Last week, Wildsight Golden welcomed professors from the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Forestry for a collaborative visit focused on the unique forest management challenges facing the Golden region. The visit, organized by Wildsight Golden board chair Mathew Zaleski, brought together representatives from the forestry industry, woodlot and community forest sectors, environmental groups, and wildfire risk reduction experts. The UBC professors were here investigating the feasibility of holding forestry field camps in Golden.
The broader goal: to spark dialogue, share perspectives, and build relationships that could shape the future of forestry in the region.
As part of the visit, the group took a field trip into the nearby Interior Temperate Rainforest (ITR), where professors saw firsthand some of the region’s remaining old-growth stands alongside recent clear cuts. Scott King of Pacific Woodtech showed off successfully free growing cut blocks in spectacular country. The on-the-ground experience helped contextualize the policy discussions with the ecological realities of this globally significant forest ecosystem.
Wildsight Golden hopes that in bringing these diverse voices to the same table, the stage is set for more unified action – to protect biodiversity (including ITR stands, vital caribou habitat and critical wildlife corridors), maintain healthy watersheds, support jobs and the local community forest initiative through engagement with the Ministry of Forests, and manage wildfire risk in a changing climate.
Following the success of the visit, UBC professors have committed to returning in Spring 2026 – this time with forestry graduate students. These students will explore Golden’s forestry challenges firsthand, with the opportunity to develop local research projects with real-world impact—projects that may influence provincial policy. With strong collaboration across sectors already underway in Golden, and plans to host UBC’s 2026 Sustainable Forestry Field Camp and participate in provincial forestry conferences like SISCO, local leaders aim to showcase Golden as a model for sustainable, community-driven forestry.