In the wake of the unprecedented 2017 wildfire season, the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development is providing additional guidance to professional foresters and licensees to support salvage-harvest planning.

The following statement has been issued jointly by Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development Doug Donaldson, Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Scott Fraser, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy George Heyman, and the Mamalilikulla First Nation, ‘Namgis First Nation, Dzawada’enuxw First Nation and Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nations:

The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development is asking for the public’s help to determine who interfered with a caribou recovery program by illegally “reactivating” an intentionally closed portion of the Fisher Creek Forest Service Road.

The public is invited to attend a community open house and participate in a discussion about the 2018 gypsy moth aerial spray treatment program in Courtenay.

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

Members of the public are being asked to carefully consider the risks of starting a winter feeding program for wild ungulates. Ungulates are hoofed mammals and include elk, moose, deer and sheep.

Proposed hunting, trapping, motor vehicle restriction and firearms restriction regulation changes for 2018 to 2020 are now online and available for public review and feedback.

In a move to better align harvest practices with the intent of the chief forester’s allowable annual cut decisions, changes are being made to how timber partitions are enforced throughout British Columbia.