Huu-ay-aht First Nations announces complete fire ban

Posted on by heathersthomson

Huu-ay-aht First Nations is implementing a complete fire ban in its territory, including the Pachena Bay Campground, which was previously excluded from the ban because it fell into the “Fog Zone.”

The Nations will follow the lead of the Provincial Government, which announced yesterday that effective at noon on Wednesday, July 8, the existing campfire ban in the Coastal Fire Centre will be expanded to cover all areas within the fire centre’s jurisdiction, including the “Fog Zone,” to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

The Coastal Fire Centre is prohibiting all campfires due to continued hot and dry conditions and the dryness of forest fuels. Huu-ay-aht First Nations expects people using its territory to follow the rules outline by the Province.

The public’s assistance is requested to help reduce the number of human-caused fires and enable crews to respond to naturally occurring wildfires.

This prohibition does not apply to CSA-rated or ULC-rated cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus that uses briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, so long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres. The Coastal Fire Centre previously allowed the use of briquettes in established campfire rings in campgrounds, but as of noon on Wednesday July 8, 2015, briquettes may only be used in ULC-approved or CSA-approved devices, due to the extreme fire danger.

Category 2 and 3 open fires are also prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction. The use of burning barrels, burning cages, fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, Tiki torches and binary exploding targets is also prohibited.

A map of the affected areas is available online at: http://bit.ly/1LV5fue

The Provinces prohibition covers all B.C. Parks, provincial Crown lands and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of a local government that has forest fire prevention bylaws and is serviced by a fire department. For that reason, Huu-ay-aht has made the decision to enact the provincial restrictions.

Under the provincial ban, anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $345, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

The Coastal Fire Centre covers all of the area west of the height of land on the Coast Mountain Range north of the U.S.-Canada border at Manning Park, including Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park in the north, the Sunshine Coast, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Haida Gwaii.

For more information, call Huu-ay-aht First Nations at 250-723-0100 or 1-888-644-4555.

To report a wildfire or open burning violation, call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free or dial *5555 on a cellphone.

For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, visit the B.C. Wildfire Service website: www.bcwildfire.ca

You can follow the latest wildfire news, on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo. Other useful sites are: http://bcwildfire.ca/hprscripts/wildfirenews/bans.asp and http://bcwildfire.ca/ftp/!project/WildfireNews/Campfires%20Pink.jpg

Students plant seedlings

Posted on by heathersthomson

Students of Bamfield Community School gathered in Sarita to plant the 40-millionth seedling for Island Timberlands, on April 10.

The students were joined by representatives from Huu-ay-aht First Nations, Island Timberlands and a number of tree planters and other forest professionals.

The event was organized by Island Timberlands. It took place on a cut block approximately 57 kilometres from Port Alberni that is surrounded by Huu-ay-aht Treaty Settlement Land.

Elected Chief Councillor Jeff Cook took part in the official tree planting, along with Island Timberlands Chief Forester Bill Waugh and Island Timberlands President Darshan Sihota. The students were there to witness the planting of the 40-millionth seedling, a cedar tree, and they also had an opportunity to plant a number of seedlings on the cut block.

“I hope these youth will be able to remember where they were today, so they can come out here and recognize where they planted trees,” Chief Cook says. “They will then know that they made a difference today by planting these cedars.”

According to Sihota, Island Timberlands replants many more trees than it harvests. Island Timberlands stated it is their goal to reforest each area within one year of it being harvested. The 40 million trees were all planted within the past 10 years on sites owned and harvested by Island Timberlands. The cut block in Sarita will be reforested with mainly cedar seedlings, but some Douglas fir will also be planted closer to the road. Hemlock is also native to the area, but it will return on its own as it is a prolific seed producer. The plot was originally cut approximately 65 years ago.

Come to the Regional LNG Energy Seminars featuring Science World B.C.

Posted on by heathersthomson

Save the date! Huu-ay-aht First Nations is planning an excursion for its citizens to Regional LNG Energy Seminars the Vancouver Island Conference Centre in Nanaimo on Tuesday, January 13.

If you are interested in attending (Huu-ay-aht will arrange group transportation from Port Alberni to Nanaimo), please confirm your participation with Brent Ronning, the Coordinator of Secondary and Post-Secondary Education (250-723-0100 x232 or via email at education@huuayaht.org)

What exactly is liquefied natural gas (LNG) and how is it produced? How is British Columbia’s natural gas sector regulated? Why is industry proposing to export natural gas to Asia?

Answers to these questions and more will be provided, across the province, when British Columbia hosts seven LNG energy seminars alongside WorkBC’s Find Your Fit tour.

Interactive displays and unique exhibits will provide information about industry and the science behind LNG, including participation from Science World British Columbia.

Highlights of the event will include:

  • Panel dialogues
  • Science based energy demonstrations presented by Science World British Columbia
  • WorkBC’s Find Your Fit Career Experience
  • LNG-Buy BC

Science World British Columbia, Industry, B.C. Government and Public post-secondary staff will be on-hand to answer questions. LNG-Buy BC representatives will also available to provide information for B.C. businesses who are preparing for the opportunities brought on by the LNG industry.

Resources and information kits will be available to encourage conversation.

Dates and locations of the remaining LNG energy seminars are:

  • Nanaimo, Vancouver Island Conference Centre: January 13 and 14
  • Kamloops, Coast Kamloops Hotel and Conference Centre: February 3 and 4

For more information, see LNG-Seminars-Program-Nanaimo(1)