The Forest Industry Plays Key Role in Wildfire Response

I am just back from working with a heavy equipment group on a few wildfires and once again marvel at the value these folks bring to wildfire response.

The forest industry in BC is facing numerous and well documented external and internal pressures. The industry has been in decline for years and I fear it could actually dissappear. For the first time in my career, when we called contractors to supply heavy equipment, there was limited availability due to current industry conditions.

Our wildfire response will be considerably slower, more costly and less effective without these local industry crews and their equipment. I have worked with fire crews from areas in the USA where the forest industry has shut down. They all praise what our industry heavy equipment teams can accomplish far more safely and quickly than they are able to with adhoc equipment or by hand.

The contractors and their crews are not firefighters but display incredible courage as they lead the way during initial actions on a wildfire. To them it is just part of the job of being a forest worker. They punch the control line through difficult condtions that then acts as the “Anchor” for all subsequent response actions.

Local Licensee’s and their contractors have skin in the game. It is usually their future livelihood that is burning. In the first few days of a fire the local companies offer considerable logistical support to get the response going as safely, quickly and efficiently as possible.The equipment operators supplied by local contractors are self-sufficent, production oriented, well trained, versatile and innovative. Their machines are designed for the work and well maintained. The contractors have a safety program that exceeds BC Wildfires standards. Give them the objective and they will usually figure out the safest, fastest and most efficient way to achieve it, often to a better standard than expected.

I recently read the BC Budget. I can barely balance a cheque book but it appears that the money generated to the Crown by stumpage (tax on each m3 of wood harvested) doesn’t even cover the cost of running the BC Forest Service much less contribute to all the other needs we have.

It appears to me that what generates the most money for the Crown is income tax. The more jobs, the lower the social costs and the more money available to pay for all our other programs.

I have to ask those of you who seem hell-bent on shutting down the forest industry, how are you going to pay for all the services we demand from government and who is going to fight our wildfires?

Suggestions: a) The BC Government via BC Wildfire should support the contracting sector to ensure they are viable and able to assist with wildfires when required.

There is lots of work to be done to improve forest health and wildfire resiliency. The current planning, approval and funding methods for these projects are too complicated and costly. The forest industry could generate income from this work instead of the current short term, taxpayer funded, overpriced model . This work would help sustain contractors through down turns so they are available when needed for wildfire response.

b) BC Wildfire should consider a rotating schedule of guaranteed standby through the fire season to help ensure contractors viability. Road building crews are usually the best suited for wildfire response as it closely mimics control line construction. Required response times and compensation would depend on the current fire danger.

c) The Ministry of Forests should adjust, revise, or even eliminate the Stumpage System to reflect the actual costs of operating. This will encourage innovative forest practices and job creation and help ensure the viability of our harvest contractors.

Again, the forest companies, their harvest contractors, equipment and crews play a key role in wildfire response. We would be lost without them.