We have developed this monthly newsletter to curate the good news stories we share throughout the province featuring FESBC-funded projects which are generating excellent economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Stories are shared in collaboration with our project partners to highlight the exceptional work happening in our forests to reduce wildfire risk, enhance wildlife habitat, take action on climate change, and more.
We have developed this monthly newsletter to curate the good news stories we share throughout the province featuring FESBC-funded projects which are generating excellent economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Stories are shared in collaboration with our project partners to highlight the exceptional work happening in our forests to reduce wildfire risk, enhance wildlife habitat, take action on climate change, and more.
We have developed this monthly newsletter to curate the good news stories we share throughout the province featuring FESBC-funded projects which are generating excellent economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Stories are shared in collaboration with our project partners to highlight the exceptional work happening in our forests to reduce wildfire risk, enhance wildlife habitat, take action on climate change, and more.
We have developed this monthly newsletter to curate the good news stories we share throughout the province featuring FESBC-funded projects which are generating excellent economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Stories are shared in collaboration with our project partners to highlight the exceptional work happening in our forests to reduce wildfire risk, enhance wildlife habitat, take action on climate change, and more.
We have developed this monthly newsletter to curate the good news stories we share throughout the province featuring FESBC-funded projects which are generating excellent economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Stories are shared in collaboration with our project partners to highlight the exceptional work happening in our forests to reduce wildfire risk, enhance wildlife habitat, take action on climate change, and more.
We have developed this monthly newsletter to curate the good news stories we share throughout the province featuring FESBC-funded projects which are generating excellent economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Stories are shared in collaboration with our project partners to highlight the exceptional work happening in our forests to reduce wildfire risk, enhance wildlife habitat, take action on climate change, and more.
We have developed this monthly newsletter to curate the good news stories we share throughout the province featuring FESBC-funded projects which are generating excellent economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Stories are shared in collaboration with our project partners to highlight the exceptional work happening in our forests to reduce wildfire risk, enhance wildlife habitat, take action on climate change, and more.
We have developed this monthly newsletter to curate the good news stories we share throughout the province featuring FESBC-funded projects which are generating excellent economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Stories are shared in collaboration with our project partners to highlight the exceptional work happening in our forests to reduce wildfire risk, enhance wildlife habitat, take action on climate change, and more.
Fort Nelson, B.C. – In a bid to safeguard their community from the escalating threat of wildfires, British Columbia’s largest community forest is proactively undertaking wildfire risk reduction work with support from Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) funding. The Fort Nelson Community Forest Fuel Treatment Project, set against the backdrop of remote wilderness, is a testament to the power of collaboration and determination and represents a remarkable opportunity for growth, local capacity building, and economic empowerment.
In a collaborative move, the Fort Nelson Community Forest (FNCF) was formed when the largest community forest license in the province was awarded to the Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) and Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM) partnership. The partnership between the FNFN and NRRM represents not only the largest community forest license in British Columbia but also yields the most substantial harvestable volume. Considering the remote and expansiveness of the area covered by the license, this means there is a tremendous responsibility for the FNCF, one which they are prepared to undertake.
Photo: Past treatment photos from another Fuel Mitigation Project within the Community Forest; Photo credits: Fort Nelson Community Forest.
“The Fort Nelson Community Forest, like others throughout B.C., supports long-term opportunities and contributes to a more diversified forest economy,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests. “As the keepers of B.C.’s biggest community forest, it’s great to see the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and the Fort Nelson First Nation collaborate on this project to better protect their homes, schools, businesses and the surrounding forests that are the lifeblood of their remote communities.”
The FESBC-funded FNCF Fuel Treatment Project is set to address a 20-hectare expanse of forest, roughly the size of 37 football fields, along the southwest side of the Alaska Highway. By creating a shaded fuel break using mechanical treatments, which means clearing and reducing the growth of plants and trees in the area using machines or equipment, the project aims to slow wildfire spread, enhance suppression efforts and firefighter safety, reduce the risk of a wildfire spreading up into the crown or tops of trees, and maintain vital evacuation routes for public safety, such as Highway 97.
Acknowledging the importance of funding and support, the FNCF highlighted the significance of FESBC funding to help develop their capacity, particularly as they continue to establish themselves.
