Are clearcuts a factor in fl ooding?

The absence of large swaths of trees has had a role in November’s catastrophic landslides, according to studies

By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Thousands of British Columbians remain displaced following a series of devastating fl oods and landslides that have swallowed highway roads and entire cities in the southern part of the province. The fl oods prompted British Columbia to declare its third state of emergency this year on Nov. 17. The devastation was triggered by an atmospheric river that carried rainfall two times the average amount within a 72-hour period. As the severity and frequency of extreme weather events increases in B.C., researchers say the long-standing use of clearcut logging has exacerbated the probability of fl oods. But one of Vancouver Island’s largest forestry management companies disagrees, maintaining that it is an “eff ective” system that actually reduces the area of disturbance. A recent University of British Columbia (UBC) study by XuJian Joe Yu and Younes Alila found that logging can increase the frequency of large fl oods by up to four times. Alila is a UBC forestry professor who has been studying the relationship between the forest cover, logging, and hydrology for over 25 years. “What we are seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. Aggressive forestry practices over the past several decades have resulted in cut rates of up to 60 per cent in some watersheds, said Alila. The way the province has been managing forests is not only “highly unsustainable,” but regulation and policies do not appreciate how sensitive the hydrology is to these “high cut levels,” he said. When a forest is removed from a watershed, its canopy is no longer there to intercept precipitation. “That means you have more rain directly hitting the ground,” said Alila. “And therefore, you have more moisture available for runoff .” The forest’s canopy also slows down snow melt because it acts like a barrier from the sun’s radiation. “If you remove the trees, the snowpack is receiving way more solar radiation,” he said. “So, you’ve got more snow on the ground, but also more energy to melt the snow.” The location of a cut-block can also greatly contribute to the disruption of hydrology within a watershed, Alila explained. South and west-facing aspects of mountains are more sensitive to logging than east and north-facing sides. Global warming only adds to the issue, he said. “The severity and the frequency of these atmospheric rivers in the fall has now increased as a result of global warming,” said Alila. “Even modest increases in the magnitude of these larger extreme events, like fl oods, can translate into surprisingly large changes in their frequency. The larger the event, the more frequent it becomes.”

Clearcutting does not cause landslides, says Mosaic

The Ministry of Forests said that harvesting can contribute to fl ooding because it creates soil conditions less conducive to absorbing water. “That’s why B.C. uses a science-based reforestation approach to reduce risk of fl ooding,” the ministry added. Under the province’s new vision for forests, the ministry said it’s working “to ensure our oldest and most ancient forests are protected, and Indigenous peoples are full partners in sustainable forest management.” Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council President Judith Sayers said she has yet to see this transition. There is recognition by the government, she said, but there are no “concrete” actions yet. “UNDRIP [The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples] talks about our ability to control, manage and use our own forests,” said Sayers. “And I don’t see that refl ected in the new forestry policies or law that [the government] is proposing.” Mudslides are also triggered after heavy weather events like the one B.C. just experienced, said Garry Merkel, B.C.’s old-growth strategic review panel expert and a professional forester. Debris from clearcuts accumulates in and around creek channels, which eventually lets loose under heavy rain, he said. It tears creek banks, taking mud and all the surrounding debris with it, he added. “You end up with very large landslides,” Merkel said. One of the 14 recommendations outlined in the Old Growth Strategic Review suggested developing alternative harvesting methods to clearcutting. If forests were harvested delicately so the ecosystem’s attributes, structure and function remained intact, Merkel said you can have very little eff ect on the ecosystem. “But the standard systems that we use are primarily clearcut,” he said. Mosaic Forest Management is the manager for TimberWest and Island Timberlands, which have been operating for over 100 years on B.C.’s coast. “It is a common misconception from the public that clearcutting causes landslides,” a Mosaic spokesperson wrote in an email. “The public has probably seen old stumps that persist for decades and more – all still functioning to support stable slopes. Furthermore, other plants – both planted trees and other forest shrubs and herbs – quickly re-establish on these sites. Mosaic plants trees on average within ten months of harvest. Native shrubs and herbs persist or re-establish after harvesting, and seedlings growing from seed dropped from the original forest also re-establish on

