Ecology/Wildfire
The BC Wildlife Federation would have us believe that public complaints regarding grizzly bears have reached “nearly 1,000 a year” — a rise so dramatic it warrants a return to grizzly hunting.
The Tzouhalem Creek site is next to Chase Woods Nature Preserve
Cowichan Tribes released the following statement today regarding an unauthorized dump on Indian Road in North Cowichan:
The Canadian government says it issued two cease-and-desist orders over six years related to an unauthorized waste site on Cowichan Tribes’ Indian Road reserve.
Cost to remediate the Indian Road site in North Cowichan estimated in the millions
A dump truck driver who hauled waste to the Cowichan Tribes reserve on Indian Road in North Cowichan says the site accepted all manner of debris.
Leachate is migrating via groundwater into the Cowichan River, says consultant report
The beauty of trail cameras is that they reveal the natural behaviour of wild animals.
The Chemainus is a ribbon of life defined by logging, floods, droughts, a lawsuit — and hope.
Three weeks ago sixmountains.ca published a video of a female black bear, accompanied by a cub, standing on its hind legs to access arbutus berries.
Letter to council: Represent the public's wishes, not 'your own agenda'
Another fish die-off is underway at Quamichan Lake.
There’s more than cuteness to be observed in this video of a black bear with cub in the mountains of the Cowichan Valley.
Just 2.5 years after the public voted overwhelmingly to support conservation of the 5,000-hectare Municipal Forest Reserve — BC’s most at-risk forest type —North Cowichan’s right-of-centre councillors are seeking a resumption of logging
Have you ever wondered whether the Cowichan River is safe for swimming?
Residents of the Cowichan Valley frequently report wildlife encounters on social media.
It’s bear season in the Cowichan Valley.
People put out trail cameras in hopes of capturing photos and video of wildlife behaving naturally in their environment.
Researchers have documented 34 cases in four oceans around the world in which killer whales attempted to share their catches with humans, according to a study published today in the Journal of Comparative Psychology.
We normally think of owls as being nocturnal, but all that changes at this time of the year as parents work around the clock to feed their young.
The Crofton pulp mill has received a non-compliance warning letter from the province for failing to meet numerous air-emission requirements.
The weight of so many flowers is enough to bend branches
I see that once again Glen Ridgway is urging council to fire up the chainsaws in the Six Mountains.
For decades, people have wondered what sort of contaminants might be leaching out of the old Crofton smelter site on the Osborne Bay waterfront.
Coastal Douglas-fir forest contains most species at risk in BC
Use of bait to hunt deer not impacted by new regulation
Only a few giant trees remain in North Cowichan’s Municipal Forest Reserve
Not every day a threatened raptor lands on your front lawn — with prey in tow, no less.
Trail-cam video reveals Canada’s largest rodent in Cowichan Valley
Osprey Forest Operations claimed $104,763 shortfall, according to FOI documents
Public and First Nations asked to participate in parallel talks
Environmental Advisory Committee chair fails to recognize rarity of coastal Douglas-fir forest
Study cites ‘increasing concerns’ about bike trails in hiking/walking areas
(This article first appeared in Hakai Magazine.)
By Larry Pynn
Threats include ‘unregulated hunting,’ human settlement, and excessive logging
To the residents of Lakes Road in North Cowichan, the patch of municipal forest land locally known as Owl Hill is akin to their own private park.
Trail development in Municipal Forest Reserve a ‘very sensitive issue’
Economic development may conflict with residents’ desire for uncrowded trails
Merlin app helps beginners identify birds by their calls
This opinion piece first appeared in The Globe and Mail on April 20, 2024
‘This hasn’t been done before in this area,’ UVic researcher says
Nature conservancy concerned about impact on nearby wetland
Thieves reportedly ‘collecting wood illegally, selling on Facebook Marketplace’
CVRD board members Stone and Abbott swayed by tax concerns
The Cowichan Valley Regional District board has voted to put about $2.5 million annually into a regional parkland acquisition fund — a decision rooted in the results of a public referendum almost 16 years ago.
