Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
22K Followers
25K Likes
5K Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • On The Trail

(Robot) Eye in the Sky: Can LiDAR Scanning Help Protect BC’s Old Growth?

  • April 23, 2021
  • Mountain Life Media
Total
1
Shares
1
0
0
0
0
0
Total
1
Shares
Share 1
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0

words :: Nikkey Dawn.

To our ancestors who dwelled and fought for survival amongst the megafauna, old-growth trees may have seemed utterly unremarkable. When everything is gigantic, do you even notice a towering 1,000-year old conifer tree?

As the wild shrunk, these trees held firm. Come across a stand now and neurons start firing, “imagine what this tree has seen… look at the size of that burl … can I even see the top?” It’s no wonder we’ll spend hours hiking or skinning through the backcountry to be amongst these towering giants. There is a sense of awe in these trees, one that takes us back to another time, before our relationship with nature became muddied with profit margins.

And if there’s one thing that has spurred this change in relationship, it is technology. While old-growth trees themselves may not be shrinking, stands of them are. Only ten per cent of the original old-growth forest on Vancouver Island remains—and, less than half of it is protected. The other half, awaits potential logging in the timber harvest land base.

With government-regulated allowable annual cut rates, logging companies are becoming more efficient than ever in determining the density and value of the forests they might potentially log using a surveying method called LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging).

LiDAR Scanning Help Protect BCs Old Growth Whistler
Perspective. Where one sees profits, another sees value. ANDREW STRAIN

The drone- or plane-assisted LiDAR produces detailed 3D maps using light waves, allowing logging corporations to quickly determine the height and diameter of trees in a potential cut block without stepping a foot—or boot—on the ground. The profit jackpot? Big, thick, old-growth fir, spruce and cedar.

TJ Watts is the co-founder of Ancient Rainforest Alliance (AFA). He too hunts for these trees, but with different motives—the AFA lobbies for protection of old-growth stands across BC. However, they have to find them first. Most LiDAR data catalogues from corporations and Natural Resources Canada are withheld from public access. And with LiDAR being too expensive for most conservation groups, they’re left to the time-consuming, “old-fashioned” methods of combing through satellite imagery and bushwhacking to potential sites.

In a David-versus-Goliath race Watts says, “oftentimes we (AFA and logging companies) are looking at the same places. I frequently arrive (at a stand of old-growth) and think ‘this is an exceptional spot,’ but sure enough there is either flagging tape or machines there—or it’s already been cut down.”

Once flagging tape is up, it’s very hard to stop logging plans in place.

LiDAR Scanning Help Protect BCs Old Growth evan clark unsplash
UNSPLASH/EVAN CLARK

There is plenty of science explaining how old-growth forests are vital to ecosystems within BC. The mere existence of these ancient giants can benefit salmon populations,  improve the quality of air we breathe and contribute to forest fire reduction. So how do we ensure their conservation? For the first time in the history of logging, the technology used to help cut down a forest can also help protect it. LiDAR can reveal valuable data such as the character of terrain, biodiversity information, watershed locations and more.

In California, Save the Redwoods League is utilizing LiDAR to its full potential. The group, made up of government agencies and conservation organizations, uses the tech to map and identify vulnerable areas in the famous forest. The data collected even allows them to forecast and mitigate potential hazards like landslides that could clog important salmon spawning creeks.

For the first time in the history of logging, the technology used to help cut down a forest can also help protect it.

Here in BC, this kind of technology could be revolutionary. Adam Olsen is the MLA for Saanich North and the Islands and a vocal advocate for old-growth forests. “We can get down to understanding what trees are where and how many, and how to put a plan in place to log it sustainably,” he says. “It isn’t a tech problem, it’s a human problem.”

3cc3b3ca17af 1

To move forward, Oslen thinks we need to decolonize our relationship with nature, and that the provincial government should help communities pigeonholed by logging to diversify their local economies. Old-growth logging is the number one issue he hears about from constituents, which demonstrates the passion and will to protect these trees.

But Watts stresses time is running out to protect the BC giants. He says what’s needed is “for people to believe that they truly do have the power to make a difference.” LiDAR and the best technology available can only inform us—real change will have to come from citizens applying pressure on their government by calling, emailing and petitioning elected officials. The role of LiDAR in the logging industry illustrates one of the greatest challenges of contemporary times: how to avoid using our own intelligence and technological advancements against ourselves.

Check out the latest on the AFA here.

Article excerpted from ML Coast Mountains, Fall/Winter ’19.