Katherine Wolfenden, the board chair of the FNFC, said, “Our community forest partnership is excited to have been selected for funding from FESBC. This project will help the local community have more control over where and how firebreaks and selective reduction of high-risk areas occur next to the community. As a new and developing community forest, this project is helping us implement one of our guiding management goals to support and invest in community wildfire prevention initiatives.”
Echoing Wolfenden’s statement, Ben Wall, the general manager of the FNCF, also noted the importance of FESBC funding.
“Adequate funding and support are essential to the success of the community forest. Funding is required to continue the research, planning, and monitoring of the forest, the use of qualified and experienced professionals as well as continuing to promote local engagement. The FESBC funding is of the utmost importance for this project as it will help us develop capacity. With the Fort Nelson Community Forest still working on getting firmly established and viable, help with funding like this is critical,” said Wall.
This project, however, means so much more to the community and the forest than simply reducing wildfire risk. The collaboration between the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, Fort Nelson First Nation, and other stakeholders will promote forest sustainability through wildlife habitat preservation, timber harvesting, wildfire mitigation efforts, and recreational opportunities.
FESBC Senior Manager Gord Pratt said, “FESBC is excited to be able to support the Fort Nelson Community Forest early in their existence on such an important project reducing the local wildfire risk to the community, improving wildlife habitat and building local capacity in the forest sector.”
According to Matt Pilszek, RFT, Forestry and Construction Manager with Geoterra, the fuel mitigation project will have wildlife enhancement objectives in mind throughout the treatment, with a specific focus on protecting and enhancing the Boreal caribou ungulate winter range. The fuel mitigation treatment will reduce the accumulation of flammable vegetation and deadwood, which helps reduce the risk of large, destructive wildfires detrimental to wildlife habitat. Preserving the winter range from being impacted by wildfires ensures that caribou and other ungulates have access to the habitat they need during the critical winter months.
“Fuel mitigation through selective thinning of trees can help preserve and restore the natural vegetation and forest structure within the Boreal caribou ungulate winter range. This is important because these animals rely on specific types of vegetation for food and shelter during the winter. Selective thinning techniques can promote the growth of new vegetation in the understory (the layer of vegetation that grows beneath the forest canopy, consisting of smaller plants, shrubs, and young trees) while maintaining habitat connectivity within the landscape,” said Pilszek.
The fuel mitigation project will also support the Fort Nelson community by building local capacity and contributing to the region’s economy through job creation, community involvement, revenue generation, increased resilience to wildfires, and sustainable resource management. The fuel mitigation project will utilize local businesses, including forestry contractors, equipment operators, local First Nations land guardians, and service providers, which will stimulate the local economy and provide more work to these contractors.
“The selective thinning process will provide sustainable forest management to ensure that local forest resources are managed in a way that provides economic benefits while preserving the environment for future generations in Fort Nelson,” said Wall. Prior to the commencement of the fuel mitigation project, the FNCF actively engaged with the local community. They hosted an open house and secured approval from the FNFN through the Land Management Framework, a plan for how to use and take care of the land.
According to Wall and Pilszek, as this project gets underway, the community forest is planning to host another open house to get feedback from the community to understand if there is a desire to expand this type of treatment to other areas around the community.
“Often, the main concern about a project like this is there can be resistance and disagreement with what is being implemented and how it is being done. However, the community forest has engaged with all stakeholders within and around the project in a way that avoids interruptions. The snowmobile club, for example, has been very supportive and flexible in our discussions, and we have worked on a plan to mitigate any impact we might have on their activities. We intend to improve trail access in whatever way we can as we continue to work on this project and others in the future,” added Wall.
The FNCF is working with the local forest industry to grow the forest industry in Fort Nelson. As harvesting activity increases, the FNCF will be better positioned to self-fund projects. For example, the community forest harvested a significant amount of wood in 2021, approximately 30,000 cubic metres of wood, which is roughly equivalent to filling 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. They anticipate harvesting approximately 23,000 cubic metres during the 2023 winter harvest.
In addition to harvesting, the community forest is focused on a comprehensive and holistic land management plan and is working toward reforestation in identified areas.
