Latest news with #Atkinson
Global News
a day ago
- General
- Global News
B.C. logging industry needs to do more to cut wildfire risk, report finds
British Columbia's forestry industry isn't doing enough to help prevent cut the risk of wildfires, a new report has found. The report, released Thursday, caps a two-year investigation by B.C.'s Forest Practices Board, and concluded that much of the problem is based on outdated rules and unclear responsibilities. The probe looked at forestry activities between 2019 and 2022 in the Sea to Sky, Chicotin and Peace regions, specifically in interface areas deemed 'high' or 'extreme' wildfire threats. The wildland-urban interface is a roughly two-kilometre area where human development, such as homes and infrastructure, meets or intermingles with wildland vegetation. 'It's been a well-known area of concern in the province for making communities safe from wildfire,' Keith Atkinson, chair of the Forest Practices Board, told Global News. Story continues below advertisement 'Is our work helping or hurting risk reduction in the wildland-urban interface?' 2:01 New UBC research shows threat to rivers, oceans from wildfires Among the report's key findings was that important fire hazard assessments at forestry sites were often late or incomplete. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Fewer than a quarter of such assessments were completed on time, while 30 per cent didn't meet legal content standards, according to the report. The report also raised concerns about fire abatement work at logging sites, a process that includes chipping, piling and burning debris to reduce fire risks. It found that while a majority of operators are meeting their obligations, about one-third of the cutblocks the board reviewed failed to meet their legal requirements or else needed more work to comply on time. It also raised concerns about the current Wildfire Regulation, which allows companies to leave logging debris on sites for up to 30 months, meaning flammable debris can be on the ground through multiple fire seasons. Story continues below advertisement 'In today's environment, we know the risks are high, we know the climate, the drought conditions really bring attention to that risk as being too high, and we think that should change,' Atkinson said. 'Policies should change to require them to abate that problem as soon as possible.' Municipalities, meanwhile, are not currently included in the province's legal definition of interface zones. 'This omission undermines risk reduction and can contribute to fuel hazards sitting unabated near communities for multiple fire seasons,' the report concludes. 'Fuel hazards closer to the interface must be assessed and abated sooner.' 4:06 B.C.'s 2025 wildfire season forecast It also notes that maps of legally defined interface areas, which lay out how and when forestry companies must do fire hazard assessment and abatement, aren't available to the public, making it hard to verify and enforce compliance. Story continues below advertisement Forest Practices Board is making five recommendations it says would encourage the forestry industry to more actively reduce wildfire risk, modernize guidelines and improve coordination. Those include setting new proactive fire management objectives for the interface zone, rather than simply preventing new hazards, and speeding up fire hazard abatement timelines to 'as soon as practicable' rather than the current 30 months. 'Right now, a licensee can operate but just don't increase the risk of hazard,' Atkinson said. 'We're really saying you need to reduce that risk… If you are going to go in there and do work, part of the result should be a reduction in risk, not just the status quo.' The board is also calling on the province to update the legal definition of the wildland-urban interface to include municipalities and other high-risk populated areas, and make those maps public. The province should also create a publicly accessible hub of wildfire risk reduction plans, and revise and update its 2012 fuel hazard abatement guidelines, the board says.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
5-star LB Tyler Atkinson chooses official visit to Texas, cancels trip to recruiting rival
AI-assisted summary Five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson canceled his official visit to Ohio State and will instead visit the University of Texas. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is heavily involved in Atkinson's recruitment, competing against Clemson, Oregon, and Georgia. Atkinson, the No. 1 linebacker and No. 8 overall player in the 2026 class, is expected to announce his decision before his senior year. While considered a Georgia lean, Texas successfully recruited a similar five-star player, Justus Terry, from Georgia in the 2025 class. One of the best prospects in the 2026 class has made a big decision about his recruitment. Five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson has cancelled a scheduled official visit to Ohio State and will instead take an official visit to the 40 Acres this weekend to get a closer look at the Longhorns program. 'I am taking an official visit to Texas this weekend,' Atkinson told On3. 'We have some good relationships out there, we know what Texas is about and we want to get back out there and ask a few more questions.' Texas hosted Atkinson and his family last season for the Georgia game, so this isn't his first trip to the UT campus. It has also been reported that Atkinson trains in the Austin area, which is an interesting nugget heading into the visit. Atkinson tells Chad Simmons of On3 that Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has personally taken the lead in his recruitment. Texas is battling Clemson, Oregon, and Georgia. Simmons reports that a decision should come before the start of his senior year. The Loganville, GA native has been a five-star player for nearly three years and is one of the best (if not the best) defensive players in the nation. Atkinson is the No. 8 ranked player in the On3 industry composite rankings and the No. 1 linebacker in the country. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle Atkinson, who took an official visit to Georgia last weekend, is a do-it-all linebacker with almost 500 tackles in the first three years of his high school career. The 6-foot-2, 205 pound player has long been considered a Georgia Bulldogs lean. But so was five-star Justus Terry, who the Longhorns snagged late in the 2025 recruiting cycle thanks to a better NIL package. He's also been made a big priority by the Oregon Ducks. Follow us on X/Twitter at @LonghornsWire.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
5-star LB sends message after Georgia football official visit
5-star LB sends message after Georgia football official visit Five-star linebacker recruit Tyler Atkinson is fresh off his official visit to the University of Georgia. Atkinson is the top linebacker in the class of 2026 and has gone on over a dozen visits to Georgia over the years. Atkinson is Georgia's top five-star recruiting target. He plays high school football for Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound linebacker is the top ranked player at his position in the country and the top recruit in Georgia. Atkinson is the No. 9 recruit in the nation, per 247Sports. Atkinson took to social media after his latest visit to Georgia. "Always walkin' my dawg off the leash," said Atkinson after visiting Georgia. Photos from Tyler Atkinson's UGA visit Georgia co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann is among the Dawgs' lead recruiters for Atkinson. Georgia has a strong pitch for the five-star linebacker. The Bulldogs had a pair of linebackers (Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams, who played defensive end too) selected in the first-round of the 2025 NFL draft. Georgia is willing to commit to significant name, image and likeness resources to Atkinson. Signing Atkinson won't be easy though. The five-star linebacker has tons of suitors from many of the top college football programs in the country. Atkinson has gone on recent official visits with the Clemson Tigers and Oregon Ducks. He has an upcoming official visit with the Texas Longhorns on June 20, so Georgia has no shortage of competition. More on Atkinson's impressive 2024 season The highly-touted linebacker prospect helped Grayson win a Georgia 6A state championship in 2024 (6A is the highest classification of high school football in the Peach State). Atkinson posted an insane level of production as a junior en route to a state title. In 2024, Atkinson posted 166 tackles, 13 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. Atkinson showed out in Grayson's state championship win with 13 tackles and two sacks. He's posted at least 100 tackles and eight sacks in all three seasons of his high school career. Atkinson is primed to have a monster senior season. Follow UGAWire on Instagram or Threads!
