Latest news with #oldgrowth
E&E News
6 days ago
- Politics
- E&E News
Survey finds lukewarm support for old-growth forests
Saving the nation's oldest forests remains a priority among a wide range of forest policy groups — but there are cracks in that support, an industry survey suggests. Attendees at a forest policy conference, including environmental groups, forest owners and government employees, agreed that the U.S. should seek to reverse the loss of old-growth areas and recognize federal land as the forefront of that effort. But a quarter of respondents said they disagreed with that position and less than half said they were 'strongly' supportive — the weakest showing for any of the 16 resolutions adopted at the American Forest Congress organized in July by American Forests and other groups in Washington. Advertisement The old-growth issue has proved complicated since the Biden administration tried — and failed — to restrict logging in areas it defined as old growth, a term that itself stoked arguments among conservationists, timber interests and others.
CBC
16-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Industry group questions 'vague scope' of new B.C. forestry council
The B.C. Council of Forest Industries (COFI) says it isn't sure why the province has created a new forestry council with a "vague scope and mandate" when there are already multiple working groups focused on the troubled resource sector. On Thursday, the province announced the formation of the Provincial Forest Advisory Council, which it says is expected to "provide recommendations to support forest ecosystems at the same time as helping the forestry sector." It says the move comes "amid a push to save more old-growth trees and a flagging industry as the United States threatens even further levies on Canadian softwood exports" and was created as part of its agreement with the province's two Green Party members. However, COFI says the province already has multiple working groups, reports, reviews and initiatives that have yet to be fully implemented. "We are not totally sure what the overall objective and need for it [the new council] is, COFI president Kim Haakstad said in an interview with CBC News. "Now we have yet another advisory council and review that doesn't have representation from the companies that manage the sectors every day." But the government says the new council is meant to balance environmental and economic needs, with representation from forestry professionals, educators, union and former industry officials The new council's members include Garry Merkel in the Centre of Indigenous Land Stewardship at the University of B.C., Shannon Janzen the former vice-president of Western Forest Products, Jason Fisher of the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. and Jeff Bromley with the United Steelworkers Wood Council, part of the United Steelworkers union which represents many forestry workers across the province. The union has praised the creation of the council, saying that with more than 2,500 members having lost their jobs in the last decade, it is essential that workers' voices be heard in shaping the industry's future. Green Party House leader Rob Botterell says forestry has always been a key part of the provincial economy, but its future depends on sustainable and long-term ecological stewardship. "This council presents an opportunity to advance bold, transformative and evidence-based actions that centre the health of our forests, support workers and communities, and ensure forest policy in B.C. is grounded in sustainability, science, and partnership with First Nations," Botterell said in a statement. Merkel, who co-chairs the council with Janzen, said the best way to get ahead of the evolving political, economic and ecological environment is by implementing a long-term plan that provides a predictable and stable flow of forest resources. "When we couple sustainable land stewardship with realizing most of the value of our forest resources within British Columbia, we support an economy that relies less on this unstable external environment," he said.
CTV News
15-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
B.C. appoints council to improve forest sector, and the forestry ecosystem
A couple are dwarfed by old growth tress as they walk in Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew, B.C. Oct. 5, 2021. A council representing the forest industry, its union, educators, professionals and advocates has been brought together to find a balance between healthy forests and a prosperous industry. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
