B.C. Forests get Funding for Waste Reduction

The Province’s forests will be getting a helping hand with funding over $27 million to help reduce wood waste across British Columbia.

38 projects around B.C. will be given grants to help lower the amount of wood fibre waste that would otherwise be burned as slash.

Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. (FESBC) will distribute funding, in partnership with the provincial and federal government.

“By using this wood, instead of burning it in the forest, we’re avoiding an emission,” said FESBC Executive Director Steve Kozuki. “We’re using this fibre to make electricity, pellets to export that green energy and to make pulp products. In doing that, it creates employment in many areas.”

Kozuki added that the projects will be beneficial to both the economy and the environment.

“Number one, it helps B.C. and Canada meet our climate change target under the Paris Agreement,” Kozuki said. “Number two, it creates cleaner air because we’re not burning as many slash piles. And number three, it employs forestry workers in forestry dependent communities all around B.C.”

$536,100 was given to Skookumchuck Pulp Inc. in 2018, which cleaned up about 51,000 cubic metres near Kimberley.

This year, however, funding has been focused in other parts of the province.

Funding for projects in 2019 include:

• $488,958 to Alkali Resource Management Ltd. (about 52,000 cubic metres west of Williams Lake)

• $25,354 to the Bella Coola Community Forest (about 4,000 cubic metres in the Bella Coola area)

• $929,314 to Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. (about 87,000 cubic metres south of Burns Lake)

• $435,235 to Sasuchan Development Corporation (about 59,000 cubic metres near Fort St. James)

• $707,540 to Cariboo Pulp and Paper (about 74,000 cubic metres near 100 Mile House)

• $1.5 million to Canfor Prince George Pulp and Paper (about 143,000 cubic metres from Prince George area)

• $1 million to Mackenzie Pulp Mill Corporation (about 133,000 cubic metres in the Mackenzie area)

• $1 million to Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (about 90,000 cubic metres in the Williams Lake area)

• $584,138 to Cariboo Pulp and Paper (about 98,000 cubic metres in the Quesnel area)

• $40,000 to Harrop-Proctor Community Cooperative (about 4,000 cubic metres near Harrop)

• $160,000 to Barkerville Historic Town & Park (about 9,000 cubic metres near Barkerville)

• $278,938 to Strategic Natural Resource Consultants Inc. (about 19,000 cubic metres near Port McNeill)

• $21,284 to Hillcore Lakeside Pacific Forest Products Ltd. (about 1,700 cubic metres near Chilliwack, at Harrison Lake)

• $443,400 to Terrace Community Forest (about 30,000 cubic metres south of Terrace)

• $500,000 to Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. (about 31,000 cubic metres near Vernon)

• $500,000 to Fort St. James Fuel Co. Limited Partnership (about 52,000 cubic metres near Fort St. James)

• $150,000 to Probyn Log Ltd. (about 6,600 cubic metres near Bella Bella)

• $874,562 to Coast Tsimshian Resources LP (about 94,000 cubic metres near Terrace)

• $1.25 million to Domtar (about 105,000 cubic metres in Kamloops area)

• $85,000 to Lions Gate Forest Products Limited (about 4,000 cubic metres near Port Hardy)

• $750,000 to Williams Lake Indian Band (about 30,000 cubic metres near Williams Lake)

• $16,980 to Stella-Jones Inc. (about 1,900 cubic metres near Revelstoke)

• $150,069 to Logan Lake Community Forest Corporation (about 12,000 cubic metres near Logan Lake)

• $750,000 to Atlantic Power (about 75,000 cubic metres in Williams Lake area)

• $97,460 to Stella-Jones Inc. (about 12,000 cubic metres near Revelstoke)

• $19,909 to Nakusp and Area Community Forest (about 1,600 cubic metres near Nakusp)