We live in a time when Forest fires dominate most of our summers. That is not likely to change in the near future. Our forest are burning on a regular basis , sometimes right through the fall and winter seasons. This is the status quo these days. So how can Environmental policy begin to react to such events. Current thinking is to build more fire fighting resources and to make our reactions to these events both quicker and more robust.
Training more recruits and actively monitoring for outbreaks to make a response swift and effective. However these policies while being somewhat effective are still reactionary and not pro-active and therefore we are starting at a deficit and recovering from there. So one of the big questions is how do we be more pro-active. How can we get out ahead of these disasters and how can we be effective in our planning strategies moving forward.
An opportunity is there and we need to take advantage of it.
In Canada the forestry sector is always under stress. Mills closing and the fight from environmental groups to stop logging are a persistent problem to the industry.
so How do we please both groups meaning the forestry industry and environmental groups.
We do strategic logging efforts which will be developed to minimize the threat of fire danger to our communities and maximize the business of forestry. How can this be done is one question and what will it look like will we be scarring the land with clearcuts? Not necessarily.
Take for example the fire in Jasper town. There were no fire breaks and nature took over ravishing the once vibrant town and leaving it a wasteland. Could the damaged be minimized , perhaps if a policy of strategic logging had been applied it could.
Imagine for example if a fire break near and around the town had been implemented. No environmentalist could argue that felling some trees to protect a community would be a travesty on the contrary it could help save untold amounts of forest most of it old growth. This strategic logging would be done well out of sight and far enough away to preserve the beauty and pristine wilderness around the beautiful place.
Lets make policy for Environmental Adaption so it maximises our efforts by being proactive and minimizes our need for reactionary measures. Policy can support industry and environmental efforts and are mutually beneficial to both.
In the case of other beautiful wilderness sites in Canada we would urge all parties governments, industry and environmental groups to collaborate. This is but one opportunity of which there are many.
Saving a township like Banff would be a good example building a firebreak by using strategic logging would help the town, help the forest and help us source timber to build the thousands of houses needed in this country.
Forest fires in Canada were the largest producer of green house gasses and contribute more carbon to the atmosphere than all other sources. Managing climate change by managing forest fires is the most effective way to reduce green house gasses like carbon. Modest measures like this will ultimately prove more effective than all other methods including carbon capture. This will however rely on all governments to make policy in unison with environmental groups and industry stakeholders to move forward.
There are many more opportunities for successful adaptation to the new reality of climate change all require us to collaborate and innovate that’s our strength!