Photo by Eric Plummer Clearcuts are seen on a slope near Port Renfrew, just outside of the Fairy Creek valley in Pacheedaht territory. Researchers are linking the commonly used forestry practice to fl ooding events in British Columbia. these sites. All these forest plants contribute to the soil structure and rooting systems in these areas.” Mosaic said a variety of factors infl uence slope stability, including steepness, precipitation, the types of vegetation present, historic disturbance, as well as man-made structures like roads and culverts. “Because these factors, and many others, all come into a geotechnical engineer’s assessment of landslide risk, it would be highly unlikely that any expert would categorically suggest that clearcuts cause landslides,” said Mosaic. “Instead, with today’s professional standards in place and scientifi c knowledge and legislative framework, it would be more appropriate to say that professional foresters assess landslide risk before proceeding with harvesting activities.” Clearcutting is commonly used in forest management for a number of reasons, said Mosaic. Some of these include mimicking fi re and other types of natural disturbances, providing safer working conditions, managing mature trees that contain forest health issues, as well as providing optimal growing conditions for crops of trees that will be replanted, such as the Douglas-fi r. But Alila maintained that the only way forward is to rethink how we manage forests “before it’s too late.” Governments also need to consider the impacts of climate change and land use developments when designing infrastructure, such as bridges and culverts, said Alila. “We should not continue doing business as usual without accounting for the fact that the fl ood regime has changed and is continuing to change,” he said. “The past does not represent the future anymore.”

Floods are ‘not surprising’

The Ministry of Transportation stated “to ensure transportation infrastructure is resilient and adapted to the eff ects of climate change, including extreme weather events, we must look beyond historical information to future trends and what they might mean for British Columbia.” The province has undertaken initiatives to evaluate and address potential climate change impacts on transportation infrastructure, the ministry wrote. Low land and fl at areas in watersheds are critical sponges, said Merkel, adding that many have been cleared for roads, houses, agriculture, forestry, and logging. “It’s not surprising that we’re having some of these problems because we’ve taken out those buff er areas of our landscape,” he said. Since 2018, the Ministry of Forests said the province has planted over 1 billion trees in its reforestation eff orts. “Replanting harvested areas and those areas ravaged by wildfi re and pests is essential to our fi ght against climate change and rebuilding forest health,” the ministry said. While clearcutting is “the most commonly applied” harvesting practice over the last 20 years, the Ministry of Forests noted that in recent years logging represents less than a third of the disturbance caused by wildfi res. “In general, any stand-replacing disturbance, be it through harvesting, wildfi res or mountain pine beetle, can contribute to fl ooding because they create soil conditions less conducive to absorbing water,” said the ministry. “In BC, over 16 million hectares have been aff ected by the mountain pine beetle, and a record 2.7 million hectares have burned in wildfi res over the last 5 years. In comparison, 888,000 hectares were harvested between 2016 and 2020.” In August, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced an investment of up to $340 million in new funding over the next fi ve years to support Indigenous leadership in nature conservation. “Indigenous peoples are key partners as we work to protect more nature, conserve biodiversity, and combat the worst eff ects of climate change,” Jonathan Wilkinson, minister of Environment and Climate Change, said in a release. While Sayers said, “there’s never going to be enough money for the amount of work that needs to be done,” she hopes that the federal and provincial governments show more of a willingness to sit at the same table with First Nations. “I really would like to see the province working more closely with First Nations [to] use our traditional ecological knowledge and Indigenous wisdom,” she said. “We can use our knowledge to restore these forests.”

Despite human rights measures and two passed bills, consultation is lacking overall, say Indigenous leaders

