This document provides an agenda and summaries on various topics related to forestry management practices around the world. It discusses the top 10 countries for deforestation and the largest forested countries. It also covers various specific examples of forestry management issues, policies and fires in locations like Ontario, California, India and BC. Key points discussed include provincial budget cuts affecting forest management, the impact of climate change and urban sprawl on fires, and lessons learned on improving coordination and response.
2. PAUL YOUNG - BIO
• CPA, CGA (1996)
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Contact information:
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4. SUMMARY
• Environmentalists never discuss carbon absorption by plant life including forests -
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29601644
• Climate always changes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9eQNZu9Sog
• Canada may already be carbon neutral - http://business.financialpost.com/opinion/canada-may-
already-be-carbon-neutral-so-why-are-we-keeping-it-a-secret
• All levels of govts have to revisit how they managed all aspects of their land as well as urban planning.
5. TOP 10 WORSE DEFORESTATION COUNTRIES
Source - https://www.whichcountry.co/top-ten-countries-with-highest-deforestation/
1. Brazil
2. Indonesia
3. Russia
4. Mexico
5. Papua New
Guinea
6. Peru
7. United
States
8. Bolivia
9. Sudan
10. Nigeria
Deforestation Environmental
Ranking 2018
69. Brazil
133. Indonesia
52 Russia
72. Mexico
164. Papua
New Guinea
64. Peru
27. United
States
92. Bolivia
115. Sudan
100. Nigeria
• How is Carbon Tax in Canada going to stop
deforestration in the above countries?
• Canada is ranked 25th or just above the USA
• Sudan receives foreign aid -
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/02/1003251
6. TOP FORESTED COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD
Source - https://earthnworld.com/2017/05/top-10-countries-with-largest-forest-area/
1. Russia
2. Brazil
3. Canada
4. United States
5. China
6. Australia
7. Congo
8. Argentina
9. Indonesia
10. India
CO2 Absorption by Vegetation
Source -
https://theconversation.com/pl
ants-absorb-more-co2-than-
we-thought-but-32945
Through burning fossil fuels, humans
are rapidly driving up levels of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere, which in
turn is raising global temperatures.
But not all the CO2 released from
burning coal, oil and gas stays in the
air. Currently, about 25% of the
carbon emissions produced by
human activity are absorbed by
plants, and another similar amount
ends up in the ocean.
7. INDIA / DE-FORESTATION
Source - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-18/dust-storms-worsen-india-s-air-as-part-of-deadly-new-normal?utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_content=business&cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Deadly dust storms sweeping over the
densely-populated north Indian plains are
part of a "new normal" of disruptive
weather events worsening the country’s
already-lethal air pollution and causing
disruption in the $2.3 trillion economy.
In recent months, dust clouds and storms
have killed hundreds of people, destroyed
thousands of homes and farmers’ crops
and led to flight cancellations. The
government in New Delhi, a city of more
than 20 million people, ordered a halt to
construction activities as the airborne sand
significantly worsened north India’s air
quality, far outside the winter months that
usually herald the region’s descent into a
months-long toxic haze.
• Urban Sprawl - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-
india-climatechange-disaster/mumbai-floods-
prompt-calls-for-crackdown-on-indias-urban-sprawl-
idUSKCN1BB1O2
• De-forestation – “In India, 63 football fields worth of
forest land fell prey to development activities every
day between 2014 and 2017. ”
https://www.thequint.com/news/environment/inter
national-day-of-forests-deforestation
• Carbon tax – There is no carbon tax in India
• India has one of the worse environmental records on
the planet -
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/econo
my/indicators/india-ranks-177-out-of-180-in-
environmental-performance-
index/articleshow/62637626.cms
8. ONTARIO / MCGUINTY
Source - http://www.torontosun.com/2013/12/17/liberals-latest-disaster-in-works-leaves-northern-ontario-vulnerable
The latest disaster in the works is a plan to cut Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) fire
services to Kirkland Lake — a plan that will leave an area the size of France without fire
protection, says Kirkland Lake Mayor Bill Enouy.
