Cariboo Chilcotin Forestry Leaders Unite Around Regional Solutions

Courtesy of the City of Williams Lake:

More than 60 forestry, Indigenous, government and economic development leaders gathered in Williams Lake to identify shared priorities and advance collaborative action for the future of forestry in the Cariboo Chilcotin.

Hosted on Thursday, July 23, 2026 by the City of Williams Lake, the Cariboo Chilcotin Forestry Forum brought together a diverse cross-section of forestry leaders and stakeholders for discussions focused on strengthening the region's forest economy, supporting sustainable jobs, improving wildfire resilience and advancing long-term forest stewardship.

“It was a pleasure to see so many forestry and community leaders gathering in Williams Lake,” said City of Williams Lake Mayor Surinderpal Rathor. “The depth of experience, knowledge and commitment was inspiring. What stood out was the shared determination to work together on practical solutions that will support healthy forests, stronger communities and a sustainable forest economy. Forestry has long been the backbone of the Cariboo Chilcotin and British Columbia, and by working together we can help ensure it remains a strong contributor to our communities and our provincial economy for generations.”

Throughout the day, participants discussed opportunities to strengthen regional collaboration, improve forest management practices, enhance wildfire resiliency, address fibre supply challenges and ensure local perspectives help inform future forestry decisions.

Six priority areas emerged from the discussions to help guide future collaboration across the region:

1) Strategic partnerships

2) Wildfire resiliency

3) Communication and public awareness

4) Reliable access to fibre for local forestry operations

5) Land stewardship and restoration

6) Greater utilization of every harvested tree

The importance of local knowledge, long-term stewardship and community-based decision-making was a recurring theme throughout the forum.

"For me, one of the most encouraging outcomes was seeing so many organizations come together to identify what is missing locally in the Cariboo Chilcotin region and where we can move forward collectively,” said Gord Chipman, Executive Director of Woodlots BC. “Forestry challenges are experienced differently across the province, and solutions need to reflect the realities of the communities they affect. Woodlot licence holders have demonstrated for generations that local knowledge, long-term stewardship and community-based decision-making create more resilient forests. By reducing barriers and giving local forest managers greater flexibility to do the right thing, we can strengthen both our forests and our communities.”

Agreeing with Chipman's insights was Todd Chamberlain, General Manager of the Interior Logging Association (ILA), who attended alongside leadership from the ILA Board of Directors.

"The collaboration across the Cariboo Chilcotin sets a benchmark for the province. Local communities must drive these forestry decisions because they bear the heaviest burden of any mistakes," Chamberlain said. "We need immediate, decisive action; further manufacturing curtailments will devastate our membership."

Participants also emphasized the value of continued regional collaboration to ensure forestry remains a strong economic driver for communities throughout the Cariboo Chilcotin.

"Bringing so many people and organizations together with local government demonstrates that our region is ready to work collaboratively and bring forward practical solutions," said Margo Wagner, Chair of the Cariboo Regional District. "Too often we spend time identifying problems, but this forum was focused on identifying solutions and presenting strategic recommendations we believe will help strengthen the future of forestry in the Cariboo Chilcotin."

The Cariboo Chilcotin Forestry Forum marks the beginning of a collaborative process. Over the coming months, participants will refine the recommendations into a regional action plan, establish working groups and continue advancing opportunities for coordinated action across the sector.

Regional leaders also intend to invite the Premier and provincial ministers to the Cariboo Chilcotin this fall to discuss the forum's recommendations and explore practical solutions to support the future of forestry in the region.

"What made this day unique was the willingness of so many organizations to come together with a common purpose," said Beth Veenkamp, Manager of Economic Development for the City of Williams Lake. "Rather than focusing on individual priorities, participants worked collaboratively to identify practical actions that will benefit the entire region. The conversations reinforced that the Cariboo Chilcotin has the expertise, partnerships and leadership needed to shape the future of forestry in the region. Our next step is to build on this momentum, continue working together and advance these recommendations into meaningful action."

Review of 100 Mile House TSA/Timber Supply Area

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

The public is invited to give feedback on the upcoming timber supply review for the 100 Mile House Timber Supply Area (TSA).

