Lake Tahoe Wildfires

Some facts on this fire:

- covers 12.5 square km
- 225 buildings or homes destroyed, 500 more at risk
- over 1,000 people evacuated
- winds over 50 km/hr played a large part in the fire's spread
- almost 2,000 people working on containing the fire

They expect to have the fire contained by about July 3. This is a reminder what can happen under the wrong conditions when you have homes and structures in forested areas.

Stats from Bloomberg:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=at2Pyi.yep4c&refer=us

Can Vancouver Island Forestry Workers Avoid Shutdown?

Union negotiators are still at four different bargaining tables trying to get a decent deal for their members without a strike or lockout.

Talks involve TimberWest, Island Timberlands, Interfor and Forest Industrial Relations.

Link to article:

http://www.westcoaster.ca/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=2286

Usable logs cut and left to rot?

"Unconscionably high" volumes of usable logs are being left to rot in coastal forests, costing thousands of jobs and releasing carbon back into the atmosphere, according to a Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives report released Thursday.

The report, by resource policy analyst Ben Parfitt, says that during the last two years 6.2 million cubic metres of timber was cut down but not hauled out of coastal forests -- enough material to fill 200,000 logging trucks.

Link to article:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=39ab6ec6-46e3-42f8-9e06-fe1b337252d0

Virus in Forestry Manufacturing

Very interesting article describing a poor outlook for forestry manufacturing in BC.

The forestry sector in Canada has been especially hard hit. Mills are being knocked down like ten pins in Northern Ontario, Quebec and elsewhere. And now it is BC’s turn. Forestry towns in the province like Port Alberni, Terrace and others, are already suffering the effects.

Link to story:
http://www.opinion250.com/blog/view/6034/7/a+virus+in+forestry+manufacturing

Flood watch still on for BC

The problem is mainly in the North, but the warm weather we've had over the last week (melting snowpacks), along with expected rains starting Monday, are renewing fears of rising rivers.

the Upper Fraser, the Bulkley and the Skeena rivers will be above local flood stages soon. The Upper Fraser River in the Prince George region is expected to hit flood level by Sunday or Monday. It could stay there for a week or more.

Link to story:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/06/02/bc-flooding.html

Forest worker rescued by military helicopter on Coast

This man is lucky to be alive, and not seriously injured.

The wrong part of a tree came down for a 40 year old logger on Nelson Island this week, taking him with it for a 60 to 80 foot drop.

Link to story:
http://www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=8&cat=23&id=996478&more=0

Loch Ness Monster spotted on video?

Always fun to see news footage of loch ness, sasquatch, and new creatures never before seen. See for yourself:

An amateur scientist has captured what Loch Ness Monster watchers say is among the finest footage ever taken of the elusive mythical creature reputed to swim beneath the waters of Scotland's most mysterious lake.

Link to news and video:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/31/britain.lochness.ap/index.html