2
FIRES fought by ranchers Weather-driven
long as possible to manage those so they can keep them contained as long as they can and move them to what they hope will be more safe spots as they go along,” Boon said. “But it’s a chore.” While livestock losses are
unknown, a variety of sources confirmed the loss of cattle and other animals. Bradner R Farms lost nearly a dozen dairy cattle either directly or indirectly as a result of a fire at Ashcroft, which also devastated the local First Nations reserve. A video a UBC researcher shot during a harrowing journey through the fire zone around Hanceville noted the presence of animals in the flames.
The full tally won’t be
known until ranchers can get back into the evacuation zones and round up their animals, however.
Driving the fires has been a complex yet conducive mix of conditions. Winter delivered above-
average snowpacks to many parts of the province, and a late spring prevented farmers in many areas from getting into sodden fields until late May. Areas such as Riske Creek were even recording morning temperatures of -3 degrees Celsius as late as the week of July 10. The cool, damp conditions
provided the right conditions for forage and vegetation of all types to grow.
But then a sudden onset of
summery heat in late June sucked moisture out of the ground. Temperatures at 100 Mile
House, the community closest to the Gustafsen Lake fire, shifted from a high of 16 degrees Celsius on June 21, to 25 degrees on June 23 – a day when the morning temperature was just 2 degrees. The following day, temperatures reached 29 degrees. During the first half of July, temperatures regularly exceeded 25 and often 30 degrees. Over the same period,
KUBOTA M7040DT W/ LDR, 4WD, 67 HP, 2006 HRS $26,500
Ashcroft, one of the first communities to burn, saw just three days below 30 degrees, and two days where temperatures hit 38 and 39 degrees.
PRICE REDUCED!
2004 CLAAS ROLLANT 255RC UNI- WRAP BALER/WRAPPER COMBO, 12,000 BALES $25,000
A lack of rain pushed the month to one of the driest on record, leaving nothing to replenish the lost moisture and shrivelling the spring’s lush growth into the perfect fodder for fire. “The moisture that is in and under the canopy of the trees and on the grass has disappeared overnight. We
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • AUGUST 2017 nfrom page 1
went from, three weeks ago, ample moisture to having these 35, 38 degree days and it’s just dried things out immensely,” Boon said. “It’s just a tinderbox, pretty much Prince George south.” The tinder began lighting in early July as careless humans and impartial lightning began doing their work, culminating in the firestorm that struck the Cariboo on July 7.
Far from over
The sharp start to the fire season has many wondering what comes next, given that the hottest days of summer have yet to arrive. “There’s not too many ranchers in the province and people in the country that aren’t sitting a bit on pins and needles watching what’s happening in these fire areas,” Boon said. “It just takes one spark from one little thing and it could be totally innocent.”
The spark could be from horseshoes on rocks, or a metal implement, or even an ember lurking in a fleck of dry cigarette ash. “There are so many little
hazards out there that we don’t think are possible – they can happen,” Boon said. “We’re all at risk. This is a big firepit right now.”
While a controlled burn took place in the Mayfield Lake area west of Dog Creek Road this spring in an effort to mitigate the risk of a catastrophic wildfire in the Cariboo, each season’s moisture and weather remain critical risk factors for wildfire. “We sometimes think, well,
a fire went through here a few years ago and we think that we’re safe for a few years, but we’re safe until the ground
NEW REPLACEMENT PARTS for MOST TRACTORS & FARM IMPLEMENTS
WANTED! JOHN DEERE CAB 4X4 LDR TRACTOR, 80-100 HP
20 FOOT ARTEX CATCH BUGGY CHAIN FLOOR $18,000
1996 JOHN DEERE 7700
MFWD, 140 HP, 6621 HOURS $39,000
www.tjequipmentllc.com 360-815-1597LYNDEN, WA
ALL PRICES IN US FUNDS
MF 265 2WD, CAB, LOADER, 30000HRS, GOOD CONDITION .......... 10,500 DEUTZ-FAHR AGROTRON 120 CAB 4X4 TRACTOR. LOW HRS. SEMI POWERSHIFT TRANS. 120 HP WITH 540-1000 PTO. LIKE NEW CONDITION ..................................................................... 60,000 N/H 518 MANURE SPREADER, HYD GATE......................................... 4,000 MASCHIO 6000 FOLDING POWER HARROW, 20 FT WIDE ............. 24,000 BOBCAT S750 SKIDSTEER 85 HP, LOW HRS ............. CALL FOR PRICING JD 6300 4X4 LOADER, OPEN STATION, 75 HP, QUAD TRANSMISSON, GOOD CONDITION ........................................................................... 32,000 DAVID BROWN 1394 4X4 WITH FRONT MOUNTED 10FT SNOW BLADE, REAR DUALS......................................................10,500 BAUER IRRIGATION REEL 1400 FT HOSE W/GUN IN GD COND... 13,900 NEW IDEA 3739 MANURE SPREADER, TANDEM AXLE................... 14,500