People can share their thoughts on the recently released 100 Mile House TSA discussion paper by submitting comments before Aug. 25, 2026.

The public discussion paper provides the results of a timber supply analysis and describes the legal requirements, geography, natural resources and forest management practices. This information will be used by B.C.’s chief forester to determine how much timber can be harvested in the TSA annually. This amount is known as the AAC.

Before setting the new AAC, the chief forester will consider input from First Nations, industry and community members. Public feedback is a part of every AAC decision and is an opportunity for communities to provide input, which will be considered during the AAC determination.

The 100 Mile House TSA includes the territories of more than 30 First Nations. The Tsq’escen First Nation (Canim Lake Band), Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation, High Bar First Nation and Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band were part of a timber supply review working group and contributed to the development of the public discussion paper. All 30 Nations have been invited to provide input on this timber supply review.

Administered by the 100 Mile House Natural Resource District, the 100 Mile House TSA covers approximately 1.24 million hectares in the Cariboo region. The current AAC is 967,805 cubic metres per year.

When B.C.’s chief forester makes an AAC determination, it is an independent, professional judgment based on information from:

• technical forestry reports
• First Nations consultations
• input from the public 
• government’s social and economic objectives

Under the Forest Act, AACs must be reviewed at least once every 10 years for all 37 timber supply areas and 34 tree farm licences in the province.

Learn More:

To read the discussion paper, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/managing-our-forest-resources/timber-supply-review-and-allowable-annual-cut/allowable-annual-cut-timber-supply-areas/100-mile-house-tsa

For more information or to send comments, people can contact 100 Mile House Natural Resource District via post or email.

Postal address:

Kane Copley
Strategic Land Manager
Ministry of Forests
100 Mile House Natural Resource District
PO Box 129
100 Mile House, B.C. V0K 2E0

E-mail: 100MileHouseTSR@gov.bc.ca

Further information regarding the technical details of the timber supply analysis is available on request by contacting: Forests.ForestAnalysisBranchOffice@gov.bc.ca

Input sought on Williams Lake FLP/Forest Landscape Plan

Courtesy of the Government of BC: 

Local residents are invited to share their input on the development of the Cariboo-Chilcotin forest landscape plan (FLP) to guide long-term forest management decisions in the area.

People can share their thoughts through a survey, which will run from Monday, April 13 to May 30, 2026. The Ministry of Forests will also hold two open houses so the community can learn more about forest landscape planning and ask questions.

Open house details are as follows:

April 29, 2026
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Gibraltar Room, Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex
525 Proctor St.
Williams Lake

May 2, 2026
10 a.m. to noon
Community Club
2620 Stum Lake Rd.
Alexis Creek

First Nations and community engagement

FLPs are developed in partnership with First Nations to ensure meaningful participation in forestry planning and long-term decision-making.

The following First Nations have partnered with the Province on the Cariboo-Chilcotin FLP:

• Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation
• Tsq’escen’ (Canim Lake Band)
• Nuxalk
• Tsideldel
• Xatśūll
• Tl’esqox
• Ulkatcho
• Esk’etemc
• Yunesit’in
• ?Esdilagh Nazko
• Xeni Gwet’in
• Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN)
• Tsilhqot’in National Government
• Lhoosk’uz
• Lhtako
• Xwisten

Engagement with other First Nations in the area continues.

Engagement with forest licensees, subject-matter experts and the public is a key part of every FLP. This ensures that all parties have opportunities to share their perspectives and help inform decisions about future forest management in the region. The Cariboo-Chilcotin FLP team regularly updates forest licensees on planning progress and has scheduled a meeting for licensees to attend to further discuss how their expertise can support plan development alongside community identified values.

Through early collaboration with First Nations partners and initial engagement with forest licence holders, key themes have emerged that will be integrated into the survey for public feedback to reflect community priorities.

Developing FLPs is a new approach to forest stewardship that establishes clear direction for the management of forest-related values, such as old forests, biodiversity, ecosystem health, climate change, watershed health and wildfire risk.

Once feedback is received, the next step is to incorporate feedback into the FLP itself.

