The Cheakamus Community Forest is hosting a public information session at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, Istken Room, on December 3, 2024 from 3:00 – 5:30 p.m.

The CCF is evolving to a climate resiliency land management approach built on the Ecosystem-based Management plan. The updated planning approach is a response to increasing risks from climate change such as wildfire, drought and forest health issues (e.g. spruce budworm). This will allow the CCF to identify areas most at risk over time and how to manage the forest so it continues to thrive.

We have three speakers who will discuss various aspects of the CCF’s climate resiliency planning approach.
– Dr. Lori Daniels, UBC Koerner Chair for Wildfire Coexistence – Dr. Daniels will discuss the effects of fire and fuels management projects on Whistler forests;
– Nick Soverel, RPF, Frontera Forest Solutions – Nick will introduce the climate resiliency planning approach;
and
– Andy Kwan, Chartwell Resource Group Ltd., Registered Forestry Technician and Project Manager for CCF forestry operations – Andy will share the 2025 harvesting plans and how the CCF will incorporate the climate resiliency planning approach into future plans.

The speakers will field questions from the audience after their presentations.

Please join us and bring your questions!

This week saw coniferous trees turning red across the mid-elevations of Whistler Valley. An outbreak of western spruce budworm is showing in areas above White Gold, Function Junction and along Sproatt and Rainbow Mountains. The outbreak is happening across the coast/interior transition forests from Whistler to Hope and seems to be restricted to the band of higher elevation forests (~800-1100m).

The western spruce budworm is a native defoliator of interior Douglas-fir in British Columbia. It is not an introduced species. Outbreaks have been recorded in BC since the early 1900’s to the present day. In 1987 and again in 2007-2008, over 800,000 hectares were infested by the budworm, mostly in the southern interior of the province. Budworm outbreaks may be sustained for years.

The western spruce budworm feeds primarily on Douglas-fir. True firs, larch and spruce may also be affected. The caterpillars feed on the new needles, but will move onto the older needles if all new foliage is consumed. Trees appear reddish in colour once needles have been fed upon. Attack does slow down growth and can affect tree form.

Here is a quick spruce budworm fact sheet.

At this point, the Cheakamus Community Forest is monitoring the situation in connection with the Ministry of Forests and taking a wait and see approach. If tree mortality begins to occur at an unacceptable rate over the next couple of years, the CCF will work with the MOF to determine next steps. Currently, the only viable management option is to aerial spray with Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki, a biological agent that kills the caterpillar when it eats the treated tree needles and is harmless to other species.

The CCF is working over the long term to make our forests less susceptible to a number of risks such as climate change, wildfire, drought and insect outbreaks. We do that by converting stands to alternate species, planting a mix of species, altering stand structure and density through harvesting practices and stand improvements.

Thanks to everyone who contacted us about what they were seeing in the forests.

Check out the Pique Newsmagazine’s online story.

UPDATE on the Cheakamus Lake Road grading work.

The road grading crew has been busy this week adding gravel and grading the Cheakamus Lake Road all the way to the Cheakamus Lake parking lot! After years of a seriously bumpy drive, the road will be significantly smoother for the many people who travel along it. Thanks to the Ministry of Forests for including grading in their 2024 work plan. The Cheakamus Community Forest added funds for gravel to be laid down and bring the road surface back up to good quality.

The Cheakamus Community Forest met with staff from the Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction (WRR) team at our project above Wedgewoods on May 28. Jonathan Murkin, Land & Resource Specialist from the Kelowna MOF office made the trip to the Coast to visit a few projects in the Sea to Sky corridor. The tour was organized by Sara Barker, Stewardship Officer, from the Squamish Ministry office with Ryan Tate, Land & Resource Coordinator WRR, and joined by Colette Fauchon, First Nations Relations Advisor, Klay Tindall of Lil’wat Forestry Ventures and Heather Beresford, Executive Director of the CCF.

We had a discussion about the Wedgewoods project specifically but also explored ideas for improving planning, funding and delivery of these important projects. As the risk and intensity of wildfires in BC increases, we are focused on managing our forest tenure to reduce that risk…but not at the expense of the environmental, cultural, and recreational values.