An estimated 84,000 rainbow trout fry died last summer in the upper Cowichan River, and that could result in about a 30-per-cent reduction in adult steelhead returning to spawn, a provincial fisheries specialist said Monday.
It’s fascinating to watch the natural elements reshape the forests of the Cowichan Valley.
The presence of deer carcasses and shotgun shells is raising questions about potential poaching in an area of the Municipal Forest Reserve that is off-limits to hunting.
Clearcutting in Chemainus River watershed seen as key contributor to downstream flooding
‘The Agricultural Land reserve was never intended to be a single-use zone.’
The carcass of a harbour seal that washed ashore last week in Maple Bay generated plenty of questions on how it died.
Discharge from the Town of Lake Cowichan’s sewage-treatment facility is being investigated as a potential factor in a fish die-off in the Cowichan River last summer.
Material is coming from new Cowichan hospital construction site
The Chemainus River is the latest Cowichan Valley stream to generate concerns about drought-related impacts on fish stocks.
Our forest type ‘contains more species at risk than any other ecological zone in BC’
Prominent California vinters claim 'sustainability is in our DNA'
As water flows on the Cowichan River continue to drop, a rescue mission is underway to “salvage” salmon and trout fry stranded in isolated pools and side channels.
North Cowichan Councillor Mike Caljouw showed his hand this week.
Development, invasive species, historic fire suppression also raise concerns
Effective Thursday, North Cowichan will close the gates and prohibit motorized public access to three areas within the Municipal Forest Reserve — Mount Prevost, Mount Sicker and Grace Road — until further notice.
Forestry staff continue to monitor for wildfire risk during dry weather
A newly appointed Environmental Advisory Committee featuring extensive First Nations experience met for the first time on Tuesday at North Cowichan municipal hall.
North Cowichan councillor Christopher Justice is asking council to investigate the ecological impacts of recreational trails in the municipality, be they for mountain bikers, hikers, or horse enthusiasts.
‘You’re in a really great position. It just needs leadership to pull it all together.’
Tree removal related to a wildfire-mitigation program underway on Mount Tzouhalem/Shquw’utsun in North Cowichan will disrupt public access to some trails over the next several weeks.
The province paid more than $800,000 to fight last summer’s Copper Canyon wildfire on Mosaic private forestlands, a freedom-of-information request by sixmountains.ca reveals.
Organizers are calling this year’s Christmas Bird Count a success, despite enduring some of the most challenging and diverse weather in years, including rain, cold, wind, driving snow, and, yes, sunshine and rainbows.
North Cowichan council approved a staff report Thursday aimed at producing a Biodiversity Protection Policy, with only Mayor Al Siebring speaking against the idea due to the ongoing cost of consultants.
An arsonist is thought to have caused a 2018 wildfire on Maple Mountain in North Cowichan’s 5,000-hectare Municipal Forest Reserve, municipal forester Shaun Mason said Monday.
Councillor Marsh says move would have been an insult
North Cowichan should seize the moment and take a leadership role on environmental policies and regulations, a consultant’s report for the Municipality recommends.
Suggestion at odds with recent Council motion
Draft report released after FOI request
Municipal Douglas-fir forests are a fungi hotbed
Ask North Cowichan residents to name their favourite tree, and arbutus would be right up there. The Six Mountains are blessed with an abundance of them and I believe we also boast some of the biggest specimens in BC.
Invasive plant is also a fire risk and allergy source
North Cowichan’s 5,000-hectare Municipal Forest Reserve lies within the most endangered “ecological zone” in British Columbia, providing the municipality with a remarkable opportunity to make a major conservation difference, says one of BC’s greatest plant authorities.
The Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society is asking North Cowichan to consider water protection rather than logging as the best use of the 5,000-hectare Municipal Forest Reserve.
A leading forest professional says clearcutting is the worst thing a community can do to reduce the risks of wildfires along an urban interface.
While North Cowichan debates whether or how much it should log within the 5,000-hectare Municipal Forest Reserve, it could learn some lessons from Metro Vancouver’s management of its own North Shore watersheds.