Quick Facts:

• B.C. has 15 forest landscape tables that are at various phases of planning, representing 42% of the area intended for FLPs.
• FLP design is guided by five key objectives: 
  • manage the values placed on forest ecosystems by First Nation
  • support the protection and conservation of the environment
  • support production and supply of timber in the forest landscape area
  • manage the values placed on ecosystems by local communities
  • prevent, mitigate and adapt to effects caused by significant disturbances to forests and forest health

Learn More:

To learn more about the Cariboo-Chilcotin FLP and provide feedback through the survey, visit:
https://planninginpartnership.ca/p/67dcaa40f2b5af00399085de/commenting

To learn about sustainable forest stewardship and forest landscape plans in B.C., visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/managing-our-forest-resources/forest-landscape-plans

Drax Ceasing Operations at its Williams Lake Plant

Courtesy of Drax:

After careful consideration, global renewable energy company Drax has made the difficult decision to cease operations at its pellet plant in Williams Lake, B.C. The curtailment and closures of neighbouring sawmills and the loss of a bid for key local supply have led to a significant reduction in fibre availability, thus making continuing operations at the plant no longer commercially viable. As a result, we expect to cease operations after an orderly wind-down when fibre availability runs out at the site, which we anticipate will take place by the end of 2025.

Drax leadership recognizes the impact that this decision will have on our dedicated workforce; therefore, they are implementing a comprehensive support plan for the 30 employees affected. This includes a severance package, as well as wellbeing support. Colleagues are encouraged to apply to open positions at other Drax sites.

“The decision to cease operations weighs heavily on us, as we recognize the uncertainty it creates for our dedicated employees and their families,” says Matt White, Executive Vice President of Pellet Operations for Drax. “We are profoundly grateful for their commitment and resilience, and for the unwavering support of our community. Together, we will navigate this challenging time with compassion and transparency.”

“We are deeply grateful to our employees for their hard work and commitment over the years,” says White. “We are committed to supporting them through this transition and helping them find new opportunities.”

About Drax

Drax Group’s mission is to help meet the world’s increasing demand for secure energy, sustainably, and to reach net zero by the end of 2040 across our value chain. By supporting biodiversity across our sites and in our value chain by the end of 2030 and seeking to make a positive contribution to the lives and livelihoods of our colleagues, communities, and workers in our supply chain, Drax is committed to being climate, nature, and people positive in our operations.

Drax’s around 3,000 employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply to third parties. For more information visit www.drax.com/ca

Woodlots BC to Lead Province-Wide Wildfire Risk Reduction Efforts on Woodlots

Courtesy of Forest Enhancement Society of BC:

The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) recently approved up to $1.7 million to the Woodlot Product Development Council (Woodlots BC) to carry out wildfire risk reduction treatments over a 2-year fiscal period. Treatments will be conducted on woodlots throughout British Columbia (B.C.), each located within a Wildland Urban Interface, endorsed by the local Forestry District and following BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) wildfire risk reduction standards. Through this work, Woodlots BC, established in 1998 to represent the interests of woodlot licensees throughout the province, looks forward to building capacity across the forest sector and helping promote innovative ways to complete treatment of wildfire risk reduction projects to reduce combustible forest fuel loading, thereby better protecting communities. 

“Woodlots are vital to B.C.’s forestry sector as they support local jobs, keep our forests healthy, and help reduce wildfire risk where it matters most: right where people live,” said the Hon. Ravi Parmar, BC's Minister of Forests. “This partnership between Woodlots BC, BCWS, and FESBC is showing what’s possible when local knowledge and smart investments come together. These treatments are protecting communities today and helping us build more resilient forests for tomorrow.” 

Woodlot tenures are unique to B.C., where public forested land is designated for management by families, small incorporated companies, or First Nations communities who hold licences to manage these areas, often in combination with privately owned land. There are more than 800 woodlots across the province, many of which have been in operation for more than 40 years, with some active for as long as 70 years. In many cases, these woodlots are located near urban centres, and their legally managed trails are frequently used by the public. As such, reducing wildfire risk, both within woodlots and in surrounding communities, is a key focus for Woodlots BC. 