“Last year, Geoterra supervised the Fort Nelson Community Forest Tree Planting Program, exceeding minimum quality standards by planting 226,440 trees. Planting densities adhered to wildfire guidelines, with 1,600 stems, or trees, per hectare outside the Wildland Urban Interface (a zone where human development and natural landscapes come into contact) and 800 stems per hectare within the Wildland Urban Interface,” said Pilszek.
The community forest recognizes a need to build capacity significantly to maximize the forest value to the partner communities. They are currently developing projects that have a higher percentage of merchantable timber that can be used to offset the costs of the work, and the hope is to be able to self-fund forest management activities from the sale of the lumber and wood fibre to a small local manufacturing entity in the future.
FESBC would like to gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Forests.
We have developed this monthly newsletter to curate the good news stories we share throughout the province featuring FESBC-funded projects which are generating excellent economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Stories are shared in collaboration with our project partners to highlight the exceptional work happening in our forests to reduce wildfire risk, enhance wildlife habitat, take action on climate change, and more.
We have developed this monthly newsletter to curate the good news stories we share throughout the province featuring FESBC-funded projects which are generating excellent economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Stories are shared in collaboration with our project partners to highlight the exceptional work happening in our forests to reduce wildfire risk, enhance wildlife habitat, take action on climate change, and more.
A First Nations Band Works to Reduce Wildfire Risk to the Community
Creates Shaded Fuel Break Along Baldy Road Corridor
Osoyoos, B.C. – Extending its reach from South Okanagan into the Kootenay Boundary region, the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) has taken a lead role in a project important to users of Mount Baldy. Made possible with funding from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), this project centres on creating an 8.5-kilometre fuel break (a cleared or managed area in a forest where vegetation is intentionally reduced or removed to help prevent or slow the spread of wildfires) along Mt. Baldy Road, squarely aimed at mitigating the persistent wildfire threat to the infrastructure at Mt. Baldy and creating a safer egress route for public and firefighting crews in the event of a wildfire.
“B.C. has experienced a devastating wildfire season, and given the effects of climate change, mitigating wildfire risk is vital for keeping people, communities and First Nations in B.C. safe – now more than ever,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests. “FESBC has undertaken many wildfire risk reduction projects, bringing concrete benefits in areas throughout the province. It is encouraging to see this effort continue in the South Okanagan and Kootenay Boundary regions in partnership with the Osoyoos Indian Band.”
Baldy Road is a corridor that has numerous homes located along its 16-kilometre stretch. As well, the Baldy Mountain Resort, a recreational haven in the area and year-round community, is located at the north end along with key infrastructure and accessibility routes.
Various consultation tours for the projects in the Boundary region; Photo credit: Peter Flett
Peter Flett, operations manager with Nk’Mip Forestry—OIB’s forestry department—emphasized the importance of this OIB-directed and supervised project in the area, and said, “Completion of this fuel treatment will decrease the risk of a high-intensity wildfire starting along the corridor by removing surface, ladder, and crown fuels in areas where the forest is dense and overgrown. In short, treating this long linear stretch of road will reduce the wildfire risk to the surrounding areas.”
Sharen Gibbs, Regional Director of Area E, West Boundary, and an area resident, agreed with Flett on the importance of the project and expressed how natural resources, with proper management, can support local economies and the environment to grow communities with foresight and consideration for future generations.
“The collaboration of Dan Macmaster, (Osoyoos Indian Band Forestry Manager), Peter Flett, and the Osoyoos Indian Band has been instrumental in attaining these goals. Understanding that while there may be concerns with over-logging in the province, this project focuses on fuel mitigation, and the Baldy Mountain Corridor will benefit immensely from this work. It will thin 100 metres off of the roadway of trees and debris, reducing fire hazards substantially and creating jobs. Much work has already been done by Baldy Mountain Resort and the residents of Baldy Mountain through the FireSmart Program,” said Gibbs. “It’s great news that the Forest Enhancement Society of BC will be funding this project and that clean-up will be done in conjunction with wood harvesting.”
The Nk’Mip Forestry team has completed the prescriptions of the area including a comprehensive roadmap for how to address wildfire risk while also conducting an archeological survey of the area. The wildfire risk reduction work will begin this fall.