By Mike Youds Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Two years after B.C. became the fi rst jurisdiction in Canada to bring into force the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, Indigenous leaders are growing increasingly concerned about a lack of engagement, transparency and action. “Progress, if any, has been very slow and tedious, and we’re uncertain as to what the government is really doing,” said Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council President Judith Sayers, who was involved in UNDRIP at international, federal and provincial levels. DRIPA establishes two basic mechanisms for change: Aligning B.C. statutes with UNDRIP in consultation and in cooperation with all 203 First Nations, and joint decision making or consent prior to decisions on use of statutory powers. The provincial government is obligated by the Declaration Act (DRIPA) to align its laws with The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and to report annually on progress toward that goal. A draft action plan released in June sets out 79 proposed measures to achieve the goals in the UN declaration within the next fi ve years, but the draft left much to be desired. The completed plan, which was to be released in December, won’t be available until sometime next year. “This is a government action plan; we need a First Nations action plan,” Sayers said. “I think there’s work going on, but we certainly don’t feel the results of that, and I’m very, very concerned about that.” The provincial government has been talking with the First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) — comprised of representatives of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Summit and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) — but the council has no authority to address matters involving rights and title. Sayers doesn’t see that much has changed in the way of implementing DRIPA or including B.C.’s 203 First Nations in decision making. “It’s not the leadership council that needs to have consultation and co-operation leading to consent,” Sayers said. “That’s just the icing on the top of the cake. They’re not doing the job.” As the province grappled with widespread fl ooding and mudslides over past few weeks, the storm surge grew to be an emergency matter for some. Fraser basin and southern Interior First Nations were evacuated, some completely cut off , others facing destruction of their lands on a massive scale yet without the government assistance seen elsewhere. FNLC called on provincial and federal governments to commit supports and resources to communities having to cope with cascading crises: 2021 wildfi res, COVID-19, the opioid crisis, homelessness and discovery of thousands of unmarked graves at former residential schools. “We reiterate our call for the province to declare an indefi nite state of emergency as this fl ooding has caused what will most certainly be billions of dollars in damage, indefi nite displacement of thousands of people, long-term environmental eff ects yet to be contemplated and serious long-term disruption in an already fragile supply chain,” said Robert Phillips of the First Nations Summit. On Nov. 23, Indigenous Relations Minister Murray Rankin was on the phone

Photo from YouTube/B.C. Government

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION NOTICE NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE AN OPERATIONAL

CERTIFICATE 110576 UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT Take notice that the Director intends to issue an OPERATIONAL CERTIFICATE 110576 to the City of Port Alberni for the municipal wastewater treatment lagoon located on Johnstone Island and the associated discharge to the Somass River estuary. The Operational Certifi cate will be issued a minimum of 30 days after the last date of publication of this notice. The land upon which the facility is situated is 7TRI_Alberni (Lease Areas 135 & 135A) and Lot 3, Plan VIP 72152. The location of the point of discharge is Latitude 49.2397 N and Longitude 124.8219 W. The wastewater treatment facility and discharge are authorized through the City of Port Alberni’s Liquid Waste Management Plan which was approved by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy on July 30, 2021. The subject Operational Certifi cate imposes additional terms and conditions on the treatment and discharge of the municipal wastewater. A copy of the draft operational certifi cate may be viewed the City of Port Alberni website https://www.portalberni.ca/public-notice-posting-place a copy is available for the public to view in person at City Hall. Any person who may be adversely aff ected by the granting of this Operational Certifi cate and wishes to provide relevant information may, within 30 days after the last date of publication of this notice, send written comments to the City of Port Alberni, Rob Dickinson, Director of Engineering & Public Works [phone: 250.720.2838 or email: rob_dickinson@portalberni.ca] with a copy to the Ministry [email: melanie.mamoser@gov.bc.ca]. The identity of any respondents and the contents of anything submitted in relation to this application will become part of the public record. Dated this 28 day of October 2021.

B.C Indigenous Relations Minister Murray Rankin promised emergency supports for First Nations in a fl ooding update in mid-November.. with First Nations hardest hit, discussing responses to widespread fl ooding, including formation of “integrated Indigenous response and recovery deployment teams.” He acknowledged they have more work to do with a need to improve front-line communications with First Nations and streamline supports. There has been progress on human rights. On Nov. 17, Attorney General David Eby tabled Bills 18 and 29, legislative amendments that would further uphold Indigenous human rights. Both represent important steps to implement DRIPA, Eby said while restating the NDP government’s commitment to reconciliation and combatting racism and discrimination. B.C. Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender said Indigenous leadership together with the Human Rights Tribunal and her offi ce called for Indigenous identity to be explicitly protected in the province’s Human Right’s Code. “UBCIC supports the new reforms brought in today, but we know we have to double down on the hard work to make real progress and switch from simply promoting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, to implementing the rights of Indigenous Peoples every day in all areas of life in British Columbia,” said Kukpi7 Judy Wilson, secretary-treasurer of UBCIC. Responding to the amendments, Regional Chief Terry Teegee of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations said they are now beginning to see movement on the immense task of transforming B.C. laws. But consultation with First Nations on other key legislation of critical importance to them has been lacking or altogether absent, not a hopeful sign the government takes implementation seriously. One example is Bill 22, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act amendments that were expected to pass before the end of the legislative session. In late November the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs issued an open letter calling for its withdrawal. “The bill in its current form fails to uphold First Nations’ unique rights of access to information as many of the proposed amendments will create new barriers for First Nations requiring access to provincial government records to substantiate their historical grievances against the Crown,” the letter states, calling the amendments a contravention of UNDRIP and DRIPA. By adding a fee for FOI requests — which cannot be waived even when an application is made in the public interest — the province is disproportionately harming First Nation applicants, UBCIC states. The fee violates the UN declaration since it was never discussed with First Nations or their representative organizations, they contend. Amendments to the Clean Energy Act and the Mental Health Act also proceeded without consultation in 2020. While the provincial government is working with some First Nations — engaging with Huu-ay-aht, Ditidaht and Pacheedaht through joint forest management talks — it was unclear how much input First Nations had into the province’s old growth strategy, Sayers said. Then there is the need to develop new, cleaner sources of energy for small and remote communities along the coast. Despite COP 26, the Clean B.C. plan to reduce pollution and a Clean Energy Summit that took place in November, too few First Nation opportunities are on the table, she said. All of this leads Sayers to question whether old attitudes have changed and the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation has the staff resources to handle the enormous and complex task at hand. She wants to see an independent secretariat with Indigenous representation that can wield the power to compel government to follow through on DRIPA commitments. “I just don’t see the change in attitude that we need,” she said.

Ocean development could help Vancouver Island’s remote communities cut down their dependence on diesel

By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Victoria, BC - A new wind buoy being deployed off the southern tip of Vancouver Island could help remote communities cut their diesel dependence. The buoy was manufactured as part of a project out of the University of Victoria’s (UVic) Pacifi c Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery. Led by UVic mechanical engineering professors Brad Buckham and Curran Crawford, it was designed to explore wind resources off the coast of Vancouver Island. Although land-based wind turbines only account for a small percentage of the globe’s energy needs, they have become an increasingly popular renewable energy resource, Buckham explained in a press release. Comparatively, off shore wind turbines have not been used to the same extent. This is primarily because industry lacks the data needed to develop “accurate, certifi able and insurable technologies,” the release read. “Off shore wind is the next frontier in wind energy,” said Crawford. This buoy-based technology is the fi rst of its kind in B.C. and allows researchers to get measurements by mooring the buoy, said Crawford. “The data is critical in helping address a signifi cant knowledge gap that has prevented off shore wind energy produced by fl oating turbines from being used more widely,” Buckham said in a release. Weighing 5,500 kilograms and standing nine metres tall, the customized buoy will be deployed a few hundred metres southwest of Trial Island, near Victoria, for around six months. Equipped with a wind turbine and 3D laser-scanning systems, the buoy can measure changing wind patterns 200 metres above the water’s surface. Purchased as part of a larger UVic project entitled, Canadian-Pacifi c Robotic Ocean Observing Facility, the buoy was constructed by Sidney-based AXYS Technologies Inc. and cost around $1.8 million. Chloe Immonen, research scientist and deployment manager, said the data will not only benefi t remote communities who rely on diesel energy, it will also contribute to a better “understanding of the way wind can be harnessed to create sustainable energy.” Because of the scale of off shore wind turbines, Crawford said they are designed to accommodate larger communities, such as Haida Gwaii. “There is the potential to do smaller scale wind [projects] and we want to take a look at that,” said Crawford. “But we’re not proposing to put a multi-megawatt turbine off the coast of a really, really small community.” It is more effi cient to harness wave, tidal, and solar energies for small, coastal communities, he said. After its initial deployment near Trial Island, Crawford said the team will be looking for a new location to deploy it for another year so they can monitor wind patterns throughout every season. Crawford said he’s looking forward to “post-processing the data to get more rich information out of it.”

Photo supplied by AXYS Technologies The PRIMED group, an initiative of the University of Victoria, deployed a wind data gathering buoy in November. The project aims to help remote communities use alternative sources of energy.

“It’s nice to have this hardware to get some hard data,” he said. “There’s large scale simulations of what wind speeds might be in B.C., but no real data for us to work with. It’s been many years in the making to get this thing built and underwater. It’s great to fi nally be able to get that data.”