“Every year, between 5,000 to 10,000 hectares of woodlots are impacted by wildfire. Approximately 20% of woodlots are located in a Wildland Urban Interface and have a high or extreme wildfire risk,” explained Gord Chipman, Registered Professional Forester (RPF), Executive Director, Woodlots BC. “With FESBC’s investments for new wildfire risk reduction projects, woodlots will have the opportunity to be proactive and take greater strategic action to better protect communities and people. These projects will be innovative and evolve with the involvement of BC Wildfire Service and local Forest Districts.”  Previous funding from BCWS facilitated the development of wildfire risk reduction prescriptions for many woodlots. Now, the new funding from FESBC will support the implementation of these treatments, specifically targeting areas deemed high to extreme risk for wildfire.  

“This past winter, we worked with BC Wildfire Service to develop the new Fuel Management Prescription Guidelines. We are now looking at provincial risk mapping and confirming on-the-ground conditions to confirm areas of concern,” said Chipman. “We are using this opportunity to build relationships with staff at BC Wildfire Service and the Natural Resource Districts. We have engaged with eight different forest management professional companies to build capacity and utilize the guidelines that were developed recently.” 

With official funding approval from FESBC this past April, Woodlots BC is working to finalize the identification of the highest priority woodlot sites in the province, aiming to make investments in the land as efficient and responsible as possible. “The average cost for treatment work in the past five years has been approximately $8,000 per hectare. With this in mind, we need to develop innovative methods to reduce wildfire risk and use the tools that we already have, such as heavy equipment, to reduce costs. If we combine this with smart fuel management prescriptions, we believe we can maximize the impact per dollar spent. 

With the $1.7 million investment from FESBC, we want to prove that we can reduce the cost for treatments with woodlot ingenuity and smart plans,” said Chipman, adding that the team hopes to get close to treating 400 hectares with the funding in the next two years. In collaboration with FESBC, Woodlots BC has successfully completed a number of projects in woodlot tenures over the last 8 years, helping prevent and mitigate the impact of wildfires. “We have been working with FESBC since 2017 and have enjoyed their pragmatic oversight and willingness to proactively invest in our forests,” noted Chipman. 

“It takes a team of knowledgeable people to look after our lands, and through teamwork, we will make the dream work.” In 2024, with over $196K in FESBC funds, Woodlots BC completed a fuel management treatment totalling 23.7-hectares, adjacent to subdivisions at Partridge Road, Mallard Drive, Quail Road and Crane Road in the Cariboo Chilcotin Region near the community of 150 Mile House. The treatment units were identified as a high priority area by the Cariboo Woodlot Association and woodlot licence holders. The goal of this treatment was to reduce potential crown fire initiation, fire intensity, and crown fire spread. These fuel reduction treatments also helped improve access and firefighter safety in the event of wildfire suppression activities as well as the effectiveness of aerial and ground-based fire control actions. “FESBC is excited to partner with Woodlots BC to support the delivery of innovative wildfire risk reduction treatments in collaboration with individual woodlot owners across B.C.,” expressed Tyler Field, RPF, Operations Manager with FESBC. 

“Woodlot licensees are uniquely positioned to play a vital role in managing forested lands near communities, where the risk of wildfire is often highest. These treatments form part of coordinated, landscape-level efforts designed to reduce wildfire risk and help better safeguard nearby communities and critical infrastructure. We are committed to supporting cost-effective and proactive, community-based solutions that strengthen wildfire resilience across the province.” Another similar wildfire risk reduction treatment, carried out by the Columbia Woodlot Association on Mount 7, Golden, B.C., used a method known as machine mulching to clear land over 11 hectares of forest. This method utilizes a single machine to cut, grind, and clear vegetation, then redistributes the mulch to reduce the spread of potential wildfires. 

“High recreation areas like Mount 7 can be points of human-caused ignition. Wildfire risk reduction in these areas is then critical to not only help slow the spread of ground fires, but also to protect the recreational values,” shared Denise English, Coordinator for the Columbia Woodlot Association. “FESBC funding, combined with Columbia Basin Trust funds, enabled the Columbia Woodlot Association to complete a mulching research project to determine the efficacy of mulching in the Wildland Urban Interface. This is especially important in and around Golden where piling and burning is tough to pull off with very short burning windows due to temperature inversions.” 