According to James Katasonoff, wildfire officer with the BC Wildfire Service’s Southeast Fire Centre, while the Baldy Road project provides many benefits in maintaining a vital access or egress route, the improved feature will prove to be a viable control line during future suppression efforts in the area if wildfires were to occur as well.
“Historical and recent large fires evidence the fire-prone and dependent ecosystem in the Mt. Baldy area. The South face of Mt. Baldy, where the project is located, has been void of fire for decades, within a maturing and increasing fuel-loaded forest stand. Having this significant access/egress route protected and acting as a potential control line feature for the BC Wildfire Service is a significant benefit to community wildfire risk mitigation and will help save considerable time during fire suppression. The treatment will help keep fire intensity reduced and avoid crown fire and spotting potential directly on the fire edge if it were to become part of the perimeter control line,” Katasonoff said.
Katasonoff also acknowledged how great it has been to work with Dan Macmaster, Peter Flett and the OIB, on landscape-level mitigation projects and prescribed fire projects and said that working through challenges together and getting to know the individuals personally has developed a great working relationship.
“Wildfire mitigation and prescribed fire projects in critical areas are important to communities and society. Projects must remain viable from a financial standpoint, so the work is completed. FESBC remains a critical lifeline to the completion of high-value community protection projects,” Katasonoff added.
All disturbance to the land requires review by the First Nations’ lands department and if they deem an area to have archeological potential, often a preliminary field reconnaissance (PFR), designed to assess the potential for archeological sites within an area, is required.
“When a PFR is requested by OIB, we send out an archeologist and an OIB technician to ground-truth the area to identify any key features or landforms that may warrant modifications to the treatment plan or complete avoidance,” explained Flett.
For the Baldy Road Corridor project, Brenda Gould, president at Similkameen Consulting, was hired to work on the archeological survey. Gould believes it is important to conduct archaeological studies on the land before proceeding with wildfire risk reduction activities to ensure that legally protected sites are not inadvertently impacted.
“Archaeology sites are often invisible and their precise locations are not publicly available. As such, sites can be inadvertently impacted by machinery, tree planting, fires, etc.; anything that can disturb the surface of the ground can cause impacts. I also say ‘inadvertently’, because I don’t believe people purposefully want to wreck a site,” said Gould.
Archaeological sites are automatically protected under the Heritage Conservation Act and altering them is illegal without a permit. In the case of wildfire risk reduction activities, these cause less disturbance than regular forestry harvesting so it is usually very easy to ensure site protection without compromising the activities meant to protect people and properties.
“The Baldy wildfire reduction survey was interesting. We found one previously recorded archaeological site just inside the boundary of one of the areas which meant that the boundary had to be pulled back a few metres. In other areas, we found a historic campsite, probably from within the last 50 years and a few huckleberry patches,” said Gould, adding, “It’s always a great day working with the OIB crew. And, as foresters, Dan and Peter pay special attention to Indigenous values when planning forestry activities and respond positively to recommendations. When archaeologists and forestry engineers work collaboratively, solutions can almost always be found so that all interests can be fully met.”
Brian Watson, operations manager with FESBC said, “I am impressed by the Osoyoos Indian Band’s commitment to preserving Indigenous values throughout their work. I am impressed by how they integrate the results of the archaeological survey and other Indigenous values seamlessly into wildfire risk reduction efforts. This holistic approach aligns perfectly with the values and goals of FESBC, and we are incredibly proud to support their invaluable contributions to the preservation of our forests and communities.”
Overall, the project champions a holistic perspective that covers a rich collection of values—visual, historical, and ecological, and showcases the community’s firm commitment to safeguarding its future.
“Our forests are burning at a devastating rate, having incredible impacts on wildlife, communities and personal well-being. It’s time for British Columbians to wake up and start being proactive and managing our forests for a future of wildfires. We can no longer hope our communities will be spared or saved by wildfire crews. When we have a mild fire season, we cannot forget the panic and suffering we experience during the severe fire seasons. Managing our forests for wildfire at the scale needed to see significant impacts comes with compromises, and these are the discussions we need to be having,” said Flett, adding, “Funding from FESBC is crucial for this project to occur. The standards of fuel reduction are very high to ensure adequate benefits are provided by the treatment. As a result, these treatments are not economical without financial assistance.”
FESBC would like to gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Forests.
