The Effects of Forest Harvesting, Fishing, Climate Variation, and Ocean Conditions on Salmonid Populations of Carnation Creek, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Culturally modified trees (CMTs) provide tangible evidence of long-term forest use by Indigenous peoples. In Northwest Coast cedar forests, this record rarely spans beyond the last three centuries because older bark-harvest scars have been obscured through taphonomic processes such as natural healing and decay. Thus, archaeological visibility and identification are hindered. Here, I recover chronologies of ancient forest harvesting using a post-impact assessment methodology of targeting old-growth clear-cuts in southern Nuu-chah-nulth territories on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Bark-peeling scars are identified and dated in cross section by growth-ring patterns of recently logged trees. Approximately half of all bark-peeling scars are “embedded” inside healing lobes, suggesting at least half of all such CMTs are effectively invisible in standing forests. Features in these post-impact surveys predated those discovered in conventional archaeological impact assessments by a mean of almost a century. Additionally, one of the oldest continually used cultural forests ever recorded, dating to AD 908, is found in the Toquaht Nation traditional territory. These findings uncover measurable frequencies of cedar-bark harvesting generations prior to the contact period and reveal the inadequacy of heritage protections for old-growth cedar stands.

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Reducing the Impact of Forest Harvesting on the Vancouver Island Tourism Industry

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc2016-022 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 92 (01) ◽

pp. 101-111 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kyle W. Hilsendager ◽

Howard W. Harshaw ◽

Robert A. Kozak

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Vancouver Island ◽

Forest Harvesting ◽

Tourism Industry ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Tourism Resource ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Visual Impacts ◽

The Impact ◽

Industry Professionals

British Columbia forests have traditionally been managed for timber production. However, the increasing importance of nature-based tourism within the province means that forests also have significant value as a tourism resource. This can lead to conflicts between the forestry and tourism industries. This article examines tourism and forestry interests on Vancouver Island and discusses ways that forests could be managed to reduce negative impacts to the tourism industry. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with forestry and tourism industry professionals on Vancouver Island and elsewhere in British Columbia. Findings suggest that visual impacts associated with forestry can negatively impact tourism. It also appears that forestry receives a much higher priority than tourism when it comes to forest management, despite the vital importance of the tourism industry to the Vancouver Island economy. Displeasure over the lack of communication requirements between the forest industry and other stakeholders was also documented. The implementation of formal agreements between the two industries may potentially reduce conflicts between these two industries on Vancouver Island. Identification and special management of highly valuable tourism areas may also provide benefits to the Vancouver Island tourism industry.

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Forest harvesting is associated with increased landslide activity during an extreme rainstorm on Vancouver Island, Canada

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/nhessd-2-5525-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2 (8) ◽

pp. 5525-5574 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. N. Goetz ◽

R. H. Guthrie ◽

A. Brenning

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Risk Management ◽

Timber Harvesting ◽

Vancouver Island ◽

Development Planning ◽

Forest Harvesting ◽

Landslide Risk ◽

Extreme Rainfall Event ◽

Mountainous Regions ◽

Forest Practices

Abstract. Safe operations of forest practices in mountainous regions require effective development planning to mitigate hazards posed by landslides. British Columbia, Canada, has for the past two decades implemented landslide risk management policies aimed at reducing the impacts of the forest industry on landslides; it is required that timber harvesting sites are evaluated for their potential or existing impacts on terrain stability. Statistical landslide susceptibility modelling can enhance this evaluation by geographically highlighting potential hazardous areas. In addition, these statistical models can also improve our understanding of regional landslide controlling factors. The purpose of this research was to explore the regional effects of forest harvesting activities, topography, precipitation and geology on landslides initiated during an extreme rainfall event in November 2006 on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. These effects were analysed with a nonparametric statistical method, the generalized additive model (GAM). Although topography was the strongest predictor of landslide initiation, low density forest interpreted as regrowth areas and proximity to forest service roads were jointly associated with a six- to nine-fold increase in the odds of landslide initiation, while accounting for other environmental cofounders. This result highlights the importance of continuing proper landslide risk management to control the effects of forest practices on landslide initiation.

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Forest harvesting is associated with increased landslide activity during an extreme rainstorm on Vancouver Island, Canada

Natural Hazards and Earth System Science ◽

10.5194/nhess-15-1311-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (6) ◽

pp. 1311-1330 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

J. N. Goetz ◽

R. H. Guthrie ◽

A. Brenning

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Risk Management ◽

Timber Harvesting ◽

Vancouver Island ◽

Development Planning ◽

Forest Harvesting ◽

Landslide Risk ◽

Extreme Rainfall Event ◽

Mountainous Regions ◽

Forest Practices

Abstract. Safe operations of forest practices in mountainous regions require effective development planning to mitigate hazards posed by landslides. British Columbia, Canada, has for the past 2 decades implemented landslide risk management policies aimed at reducing the impacts of the forestry industry on landslides. Consequently, it is required that timber harvesting sites be evaluated for their potential or existing impacts on terrain stability. Statistical landslide susceptibility modelling can enhance this evaluation by geographically highlighting potential hazardous areas. In addition, these statistical models can also improve our understanding of regional landslide controlling factors. The purpose of this research was to explore the regional effects of forest harvesting activities, topography, precipitation and geology on landslides initiated during an extreme rainfall event in November 2006 on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. These effects were analyzed with a nonparametric statistical method, the generalized additive model (GAM). Although topography was the strongest predictor of landslide initiation, low density forest interpreted as regrowth areas and proximity to forest service roads were jointly associated with a 6- to 9-fold increase in the odds of landslide initiation, while accounting for other environmental confounders. This result highlights the importance of continuing proper landslide risk management to control the effects of forest practices on landslide initiation.

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