“Wildfire resilience is not a one and done event, and the land will need to be tended over time,” remarked Chipman, adding that “woodlot management can reduce wildfire risk if land managers and BC Wildfire Service work with woodlot managers to identify where the risks are and efficient ways to address the risk.” 

About FESBC:

The purposes of FESBC are to advance environmental and resource stewardship of B.C.’s forests by – preventing and mitigating the impact of wildfires; improving damaged or low-value forests; improving habitat for wildlife; supporting the use of fibre from damaged and low-value forests; and treating forests to improve the management of greenhouse gases. FESBC has been granted millions of dollars in funding from the government of B.C. to support hundreds of projects, to date, throughout the province. 

Follow FESBC on social media! 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/forest-enhancement-society-of-bc/ 

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForestEnhancementSocietyofBC 

• BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/fesbc.bsky.social 

Subscribe to FESBC’s monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/4k6L5AQ 

Quesnel Future of Forestry Think Tank Helps Accelerate Change in Struggling Forest Sector

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

After experiencing back-to-back devastating wildfire seasons in 2017 and 2018 and seeing no plan from the provincial government to address the destructive impacts of the mountain pine beetle on its surrounding forests and timber supply, the City of Quesnel started a process in May 2018 to rethink its regional forest sector and to help create a plan to revitalize both the region’s forest ecosystems and its forest economy.

The ‘Quesnel Future of Forestry Think Tank’ is a community-led process that explores both the challenges and the opportunities in the Quesnel Forest District across three domains: the forest landscape, the local manufacturing sector, and the local and regional workforce. The Quesnel Think Tank investigates three questions:

1) What will it take to restore the regional forest ecosystem to a state of resiliency and adaptability that will stop large-scale pest infestations and wildfires from recurring? 

2) How can the forest manufacturing facilities in the region be re-invented and/or re-purposed to address the decline in sawlog availability and take advantage of the significant increase in non-sawlog commercial forest fibre?

3) What re-training will be required to ensure the local workforce can continue to be employed in good-paying jobs in the City and the surrounding forests?

In partnership with local First Nations, the provincial government, post-secondary institutions, and the local and regional industry, the City has hosted three Think Tank sessions since its inception in 2018. The fourth of these bi-annual events will be held this May 21 and 22 in Quesnel, and the theme of this year’s Think Tank is “Accelerating Change.”

“We’re excited to be able to present real progress on a number of our projects at this year’s Think Tank,” Erin Robinson, the City of Quesnel’s Manager of Forestry Initiatives, said. “Quesnel has one of the most advanced Forest Landscape Planning (FLP) tables in the province and a new community forest license that is held by the four local First Nations and the City of Quesnel. We will also be presenting the engineering and business case analysis for a first-in-kind stand-alone biomass digesting facility that could turn bush waste into the feedstock needed to create petrochemical substitute products. And, we will be outlining a detailed curriculum and training program for innovative harvesting machine operators that will enable BC to more quickly move away from our traditional industrial clearcutting regime.”

The Quesnel Future of Forestry Think Tank is an invitation-only event, but its outcomes are publicly available and have been supported by successive Ministers of Forests as an example of a positive, proactive, and innovative ground-up approach to the significant challenges confronting BC’s forest sector.

For more information, contact:

Erin Robinson, Forest Initiatives Manager, City of Quesnel

erobinson@quesnel.ca

250-255-6002

Cariboo-Chilcotin FESBC Supported Projects

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

Communities and workers throughout British Columbia are benefiting from 64 new Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) supported projects that reduce wildfire risk, enhance forest health and get more fibre into the hands of mills and energy producers.

“The projects I am announcing today will remove almost 11,000 truckloads of flammable waste fibre from our forests,” said the Hon.Ravi Parmar, BC's Minister of Forests. “We all have a role to play in reducing wildfire risk in B.C. This fibre that once would have been burned in slash piles will instead support workers and help keep communities safe.”

With $19 million in provincial funding, projects will take place in all eight of the Province’s natural resource regions. This includes 31 led by First Nations and another 14 with First Nations involvement, demonstrating the critical leadership role First Nation communities are playing in restoring and protecting B.C.’s forests. This funding is part of the $90 million allocated in 2025 for wildfire-prevention initiatives through BC Wildfire Service, FireSmart initiatives and FESBC.