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
5-star Oregon football target Tyler Atkinson schedules visit to Texas Longhorns
5-star Oregon football target Tyler Atkinson schedules visit to Texas Longhorns When looking at the Oregon Ducks recruiting board in the 2026 cycle, there are few players who are likely higher priorities than 5-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson. Standing at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Atkinson is rated as the No. 9 player in the nation, and the No. 1 linebacker in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite. He has been in Eugene a couple of times this year for visits, including an official visit earlier this month. A select group of Oregon coaches has also gone in-home to visit with Atkinson, and the Ducks reportedly feel good about where they stand for the elite defender. They're going to have a lot of competition to land him, though, particularly down in SEC country. Last week, Atkinson — a Georgia native — took yet another visit to Athens to see the Georgia Bulldogs, and this week, he announced that he is heading to see another SEC school: the Texas Longhorns. Much like former 5-star LB Justin Williams, a high-profile member of the 2024 class, it feels as if Atkinson is being made a major priority for Lanning and his staff. Williams committed to Georgia a couple of years ago, but has had very little playing time so far with the Bulldogs. We will see if Lanning and the Ducks are able to land Atkinson and bring him across the nation to the Pacific Northwest. If so, it would be undoubtedly one of the crowning achievements of Lanning's recruiting career thus far. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
"UGA is still one of my top schools": 5-star LB Tyler Atkinson keeps Bulldogs high on his list
Image Source: Atlanta Journal Tyler Atkinson, a five-star linebacker, recently visited the University of Georgia and still loves the Bulldogs. Atkinson had a talk with Dawg Post and mentioned that, "The visit overall was really good! t was definitely an official visit I will never forget. My family really enjoyed their time on this visit as well. UGA made sure everything went smooth for th em, too. UGA is still one of my top schools. I feel like the relationship at UGA is real just like the relationships I have developed at my other top schools as well." The fans of Georgia are ecstatic since Atkinson is a significant prospect in the 2026 recruiting class. Atkinson Tyler's unforgettable official visit to Georgia Tyler Atkinson, one of the best linebackers at Grayson High School, made his first official visit to Athens. "Even with this being my 15th visit, I still saw and learned some new things, which is crazy to me," Atkinson said. "It's like a movie you have seen over and over, but there is always something new that pops out. I spent most of my time with Coach Schumann, Coach T-Rob, Coach Smart, and the defensive staff. The entire staff showed me how important it was to them that I stay home and play for the Dawgs." He added, "This visit was special because it was my official. All the officials I have taken and plan to take are special, though. These visits could potentially be the last visit that I take to that particular school." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo His family loved the warm welcome from Georgia. Tyler was a star in his junior season, accruing a total of 166 tackles and 13 interceptions. But other schools, namely Clemson and Ohio State, are also interested in him. Georgia also must continue to work hard to acquire Tyler, who has the capability of making their defense even better. The friendly nature of the Bulldogs keeps them among his favorite picks. Also Read: FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Chelsea triumph over Los Angeles FC amid sparse attendance; Boca Juniors, Benfica play out draw Georgia's strong 2026 recruiting class grows The 2026 recruiting class of Georgia is ranked fifth in the nation, which demonstrates the fact that Coach Kirby Smart is great at recruiting super players. They have 17 players already committed. Getting Tyler Atkinson, the No. 6 overall player and top linebacker, would make this class even stronger. Georgia has a history of turning linebackers like Jalon Walker and Roquan Smith into stars, which Tyler likes. The Bulldogs keep meeting top players, like wide receiver Craig Daindridge and defensive lineman James Johnson, to stay strong in recruiting. Their 2026 commits are: 4-star Wide Receiver Vance Spafford 4-star Cornerback Caden Harris 5-star Kicker Harran Zureikat 5-star Punt Returner Wade Register 4-star Offensive Lineman Zykie Helton 4-star Cornerback Justin Fitzpatrick 4-star Defensive Lineman Carter Luckie 4-star Wide Receiver Ryan Mosely 4-star Safety Jordan Smith 5-star Quarterback Jared Curtis 3-star Offensive Tackle Graham Houston 3-star Offensive Lineman Zachary Lewis 4-star Tight End Lincoln Keys 3-star Safety Kealan Jones 3-star Defensive Lineman Seven Cloud 4-star Safety Zech Fort 3-star Wide Receiver Brady Marchese. This mix of players shows Georgia wants a strong team. Adding Tyler would make their defense one of the best. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