“We have no protection in Timiskaming right now because they tell us they’re protecting us
from Cochrane or Timmins, which are 145 km away,” he told me.
Kirkland Lake was hard hit by forest fires in 2012. Without the MNR firefighters, those infernos
would have been even more devastating.
“During those big fires there were small fires that started south of us. If left unattended, they
would have surrounded the community,” Enouy said.
He’s worried that cutbacks to MNR will have an economic impact on the area. Provincial parks
and other services have already been cut.
Toronto Sun – December 17, 2013
9. FORT MCMURRAY FIRE
Source - http://globalnews.ca/news/3514190/province-to-release-2-reports-on-fort-mcmurray-wildfire-response-thursday-night/
A report into the Fort McMurray wildfire cites critical communications breakdowns
as the fire swept into the municipality and forced thousands to flee. (Read the
reports below).
Independent consultants that produced the report for the province noted that in
the early days of the fire in May 2016, the two crews battling the blazes were
operating through different command centres.
Communication broke down when one crew chief realized the fire would enter Fort
McMurray, but failed to inform crews in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
10. ONTARIO GOVERNMENT AND THE LIBERALS
• http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/ontario-government-sues-cn-rail-for-millions-in-firefighting-costs-1.2927083
The province is seeking compensation from Canadian National Railway over four forest fires in 2012,
including $38 million for a massive fire near Timmins.
The province is alleging the fires were started by passing trains. The other three court actions involve
another fires near Timmins, Chapleau and Thunder Bay. The damages sought in those cases
are between $1 million and $2 million each.
The $38 million court action involves a fire called Timmins 9 in May of 2012.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry alleges the fire was started by the passage of a train
through the area. The fire burned 40,000 hectares of bush and destroyed several camps.
The fire was the largest one in the province in half a century, and came within about 20 kilometers of the
City of Timmins.
Toronto Sun - January 22, 2015
11. BC GOVERNMENT FOREST MANAGEMENT
Source - https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2010/12/CCPA_BTN_forest_service_web.pdf
12. CANADIAN FORCES / NATURAL DISASTER
• Prime Minister provides the order based on requirement of the province/territory for help
• Equipment/resources are deployed
13. 2017 FIRE SEASON
• https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/04/17/warm-dry-conditions-could-mean-more-forest-fires-this-summer-meteorologists-say.html
“If the forecast’s right that it’s a warmer than normal summer, we’ll probably
have more fires,” says Mike Flannigan, a meteorologist and professor in the
University of Alberta’s renewable resources department.
Flannigan says there are about 7,000 forest fires a year in Canada on average. But
that number can vary dramatically depending on the weather. Warm
temperatures mean a longer fire season, and more susceptible conditions.
• Climate Change people will say its all to do with global warming. FYI – There is no way to predict a
lightening strike – Oops, yes there is if you watch back to the future, lol
• Many provinces as well as federal government have curtail budgets when it comes forest management, i.e.
cutting bush back from rail routes, consolidation bases of operations for forest fires, issues contract
tenders (planes, copters, etc)
Toronto Star – April 17, 2017
15. CALIFORNIA FOREST FIRES
• Source - https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/11/politics/california-wildfires-trump-tweets/index.html
•
16. BLOG #1 – FORESTRY FIRES
Government Policies – BC Wild Fires
• Latest News – 07/16/2017 - http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/wind-fire-pose-worst-case-scenario-in-williams-lake-
1.3504947 or http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/banff-kootenay-parks-fire-closure-1.4207300 or
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/lake-country-fire-1.4207363 or
http://globalnews.ca/news/3601196/b-c-wildfire-status-saturday-crews-brace-for-potentially-stormy-weekend/
• I never like to see either government or people used personal tragedy for brownie points as that is wrong. However, I
do feel it can be necessary to call out government for there in action.
