Skeena Region July Site Visit to the Terrace Area
Jul 15, 2026
On July 8th, the Restoration Community of Practice brought together 13 practitioners from across the Skeena area for a day of field-based learning and discussion showcasing innovative approaches to ecosystem restoration and sustainable forest management. The gathering included foresters, biologists, naturalists, an agrologist, and a local city councillor, creating valuable opportunities to share perspectives and build new connections.
Our first stop was the award-winning Forceman Ridge Waste Management Facility, where we explored innovative management efforts including their five-step leachate system (leachate being defined as “any water that has touched grossness”), offsetting and patch rotation, and phytoremediation.
Phytoremediation is the last step of returning treated water to the environment. The planted trees take up most of the leachate and remove heavy metals, chloride, ammonia, and other chemicals from the surrounding area. In the landfill site, the facility is recycling the dirt, gravel, and rocks from the development of another cell as daily soil cover for the active cell. Large steel plates called Revelstoke Iron Grizzlies are also used to reduce the amount of cover needed.
The facility boasts zero animal breaches along their perimeter fence, while still working on ways to deter local birds from snagging bags straight from the truck - a skill they are apparently becoming quite good at. Discussions highlighted the complexities of reducing the impacts of landfills and the importance of long-term planning to support resilient ecosystems.
The group then travelled to the Terrace Community Forest to examine commercial thinning treatments and restoration initiatives aimed at reintroducing old-growth forest attributes into second-growth forests.
A commercially thinned second-growth stand that’s beginning to look like old growth!
Jason Bennet demonstrating the difference in growth for a tree in an untreated stand (right) versus a commercially thinned stand (left). The density of rings shows the explosion of growth the tree in the thinned stand experienced.
Seeing these projects firsthand sparked thoughtful conversations about how forest management can enhance structural complexity, improve wildlife habitat, and increase ecosystem resilience while meeting broader management objectives. When it comes to any type of ecosystem restoration, the overall message is that starting is the most important step. Restoration, being both an art and a science, is never perfect and can require thinking outside the box (like Frank’s bat maternity and bird nest boxes!).
Frank Doyle with a locally-made bird nesting box. These boxes (and similar bat maternity boxes) are a fast, simple and inexpensive solution to the destruction of wildlife trees during logging practices and other disturbances.
While the sites themselves offered excellent learning opportunities, the greatest value of the day came from the conversations they inspired. Bringing together practitioners with different areas of expertise created space to exchange ideas, ask questions, and discuss both the opportunities and challenges associated with restoration in northwestern British Columbia. These conversations strengthen relationships within our local restoration community and help foster a shared understanding of restoration practices across disciplines.
Field tours like this are an important part of the Restoration Community of Practice. By connecting people with restoration projects in their own communities, they increase awareness of ongoing initiatives, encourage knowledge sharing, and help build the collaborative networks needed to support effective ecosystem restoration.
Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed their knowledge throughout the day. The enthusiasm and willingness to share experiences demonstrated the strength of our growing restoration community, and we look forward to continuing these opportunities to learn from one another in the future!
If your organization would like to be on the CoP organizing team, please get in touch with one of us through our organizations, or reach out to Mae directly.
The Community of Practice Organizing Team, representing: Society for Ecosystem Restoration in Northern BC (SERNbc), Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF) via the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF), Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP), and the BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF).
