The Crucial Role of Forestry in Preventing Devastating Wildfires

This year, 220 wildfires destroyed 25,000 hectares of land and 200 homes.

CBC Nova Scotia spoke with Scott Tingley, the forest protection manager for DNRR.

"Tingley said less snow over the winter, combined with a dry spring, made for an excellent breeding ground for wildfires."

He added that 97 percent of wildfires are caused by human activity, "mostly accidental but sometimes deliberate."

Tingley correctly asserts, "We will probably see larger and challenging fires no doubt within the coming years."

Why we will continue to see more dangerous wildfires

We will see more fires because it is getting harder to manage our forests actively. Active management means properly managing and harvesting in the forest and thinning areas where harvesting isn’t allowed.

Following the closure of the Northern Pulp mill in Pictou County, the number of people who work in the woods declined by nearly 40 percent. The mill's closure means there is much less demand for low-grade wood (for example, trees that fell during Fiona) now that it is closed.

If forestry professionals cannot actively manage our forests, we cannot remove dead and dry wood. This means the amount of forest fire fuel is increasing.

Many people say that we just need to plant more hardwood. It's not that simple. Nova Scotia’s wildfires this summer completely burnt multiple hardwood stands. Yes, hardwood is more resilient to wildfires, but it is not fireproof. With massive amounts of forest fire fuel on the ground, hardwood will burn, too. And hardwood doesn't create lumber to build homes.

A 2022 publication shows that active forest management in Nordic countries is helping sequester more carbon, making forests more resilient to wildfires. In those areas, fire and natural disturbance levels are 50 to 60 times less than in Canada.

Our push to protect more and more of the forest will add to wildfire risk and result in our forests becoming net emitters of carbon. A recent Parks Canada study drives home this fact, “The effects of climate change—including the increased frequency and intensity of insect infestations and wildfires—are whittling away at the capacity of protected areas to store and sequester carbon.”

If we want to get serious about combating wildfires, we must get serious about forestry. So many trees are still on the ground following the aftermath of Fiona. Those trees will continue to dry out and will become forest fire fuel.

We are facing increased wildfire risk because our forests are not as actively managed as they should be, and fewer women and men work in the woods.