“We received so many excellent applications from interested parties across the province looking to invest in the future of B.C.’s forests,” said Jason Fisher, executive director, FESBC. “After careful review, we 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.”

These projects build on the Province’s broader support for B.C.’s forest sector, which includes wildfire reduction, streamlining permitting, investing in innovation and advocating for fairness in international trade, especially in the face of U.S. softwood lumber duties and tariff threats.

“Many rural British Columbians know the risk of wildfires well, and many have been in frightening situations,” said Steve Morissette, parliamentary secretary for rural development. “This funding will help support forestry projects in rural, remote and First Nations communities with a focus on sustainability and fire prevention.”

Wildfire-mitigation projects remove excess wood and flammable undergrowth from areas around rural centres and have proven effective during previous wildfire seasons. The BC Wildfire Service is planning to treat 9,600 hectares in 2025-26, with more than an additional 2,100 hectares planned under FESBC.

Fibre-recovery projects take wood fibre that would otherwise be burned or abandoned and put it in the hands of mills and forestry companies that can use it, helping keep forestry workers on the job.

Quick Facts:

• Founded in 2016, FESBC is fully funded by the Province to support forestry projects at the community level. Since then, $79.6 million has been invested in 201 community wildfire risk-reduction projects through FESBC.
• As part of Budget 2024, B.C. announced FESBC would get an additional $60 million over three years to continue community-focused wildfire-risk reduction and fuel-management projects, as well as improving utilization of biomass from harvested timber.

Learn More:

For more information about FESBC, visit: https://fesbc.ca/about-us/

Cariboo-Chilcotin FESBC Supported Projects:

Eighteen projects in the Cariboo region will receive $5.1 million. This includes:

Wood-waste utilization:

Celtic and El Dorado

Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd.

Williams Lake First Nation

Yun Ka Whut’en Forestry Ltd.

Wildfire-risk reduction:

Clinton and Area Community Forest

Williams Lake First Nation

Eniyud Community Forest

Williams Lake Community Forest

The District of 100 Mile

Consus Management Ltd.

Wells-Barkerville Community Forest

Nazko First Nation

Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd.

Tl’esqox

Consus Management Ltd.

The City of Williams Lake

Willians Lake First Nation

The City of Quesnel

New FESBC Projects in Cariboo-Chilcotin

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

Editor's Note -- Cariboo RD Area "C" Director John Massier sits on the Board of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC 

Workers and communities throughout B.C. are benefiting from Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) supported projects that reduce wildfire risk and increase fibre supply, keeping local mills and energy plants running in the face of U.S. tariff threats and unjustified softwood lumber duties.

With $28 million from the Province, FESBC is supporting 43 new and expanded fibre-recovery projects and 31 new and expanded wildfire-mitigation projects.

“In tough times, I want workers in our forest sector to know I’ve got their back,” said the Hon. Ravi Parmar, BC's Minister of Forests. “Whether it’s better utilizing existing sources of fibre or helping protect communities from wildfire, the projects are supporting workers and companies as they develop new and innovative forest practices.”

Projects are taking place in all eight of the Province’s natural resource regions, helping create jobs, reducing wildfire risk and supporting B.C.’s pulp and biomass sector. They will be complete by the end of March 2025, in advance of wildfire season.

Fibre-recovery projects take wood fibre that would otherwise be burned or abandoned and put it in the hands of mills and forestry companies that can use it, helping keep forestry workers on the job. Through the Province’s continued investment in FESBC, the projects they support have delivered 44,000 logging truckloads worth of fibre out of the bush since April 2024. That fibre would once have been burned in slash piles and is instead creating jobs and revenue for local businesses.

“These projects are putting local businesses and people to work reducing wildfire risk and recovering fibre for local pulp mills, and pellet and energy plants,” said Jason Fisher, executive director, FESBC. “FESBC received strong proposals from across the province and we are pleased to support this strong group of proponents in their forest-management activities.” 

Government continues to take action to support the forest sector in the face of U.S. softwood lumber duties and tariff threats, including through the recently formed Softwood Lumber Advisory Council, streamlining the permitting process and continuing to advocate to the federal government.

Quick Facts:

Founded in 2016, FESBC is fully funded by the Province to support forestry projects at the community level.

