Image Credit: CFJC Today / File

By Dave Barry

Wood Waste

Grant to reduce waste of wood and create jobs in Cariboo-Chilcotin

Aug 6, 2020 | 12:15 PM

WILLIAMS LAKE – A joint venture company, owned by two First Nations, is receiving a $1 million dollar grant to decrease the amount of wood that goes to waste in the forest.

The funding is being provided as a grant from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) to Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd., a joint venture company owned by the Tŝideldel First Nation (Alexis Creek First Nation) and the Tl’etinqox government (Anaham First Nation).

The company received a $3.4 million grant in 2017 to reduce wildfire risks and rehabilitate mountain pine beetle forests near Anahim Lake. In the second phase of the project, the new grant will find uses for the 200,000 cubic metres of waste wood created in the initial phase.

Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. will send waste fibre to either Pinnacle Renewable Energy’s pellet plant or to Atlantic Power to generate electricity. Both plants are located in Williams Lake. Cariboo Pulp in Quesnel will receive pulp grade logs.

“This project is allowing First Nation-owned businesses to expand capacity and expertise as the forest industry transitions from a harvest economy to a forest-management economy,” said Hugh Flinton, the forestry manager at Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd.

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The program is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by not burning the wood waste in slash piles as well as produce jobs for loggers, truckers and other forestry workers.

“This project demonstrates how factoring in greater waste-fibre utilization in projects like this generates multiple benefits,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.