• Well done to Alberta for sending more help to BC - http://globalnews.ca/news/3596411/alberta-sends-more-help-
for-b-c-wildfire-response-air-quality-advisories-issued/. Shame on PM Trudeau who has said very little in terms of
help from Ottawa. I evaluate a leader on his/her ability to deal with good, bad and indifference times. Goodale
responded with help, but why did this also not come from Trudeau? http://globalnews.ca/news/3585958/canadian-
forces-to-assist-in-battle-against-b-c-wildfires/
17. BLOG #2 – FOREST FIRES
• http://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/07/27/opinion/clark-and-harper-know-forest-fires-linked-climate-
change-why-wont-they-do
• I would find it hard to believe Harper would blame forest fires on climate change.
• I do not see the media jumping of over the fact that provinces have slashed their budgets, right?
• http://www.bcgeu.ca/sites/default/files/CCPA_BTN_forest_service_web_0.pdf
• Did Doc from back to future not say that predicting a lightning strike is impossible? Does that mean Suzuki has
the ability predict lightning strike as well as when people will set forest fires accidentally?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-77xulkB_U
• Last summer I put out a small grass fire, because some idiot threw out a cigarette onto the grass.
• BTW: Ontario has been lucky as McGuinty cut the forest fighting budget, but no comment, why?
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/12/17/liberals-latest-disaster-in-works-leaves-northern-ontario-vulnerable
18. BLOG #3 – FORESTRY MANAGEMENT
Source - https://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/exporting-and-importing/the-changing-nature-of-canadas-forest-supply-as-fires-bugs-and-climate-bite-224341/
After seeing record high softwood lumber
prices earlier this year, Canada’s forestry
industry is facing an uncertain future due
to falling demand from a cooling U.S.
housing market, increasingly frequent and
intense forest fires and the continuing
damage from pests such as the mountain
pine beetle.
• All provinces need to start fixed the funding gap to
their forestry management budget -
https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-
news/alberta-cuts-nearly-15-million-from-wildfire-
management-budget
• Canada needs to seek to export markets for
Canadian timber -
https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/report/economy/
16558
• It is not one policy but many policies that need to
be review and/or established to better managed
the forest across Canada.
• Forest Fires are either started by lightning or
human-made. There is a rise with eco-terrorism -
https://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/ecoterr
orism-the-growing-threat
19. URBAN SPRAWL
• Land Management, Water Management and Forestry Management are becoming big issues as more
and more people flock to big cities - https://www.citylab.com/solutions/2018/07/rapid-urbanization-
provides-a-breeding-ground-for-war/564038/
• Houston and urban sprawl
20. CARBON SINKS
• “While changing our system of carbon accounting to include natural carbon sinks could bring Canada
somewhat closer to meeting our Paris targets, it would be far from a magic bullet. When the effects of
natural carbon emissions and events like forest fires are accounted for, Canada’s forests still do not
sequester four times more carbon than Canada emits, nor does our land store 20 to 30 percent more
carbon than we emit. Canada should certainly continue to pursue improved forestry and farming
practices and preservation of our natural wetlands as means of increasing carbon storage, but we cannot
claim that these carbon sinks eliminate the need to reduce our fossil fuel use and industrial emissions. To
have any hope of meeting our Paris climate commitments, we will need to do both.”
• Source - Canada is already a big carbon sink - http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/june-2018/canadas-
carbon-sinks-dont-mean-we-can-ease-off-on-climate-policy/
• Article does not mentioned water absorption and/or better urban planning
• Article does not mentioned that oil sands are being reclaimed
• Article does touch forest management practices but never mentioned that govts across the world slashed their forest
management budgets.
21. ISSUES AT HANDS
• Many provinces have cut forest management budgets
• Reinstating more money to forest management budgets
• Coordination between transportation, utility and mining companies to look at ways to mitigate grass fires
• More use of drones to help with fire spotting
• Building of industrial/residential properties deep in the woods
• Evacuations
• Lesson Learned
• Large Brush Fires/Urban Areas
• What can be done to mitigate future losses
• Response time is key to fighting fires
• Command Centers
• Coordination and positioning of Fire Fighters
• Protecting key infrastructure
• Control burns/Fire Breaks
• Water Bombarding