As part of Budget 2024, B.C. announced FESBC would get an additional $60 million over three years to continue community-focused wildfire risk-reduction and fuel-management projects, as well as improving utilization of biomass from harvested timber.

Since 2016, $79.6 million has been invested in 201 community wildfire risk-reduction projects through FESBC.

FESBC Projects in Cariboo-Chilcotin:

100 Mile House 

Project: Forest Grove Fireguard 

Applicant: Kenkeknum Forest Tenures LP 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Forest Grove Interface Fuel Break Fuel Reduction 

Applicant: 100 Mile House Natural Resource District 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Pressy Lake CP394 Rehab/Fibre Utilization 

Applicant: Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd 

Purpose: Fibre supply 

Project: Tinmusket Wildfire Risk Reduction Project 

Applicant: SXD Limited Partnership 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Quesnel  

Project: CPP – Fibre Recovery and Utilization 2024-2025 

Applicant: Cariboo Pulp and Paper 

Purpose: Fibre supply 

Project: Nazko East Fire Management and Stand Enhancement 

Applicant: Nazko First Nation 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Williams Lake 

Project: 2023 CCR – Chilcotin Fibre Utilization Project 

Applicant: Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. 

Purpose: Fibre supply 

Project: CCR Fibre Utilization 2024-2025 

Applicant: Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR) 

Purpose: Fibre supply 

Project: CCR Wildfire Risk Reduction and Fibre Utilization 

Applicant: Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Dugan Lake - Horsefly Junction Fuel Treatment Development 

Applicant: Williams Lake First Nation 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Flatrock WRR Tactical Plan Prescription/Treatment 

Applicant: Williams Lake Community Forest LP 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Kantelberg Trial 

Applicant: UBC 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Tatlayoko Fuel Break - Hand Treatments 

Applicant: Eniyud Community Forest Ltd 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: WLFN – Chimney Fuel Reduction 

Applicant: Williams Lake First Nation 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: WRR Treatment W0588 

Applicant: Woodlot Product Development Council 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: WLFN – Redeau Lake - CP 8 Fuel Reduction 

Applicant: Williams Lake First Nation 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club 

Applicant: Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club Prescriptions 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

The Future of Forestry in Quesnel

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

Editor's Note -- this week's Quesnel City Council News column is written by Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson.  He can be reached via email here

One of the initiatives we’d hoped to highlight during our planned community celebration this past September is our Forestry Innovation Centre at City Hall. This new centre is the hub for Council’s Forestry Think Tank process and the Forestry Initiatives Program which is the base of operations for all the fuel management and fire-smarting activities being conducted under the City’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).

The Forestry Think Tank process was initiated by Council in 2018 after the disastrous 2017 fire season and our inability to convince the provincial government of the day to take a deeper look at the state of forest health in our region and develop more innovative and proactive plans to rehabilitate the land base in the Quesnel Forest District, particularly west of the Fraser River.

Our fear was that if the provincial government persisted in applying historical forest practices to the land base west of the Fraser we’d simply see a larger mountain pine beetle infestation followed by even larger, more catastrophic forest fires within 30-40 years. We also believed that with the robustness of the forestry manufacturing capacity that Quesnel still enjoys, we had an ideal opportunity to explore ways to reinvent the manufacturing sector in conjunction with new approaches to rehabilitating the forest land base.

The early sessions of the Think Tank process were very well received, and each session was over-subscribed. The presentations and group discussions at these sessions stimulated deeper conversations about how we need to manage our forests through the lens of ecological resiliency rather than timber production, move our manufacturing processes up the value chain (i.e. produce more diverse secondary and tertiary products from a shrinking timber supply, including bioproducts that can directly substitute for petrochemical products), and retrain the forest sector workforce.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has prevented us from continuing these in-person sessions, but the work of the Think Tank has continued, led by two full time staff housed in the City’s Forestry Innovation Center.

Partly as a result of the discussions during the Think Tank process, Quesnel is now a pilot District for a new approach to landscape level planning that will see the Ministry of Forests collaborate with First Nation Governments as well as local stakeholders in the creation of a comprehensive plan to rehabilitate and manage the forests in the North Cariboo. Staff at the Forestry Innovation Centre have also completed a preliminary analysis of alternate manufacturing opportunities that we will be discussing with the Provincial government and potential investors over the coming months.

