area of old forest on Quadra had fallen below 5 percent of the Crown forested area and three logging companies continued to log old forest or degrade it. We asked the Board to find a way to stop the degradation and reverse the loss.

The Board just released its report. It found that TimberWest, the tenure holder of TFL 47, has for the past 20 years failed to develop a plan for how it will meet the minimal targets set out in the 2004 Order Establishing Provincial Non-spatial Old Growth Objectives. That order sets a target of “greater than nine percent” old forest for the 11,000 hectares of TFL 47 on Quadra.

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Forests

B.C. misses the mark with old growth update, critics claim

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The B.C. government continues to move at a glacial pace to meet an overdue promise to transform the logging industry and protect endangered old growth forests and ecosystems, say B.C. conservation groups. 

On Monday, the province issued its latest progress report on transforming forestry practices to preserve ancient forests and vital ecosystems and meet 14 calls to action from the old-growth strategic review (OGSR) completed in spring of 2020. 

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