Two projects on the North Island will remove forest fire fuel from the woods and put it to better use.
The Forest Enhancement Society of BC is getting $50 million from the province to remove windfalls and logging leftovers from forests. The wood will go to mills that can use it, and removing it from the forest will help prevent future wildfires.
Provincial forests minister Bruce Ralston says there are two North Island projects worth nearly a million dollars, both happening in the same region near Port McNeill. He says they will also help North Island forestry businesses and create some new jobs.
“One of the big challenges in the sector right now is the hunt for fibre, marketable fibre, in order to accomplish the work that forestry companies want to do,” he said.
Ralston said the recovery projects will be good for the industry and the environment.
Both projects will be done by the Atli Chip LP company, based in Beaver Cove near Port McNeill and owned by the ‘Namgis First Nation. The company will use recovered fibre to make wood chips for BC pulp and paper mills.
The rest of the projects are in the BC Interior.