Another outcome of the Think Tank process and the establishment of the Forestry Innovation Centre is that Quesnel has attracted the attention of universities and researchers from across the globe. For example, last week (for the second year in a row) we hosted a group of students from UBC’s Masters of International Forestry program who spent 3 days in Quesnel exploring all aspects of forestry from the field to the mills. The 21 students and 4 staff who visited our City represented 13 different countries and all were impressed with both our passion for the forest sector and our community’s leadership in its reinvention.  Several of the students will be returning to our community to further their studies and potentially for internships or jobs.

Due to the success of the Forestry Innovation Centre, Quesnel has also been selected as the provincial hub for a 5-year federal research project called Silva21 (silva21.com) which will provide tools and practical solutions for decision-makers, managers and planners to adapt their forest management practices. This week, we are meeting with the research team from Carleton University, the University of Toronto, the University of Alberta, and Natural Resources Canada who are developing a risk management framework for managing future mountain pine beetle epidemics.

These examples demonstrate how the Forestry Innovation Centre is a hub for protecting our community from wildfire, transitioning our forest practices for ecosystem health, and pivoting our manufacturing sector, all of which help Quesnel build a stronger community that is better equipped to face challenges and seize opportunities as they arise.

For more information and regular updates on the City’s forestry innovation initiatives please visit: quesnel.ca/forestry

First Nations’ forestry projects generate jobs, green energy

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) grants are supporting the Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) as it creates jobs, fights climate change and reduces wildfire risk near its community.

To date, grants have supported the removal of 64,000 cubic metres of slash (debris from forest fires) and over the next two years, the total will reach 200,000 cubic metres.

The ongoing project is also creating an estimated 26 jobs for both the WLFN and the Tŝideldel First Nation (TFN), which has partnered to grind the debris on site and ship it to local markets.

“The WLFN have partnered with the TFN on this unique ongoing project that is seeing slash piles turned into biomass fuel instead of burning them,” said the Hon. Doug Donaldson, BC's Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “This green-energy project is reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building new economic opportunities for both communities while contributing to B.C.’s clean energy plan.”

Three FESBC grants between 2017 and 2019, totalling more than $3 million, allowed WLFN to develop an ongoing program and enabled it to build several partnerships to grind the debris at site and truck it to local markets. One of the most significant partnerships was with the TFN contractor, Tsi Del Biomass Ltd., which brought logging and grinding experience to the project.

Typically, slash from wildfire salvage logging is piled and burned at site because transportation is cost prohibitive. Burning slash piles increases smoke in local airsheds and increases greenhouse gas emissions.

“Tsi Del Del has really appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with Williams Lake First Nation on grinding and trucking more than 1,000 piles to customers in our local fibre basket,” said Percy Guichon, director, Tsi Del Del Enterprises Ltd., and Tŝideldel First Nation councillor. “Working together on a business basis has resulted in benefits for both communities and created employment opportunities while making products from this biomass.”

High-quality slash fibre from the projects will be used by Pinnacle Renewable Energy to make industrial wood pellets, which are used by large-scale thermal power generators as a greener alternative to produce power. Lower-quality slash fibre will be turned into “hog” fuel to be used by Atlantic Power Corporation’s biomass-fired generating facility located in Williams Lake, to provide thermal electricity for the community’s energy grid.

“WLFN continues to seek out partners either in the local, provincial and federal capacities who will assist and build upon WLFN environmental goals and objectives,” said Chief Willie Sellars of the WLFN. “The FESBC funding has been crucial in assisting the shared mandate of reducing these outdated burning programs. FESBC funding allows First Nation communities such as WLFN of the Secwepemc and Tŝideldel of the Tsilhqot'in National Government, two Nations that have historically not worked together, an opportunity that will benefit both Nations and each of their companies.”

Ongoing operations over the next two years will continue to support recovery of logging debris from wildfire risk reduction projects and will generate fibre to sell in the Williams Lake market.

The projects were funded through FESBC grants supported by the provincial government and the Government of Canada.

Learn More:

For more information about the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, visit: https://www.fesbc.ca