Tractor/Equipment Repair Mobile Service Available We accept Interact, Visa and Mastercard
www.tractorparts4sale.ca ABBOTSFORD, BC
Bus. 604/807-2391 Fax. 604/854-6708 email:
sales@tractorparts4sale.ca GD Repair Ltd
gets dry again,” Boon said. Once the fires have passed, ranchers will face a host of risks, both financial and operational. Claims for lost property
and livestock will be key, as well as arranging feed supplies for animals if dry conditions limit forage opportunities over the summer. “The grazing lands to get
us through the summer … are going to probably come up a little bit short, depending how much this fire burns – and the subsequent fires coming up because we’re at the start of fire season,” Boon said. Two years ago, during the
drought of 2015, government and financial institutions offered assistance ranging from flexible payment options to special credit facilities to help tide producers over. Communities and businesses such as TNT Hay & Cattle Sales have also rallied to provide in-kind support for evacuated livestock in the short-term, while the outgoing BC Liberals pledged $100 million in relief funds
PLATFORM
Agricultural Land Reserve. Feed BC aims to boost domestic demand for BC- grown food through institutional purchasing and expanding regional food processing. The implementation of Feed BC includes the promise of a long-awaited food innovation centre for BC food processors. Buy BC will see the return and expansion of the popular domestic and international marketing campaign of the 1990s. Popham steps into her role at a critical time for BC farmers and ranchers, who are trying to defend their properties and livestock from wildfire. Many have been evacuated and can only hope for the best. “There are so many issues
for agriculture that will come up because of these fires. I’ve been in contact with the ranching community and we must immediately address the fencing situation out of concern for the livestock, but also for our transportation system,” says Popham. “We will also be working with the federal government and will look at guiding ranchers through the insurance programs available.” Establishing a standing committee for agriculture is an immediate priority for Popham, who led the creation of an opposition committee in lieu of the BC Liberal government establishing one. She hopes the committee will be a
that the incoming BC NDP government is open to increasing. In addition, Farm Credit Canada has pledged $25,000 in relief funding. Rebuilding ranch infrastructure will be the next hurdle, from outbuildings and irrigation systems to fences. Collisions between cattle and motor vehicles were a hot topic for ranchers before this summer’s fires, and will be even more of a concern in areas where the flames passed. With millions being spent to renew the existing fence infrastructure, any losses to highway fencing are critical.
When the fast-moving Rock
Creek fire burned through kilometres of new fencing, ranchers moved swiftly to replace what had been lost – as much for their cattle’s safety as that of motorists. “We were building fence
before the fire was out, and we expect to be doing the same [this year],” Boon said. “It’s a huge issue for us.” For more coverage of the impact this summer’s wildfires are having on agriculture, turn to pages 7 and 8.
nfrom page 1
venue to address some of the problems emerging from the fires, as well as other industry issues. The standing committee may also help address concerns about small-scale and community agriculture representation. “I think the premier has been clear that there's a place for everybody in the agriculture sector at every level,” says Popham. “Agriculture has changed over the last decade and people are now recognizing that small-scale and large- scale agriculture are equally important. Everybody will have a place at that table.”
Welcome committee Immediate industry
response to Popham’s appointment has been positive and optimistic. “The minister’s knowledge
and relationships with farmers, associations and food advocacy groups throughout the province will allow her to quickly and effectively step into this very important role,” says Stan Vander Waal, chair of BC Agriculture Council, acknowledging the depth of work she did in her previous role as agriculture critic. In addition to the new
minister, the agriculture ministry will welcome Wes Shoemaker back as deputy minister. Shoemaker replaces Derek Sturko and is a familiar face to agriculture following a term in the BC Ministry of Environment.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
