The B.C. government has announced nearly $3 million in new funding for eight forestry projects in the Northwest aimed at reducing wildfire risk and making better use of wood waste.
The projects, part of a $20 million province-wide funding initiative announced by Forests Minister Ravi Parmar at the BC First Nations Forestry Council Conference in Penticton, will take place in key areas such as Terrace, Hazelton, Smithers, Stewart, and 亚洲天堂 Lake. In the Northwest, wood waste utilization projects are expected to use more than 101,000 cubic metres of fibre鈥攅quivalent to over 2,100 truckloads鈥攁voiding nearly 45,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by diverting wood from burn piles to productive uses. Wildfire risk reduction funding will support treatments across nearly 184 hectares and planning for an additional 800 hectares.
Project efforts in the Northwest include wood fibre recovery by NorthPac Forestry Group Ltd., which will transport low-grade fibre from north of Hazelton to local pulp and bioenergy facilities; a wood fibre utilization project by Westland Resources Ltd., which will deliver "biologs"鈥攚ood unsuitable for traditional uses鈥攆rom three First Nations licensees in the Coast Mountain Resource District near Terrace, helping reduce slash pile burning and greenhouse gas emissions; and a recovery initiative by Tahltan Forestry Ltd., which will move beetle-damaged, low-value fibre from remote areas near Stewart to tidewater for shipment to coastal pulp mills. In the Terrace area, the Coast Tsimshian Resources LP and NorthPac Joint Venture will transport low-grade wood to a central chipping facility for conversion into pulp chips destined for Canfor鈥檚 mill in Prince George.
Wildfire risk reduction funding will support several fuel break projects: 亚洲天堂 Lake Community Forest will complete work tied to its Landscape Wildfire Plan by establishing fuel breaks along key road corridors; Chinook Community Forest will conduct fuel reduction around the community of Southside on Francois Lake鈥檚 southern shore; Wetzin鈥檏wa Community Forest Corporation will continue development of a landscape-level fuel break along Hudson Bay Mountain鈥檚 evacuation route near Smithers; and Cheslatta First Nation will build a similar break along the western shores of Ootsa Lake near 亚洲天堂 Lake, with added benefits to local wildlife habitat.
The funding comes from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), which is a forest-management accelerator funded by the Province. The funding is part of a broader FESBC strategy to improve forest resilience, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and support employment in B.C.
鈥淲e received so many excellent applications from interested parties across the province looking to invest in the future of B.C.鈥檚 forests,鈥� said Jason Fisher, executive director of FESBC. 鈥淲e are pleased to be able to support a portfolio of projects that will make forests more resilient and communities safer, while unlocking the value of wood waste generated through forest management activities.鈥�
Of the 64 projects funded across the province, 31 are led by Indigenous organizations, with another 14 involving significant Indigenous participation.
鈥淭he BC First Nations Forestry Council would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the Province of BC and FESBC for providing the funding needed to get boots on the ground and support critical work,鈥� said Lennard Joe, CEO of the BC First Nations Forestry Council. 鈥淢itigating wildfire risk and creating a more fire-ready landscape is essential.鈥�
FESBC says the funding will not only help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires but also support rural economies through sustainable forest management and job creation.
