Trouble in Alberta’s Headwaters

The Clear Cut - Looking Back (& Farewell Kaya 🥹)

Join Jan Sumner and Kaya Adleman for this special episode as they look back on all they've unpacked on the Clear Cut.  It's a bittersweet one as this is Kaya's last time as co-host before the show goes on hiatus.  Topics include: misguided industry responses to fire suppression, deceptive practices, greenwashing and pathways to a reimagined future for forestry management in Canada. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Kaya for taking us on an exploratory journey of Canada's forests and forestry practices. Thank you for listening! Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2249817/support] https://wildlandsleague.org/theclearcut/ [https://wildlandsleague.org/theclearcut/]

How Does Forestry Operate in Forest Dependent Communities?

We return this week to our conversation with Executive Director Katie Morrison and Conservation Science & Programs Manager Josh Killeen of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s (CPAWS) Southern Alberta Chapter. Last week they painted the landscape of Alberta’s headwaters for us. We learned about the incredible value of this region to the wildlife, species, and many communities (across the continent!) who depend on them. This week we explore some of the challenges these lands are facing in greater depth. How does the underlying approach to forest management make it difficult for protection? What is the government’s role? And what are the opportunities, particularly unique to this landscape, that could result in better outcomes for all? Learn more about Josh and Katie's work on the CPAWS Southern Alberta Chapter's website [https://cpaws-southernalberta.org/] and support a future for the Highwood here [https://cpaws-southernalberta.org/defend-alberta-forests-fund-a-future-for-the-highwood/]. Make sure to check out the show notes on the podcast webpage for more links and helpful resources. You can help this community grow by sharing the podcast with your friends. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2249817/support] https://wildlandsleague.org/theclearcut/ [https://wildlandsleague.org/theclearcut/]

Trouble in Alberta’s Headwaters

Did you know that the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta are home to incredibly valuable ecological landscapes? Sometimes called the current of the continent, three major river basins extend from this area, with some of the water going to Hudson Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific Coast. This week we head back to western Canada to talk with Executive Director Katie Morrison and Conservation Science & Programs Manager Josh Killeen of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s (CPAWS) Southern Alberta Chapter. With the confluence of the mountains in the west, the grasslands to the east, and boreal forests in the north, there is a wide range of diversity in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, including a 50 kilometer strip of forest that holds an incredible amount of biodiversity. In addition to the amazing nature in Alberta, the province also has a long history of natural resource extraction — especially as it hosts the fourth largest forestry industry in Canada. Josh and Katie take us on a tour of the region they work in, and set the stage to understand challenges facing these areas. What does forest management look like, and what are its impacts? Learn more about Josh and Katie's work on the CPAWS Southern Alberta Chapter's website [https://cpaws-southernalberta.org/] and support a future for the Highwood here [https://cpaws-southernalberta.org/defend-alberta-forests-fund-a-future-for-the-highwood/]. Make sure to check out the show notes on the podcast webpage for more links and helpful resources. You can help this community grow by sharing the podcast with your friends. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2249817/support] https://wildlandsleague.org/theclearcut/ [https://wildlandsleague.org/theclearcut/]

The Family of Laws Fighting for Better Fibre Supply Chains

Last year the European Union issued a new regulation (the EUDR [https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/forests/deforestation/regulation-deforestation-free-products_en?utm_source=Wildlands+League&utm_campaign=ec24fafc01-ClearCut_Email_Jul032024&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-587cd71758-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D]) aimed at preventing the entry of products that originate from recently deforested land or have contributed to forest degradation into the EU marketplace. The EUDR is likely the most significant, but not the only, law or rule proposed by governments around the world to ‘clean up’ their supply chains when it comes to forest and agricultural products. Policymakers are increasingly working to do their part to meet global climate and biodiversity targets. Where does Canada, and its purported leadership in sustainable forest management, fit in? We sit down with Etelle Higonnet, who has been an advisor to the European Union on the EUDR. She explains the EU law and the other “family” of regulations on deforestation and forest degradation free products. We discuss the importance and implications of these rules, as well as the response from the Canadian government and forest industry groups. What are Canada’s arguments against these rules? Why are they making them? And what opportunities do these laws provide that we could be missing out on? Make sure to check out the show notes on the podcast webpage for more links and helpful resources. You can help this community grow by sharing the podcast with your friends. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2249817/support] https://wildlandsleague.org/theclearcut/ [https://wildlandsleague.org/theclearcut/]

Toronto: Tree City of the World

This week we return to our conversation with the City of Toronto’s Director of Urban Forestry, Kim Statham. Last episode we talked about some of the challenges and opportunities facing Toronto’s urban forest, but this episode we take a step back, and contextualize these issues more broadly. Kim discusses Toronto’s participation in the United Nations Environment Program, where cities from around the world collaborate to promote ecological restoration and facilitate knowledge exchange. In addition to the role cities play on the international stage to reach our climate and biodiversity goals, Kim explains how subnational governments can contribute through building both physical ecological corridors and relational ones. We also learn about how Toronto’s approach to urban forestry has earned its status as a leader in this arena. Check out Toronto's Tree City of the World Award news release [https://www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-receives-tree-city-of-the-world-designation/]. Make sure to check out the show notes on the podcast webpage for more links and helpful resources. You can help this community grow by sharing the podcast with your friends. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2249817/support] https://wildlandsleague.org/theclearcut/ [https://wildlandsleague.org/theclearcut/]