Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson issued the following statement in response to concerns expressed by the Heiltsuk First Nation with regard to provincial response to a wildfire on Denny Island:

B.C.’s Dam Safety Program moved forward under new legislation that strengthens the ability of dam safety staff to inspect, audit and remediate more than 1,800 regulated dams in the province, according to the 2015-16 B.C. Dam Safety Program Annual Report.

The BC Wildlife Health Program is once again asking for help assessing the effects of winter ticks on the province’s moose population as part of its annual moose winter tick surveillance program.

Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson has issued the following statement in response to a ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission:

Wildlife harvest allocations for the next five-year allocation period were released by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations for 24 hunts around the province.

The Great Bear Rainforest (Forest Management) Act is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2017, following the enactment of regulations that bring the act into force and fulfill government’s commitment to ecosystem-based management in the Great Bear Rainforest.

The Province has extended the reduced fee in place for log exports in the Mid-Coast Timber Supply Area until June 2018 to support forestry jobs in the area.

Four B.C. municipalities have been approved for grants under a provincial program that was launched last year to support local government’s that are experiencing challenges with urban deer.