Total
1
Shares
Share 1
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • forest
  • old growth
Mountain Life Media

Previous Article
Du terroir au gin Homegrown Gin Bouteilles St.Laurent NesrineBrikci
  • Food & Drink

Du terroir au gin / Homegrown Gin

  • April 22, 2021
  • Ned Morgan
View Post
Next Article
Second skin baselayer neema
  • THE GEAR SHED

Second Skins: kora’s Neema Collection

  • April 24, 2021
  • Ned Morgan
View Post
You May Also Like
Life-Time-Grand-Prix-gravel-bike
View Post
  • Mountain Biking
  • On The Trail

New Docuseries Profiles the World’s Elite Off-Road Cyclists

  • Editor
  • January 30, 2023
Mountain-Life-Blue-Mountains-stack-winter-2023
View Post
  • On The Trail
  • Ontario
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Trips & Expeditions

ML Blue Mountains Winter-Spring ’23 Issue Out Now

  • Ned Morgan
  • January 6, 2023
Golden-BC-mountain-biking
View Post
  • Mountain Biking
  • On The Trail

Shifting Gears

  • Mountain Life Media
  • December 18, 2022
Nicholas-Spooner-moose-skier-touring-Quebec
View Post
  • On The Trail
  • Photography
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Trips & Expeditions

Vie en montagne Winter-Spring ’22-’23 Out Now

  • Mountain Life Media
  • December 12, 2022
View Post
  • Food & Drink
  • On The Trail
  • Travel

Under the Influence: Oregon (part 2)

  • Editor
  • December 7, 2022
AleTrailsPenticton_TinWhistleBrewing_BenHaggarPhoto
View Post
  • Mountain Biking
  • On The Trail

Ale Trails: Penticton

  • Mountain Life Media
  • October 25, 2022
Action-Takers-Mountain-Life-Ontario
View Post
  • On The Trail
  • Ontario
  • Paddling
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding

The Action-Takers

  • Mountain Life Media
  • October 20, 2022
bubblenet feeding on herring in the Great Bear Rainforest, B.C.
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • On The Trail

Sweet in Tooth and Claw: Stories of Generosity and Cooperation in the Natural World

  • Mountain Life Media
  • October 17, 2022

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Featured Posts
  • Norco-Bigfoot2-fat-bike-winter-ride-MTB 1
    Gear Shed: Midwinter Picks
    • February 7, 2023
  • Skeena-Cat-Skiing-Northern-BC 2
    We Were Here
    • February 6, 2023
  • Mountain-Life-Coast-Mountains-Winter-2023 3
    ML Coast Mountains Winter-Spring ’23 Issue Out Now
    • February 3, 2023
  • Saint-Lawrence-ice-canoe-Jean-Anderson 4
    Jean Anderson: 40 Years of Ice Canoeing
    • January 31, 2023
  • CHOK-Images-RAB-Avril-2022 5
    Chic-Chocs: True Eastern Alpine
    • February 2, 2023
RECENT POSTS
  • Life-Time-Grand-Prix-gravel-bike
    New Docuseries Profiles the World’s Elite Off-Road Cyclists
    • January 30, 2023
  • L'Hymne-des-Trembles-Laurentians-Quebec
    L’Hymne des Trembles: Uncompromising Laurentian Skiing
    • January 27, 2023
  • Fjallraven-Nuuk-Parka-daniel-blom-photo_jacket
    Gear Shed: Multisport Winter Roundup
    • January 26, 2023
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
INSTAGRAM
mountainlifemedia
22K Followers
There is a trend—mostly with tourism organizations and marketing departments, but travel journalists have been on board for a while now too… and the trend is to use the phrase “untouched wilderness” when writing about remote areas like the Skeena Mountains of northern B.C.
Help us wish ML Publisher @glenedwardharris a very happy, pow filled birthday! #mountainlifer
Live It Up EP 22 is OUT NOW!
NEW ML Coast Mountains Winter-Spring ’23 Issue is OUT NOW! 🙌
There are some first times that we will always remember. Like the time I skied off-piste through the alpine highlands of le parc national de la Gaspésie.
@shimizuimg getting those January goods ❄️ #mountainlifer
With four decades of ice canoeing under his belt, Jean Anderson has dominated a sport that's unique to Quebec and that he helped shape.
Featuring three gravel and three MTB events, the series explores the intense competition and love of the sport among 60 of the world’s premier cyclists.
Winter commute with #mountainlifer @michelle_pittam ❄️🚵‍♀️🌲
@lhymnedestrembles.ca is no mirage. Set in the lush Laurentian forest, yet easily accessible (less than an hour and a half from Montreal), this luxurious ski-in ski-out residential resort by @groupebrivia is nestled at the foot of the Versant Soleil side of Mont Tremblant. The Tremblant region is a perennial destination for outdoor enthusiasts from around the world, and within the province, attracting 3.5 million visitors annually.
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

There is a trend—mostly with tourism organizations and marketing departments, but travel journalists have been on board for a while now too… and the trend is to use the phrase “untouched wilderness” when writing about remote areas like the Skeena Mountains of northern B.C.
Help us wish ML Publisher @glenedwardharris a very happy, pow filled birthday! #mountainlifer
Live It Up EP 22 is OUT NOW!
NEW ML Coast Mountains Winter-Spring ’23 Issue is OUT NOW! 🙌
There are some first times that we will always remember. Like the time I skied off-piste through the alpine highlands of le parc national de la Gaspésie.
@shimizuimg getting those January goods ❄️ #mountainlifer
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.