Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District:
On Wednesday, February 22 the Cariboo Regional District handed off the Forest Capital of Canada designation to the Province of British Columbia to celebrate the centenary of the BC Forest Service in 2012. For the past two years, the Cariboo Regional District has proudly served as Canada’s Forest Capital, hosting a celebration of our forest resources.
A ceremony took place at the Association of BC Forest Professional’s Convention in Victoria with the Honourable Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, accepting the Forest Capital plaque from CRD Chair Al Richmond and CRD Area 'C' Director John Massier.
Throughout its reign as the 2010-2011 Forest Capital of Canada the Cariboo Regional District brought awareness to the Cariboo Chilcotin forest land base through a number of different projects and events. The CRD’s Forest Capital program focused on five key industries: non-timber forest products, value-added wood products, bio-energy, eco-tourism and agriculture.
“With the decline of the forest industry as a result of the US housing recession and the impact of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation, the Regional District saw the Forest Capital of Canada program as an opportunity to look to the future and promote new, non-traditional industries emerging in forestry,” said CRD Chair Al Richmond.”
The CRD’s reign as the Forest Capital of Canada got off to a great start as it was launched during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics at the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast pavilion at BC Street. This venue showcased the many facets of our region’s forests to 475,000 spectators.
Throughout the past two years, the CRD published a commemorative magazine Our Backyard – Forests of the Cariboo Chilcotin, which focused on the various non-traditional aspects of the forest industry through stories, poetry and photography for travellers, investors and residents wanting to learn more about local initiatives. The CRD also hosted a Forest Capital Speaker Series and hosted National Forest Week activities throughout the region, planting seedlings, and sponsoring various community events.
“We consider the last two years to have been a success; our holistic approach to forestry looked at all of the economic opportunities the forest land base offers”, continued Richmond. “Even with our extremely limited budget, and small-scale projects, we were able to reach a large audience with our message.”
The Cariboo Regional District would like to thank the Canadian Forestry Association, the more than 65 community partners and sponsors who made the Forest Capital program possible, and the CRD Forest Capital Committee Chair, former Electoral Area E Director, Steve Mazur.
Further information about the Forest Capital of Canada can be found online at www.canadianforestry.com For more information on the 2012 BC Forest Service’s centenary celebrations, visit www.bcfs100.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment