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Welcome to the April edition of my e-Newsletter.
The Ministry of Forests and Range recently released two key documents that will help promote a vibrant, sustainable, globally competitive forest sector.
Growing Opportunities: A New Vision for Silviculture in British Columbia is a discussion paper that outlines current silviculture successes, opportunities for improvement, principles to guide how the new vision might be implemented and some questions to stimulate discussion on the future of silviculture in British Columbia.
Generating More Value from Our Forests: A Vision and Action Plan for Further Manufacturing provides a framework to mobilize stakeholders, investors, researchers, governments, and communities around generating more value from wood and wood residue through further manufacturing of value-added and next generation forest products.
These reports are aimed at significant opportunities ahead. Whether it’s the growing market for carbon offsets or next generation forest products, these opportunities will drive a broader range of silviculture activities. And whether it is the production of furniture or bio-chemicals, we can expand forests product manufacturing.
By working to make British Columbia a world leader - both at growing trees and at generating the greatest economic benefits from our forests - we will ensure a strong forest sector for generations to come.
Until the next edition,
Pat Bell
Minister of Forests and Range
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BUILDING WITH WOOD
Given its strength, versatility, and climate-
friendly attributes, British Columbia
is promoting greater use of wood in
commercial and institutional construction.
ACTION PLAN CHAMPIONS WOOD FIRST POLICY - Generating More Value from Our Forests: A Vision and Action Plan for Further Manufacturing, outlines targeted actions to promote the use of wood in commercial, institutional and mid-rise residential buildings, and to encourage the use of wood as a design element in new construction.
MINISTER REVIEWS POLICIES TO SUPPORT MACKENZIE FORESTRY - The ministry agrees with recommendations from the District of Mackenzie aimed at encouraging local processing and investments in small forest-dependent communities, including a review of the timber pricing system to identify possible improvements in delivering wood to Mackenzie.
2009 B.C. WOODWORKS GALA WINNERS ANNOUNCED - This awards competition shows the construction industry the benefits of wood and how it can meet the needs of any project, delivering everything from beauty to leading-edge technology. Among the winners was Renaissance Architecture Planning Inc. of Kelowna, winning the Green Building category for an open-air amphitheatre built with logs reclaimed after the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park wildifre.
OVAL AWARDED SUSTAINABILITY STAR - Winter Games organizers awarded the Richmond Olympic Oval a 'Sustainability Star' for its environmentally-friendly construction. The Oval's roof, made of one million board feet of salvaged pine beetle wood, is the first of its kind and showcases the versatility and beauty of B.C. wood in commercial construction.
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FOREST SAFETY
The ministry is committed to maintaining
high safety standards to protect both forest
workers and the public.
$4 MILLION TO MAKE NORTHWEST FOREST SERVICE ROADS SAFER – Residents of the northwest will benefit from improved travel and safety conditions on nearly a dozen local Forest Service roads, including road improvements such as grading, resurfacing, road widening, and bridge repair.
$1.5M TO MAKE ADAMS WEST FOREST SERVICE ROAD SAFER – Residents of Kamloops and surrounding communities will benefit from improved travel and safety conditions on the Adams West Forest Service Road thanks to funding being used for resurfacing, which will cut down on dust and debris.
$600,000 TO IMPROVE FINLAY-CAUSEWAY FOREST ROAD – Residents of the Mackenzie area will benefit from $600,000 to improve safety on the Finlay-Causeway Forest Service Road by resurfacing the road, which will suppress dust and debris.
$300,000 TO MAKE DUCK LAKE FOREST SERVICE ROAD SAFER - The funding will benefit residents of the Sunshine Coast by providing a more structurally sound road to help ensure safe residential and recreational access, and protect water quality.
$640,000 FOR WEST COAST SERVICE ROAD SAFETY - The funding will improve travel and safety conditions on the Zeballos and Fair Harbour Forest Service roads for residents and visitors, including repairs and sub-grade construction, and professional engineering designs and assessments.
SAFER FOREST SERVICE ROAD BENEFITS FORT ST. JAMES RESIDENTS - $393,000 in funding will allow for road and drainage upgrades to improve travel and safety conditions on the Leo Creek Forest Service Road and several of its branches.
$51,520 FROM COMMUNITY TRUST TO IMPROVE FIRE SAFETY - Six forest workers are removing pine beetle-attacked, vulnerable, and fallen trees, reducing the risk of fire and improving forest health around Valemount.
$110,000 TO MAKE CLEARWATER FOREST SERVICE ROAD SAFER - Residents of Clearwater and surrounding communities will benefit from improved travel and safety conditions on a portion of the Clearwater 100 Mile Forest Service Road, including new railings and curbs on the bridge, grading and ditching.
$400,000 FROM COMMUNITY TRUST IMPROVES BURNS LAKE SAFETY & RECREATION – This funding will employ 16 forest workers to reduce the risk of forest fires in Burns Lake and will provide residents with more year-round recreation options with the construction of a 35-kilometre multi-use trail.
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OTHER MINISTRY NEWS
NINE FOREST WORKERS UPGRADE "EPIC" ROSSLAND TRAILS - More than $200,000 from the Community Development Trust will improve trails used for cycling, cross-country skiing, and hiking, including upgrades to drainage, tread surfaces, and areas of erosion.
$300,000 FROM COMMUNITY TRUST TO BATTLE BEETLE - Twelve forest workers are clearing beetle-attacked trees near Fort St. John to reduce the spread of the mountain pine beetle and help preserve healthy trees in the area.
DEPUTY CHIEF FORESTER INCREASES AAC FOR TREE FARM LICENCE 52 – To help address effects of the mountain pine beetle the allowable annual cut for tree farm licence 52, east of Quesnel, will increase from 870,000 cubic metres to one million cubic metres.
BURNS TO RESTORE ECOSYSTEMS PLANNED FOR KOOTENAYS - As part of an ongoing restoration program, the ministry will be conducting a number of prescribed fires between April 6 and April 30 in Jaffray, Fort Steele and the Canal Flats.
BURNS PLANNED TO RESTORE CARIBOO-CHILCOTIN GRASSLANDS - Between April 6 and May 6, the ministry is planning to conduct prescribed fires in the Riske Creek/Becher Prairie and Iron Wood Springs areas for ecosystem restoration and forest health purposes.
$61,397 FROM COMMUNITY TRUST IMPROVES PRINCETON TRAILS - Five forest workers employed by the Upper Similkameen Indian Band are upgrading campsites, trails and recreation areas east of Princeton, including new picnic tables and fire rings, and the removal of noxious weeds.
FOUR FOREST WORKERS UPGRADE KELOWNA TRAILS - $110,000 from the Community Development Trust will allow for the identification and removal of danger trees and brush, new trail-head signs and improvements to three public-use cabins around Kelowna.
$400,000 RESTORES COLUMBIA VALLEY GRASSLANDS - Funding from the Community Development Trust will employ 12 forest workers to restore about 750 hectares of grassland near Invermere to provide better habitat for wildlife and cattle.
COMMUNITY TRUST RESTORES ECOSYSTEMS IN KOOTENAYS - $212,247 in funding will employ three forest workers to treat invasive plants on Crown forest land and in provincial parks as part of ongoing ecosystem restoration projects that will benefit wildlife and cattle.
HARVEST LEVEL DECREASED FOR LILLOOET TIMBER SUPPLY AREA – Chief Forester announces the allowable annual cut for the Lillooet Timber Supply Area will be reduced by about 10 per cent, from 639,500 cubic metres down to 570,000 cubic metres, effective May 1, 2009.
DEPUTY CHIEF FORESTER INCREASES AAC FOR
TFL 8 – To help prevent the beetle from reaching an epidemic level in this tree farm licence area, located near Grand Forks, the allowable annual cut will increase by about six per cent to 186,000 cubic metres.
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GROWING TREES
By becoming a world leader
in growing trees, British
Columbia aims to maximize
the growth potential of its
forest resource.
SILVICULTURE VISION TO GROW NEW FOREST OPPORTUNITIES – B.C. is developing a new silviculture framework to encourage new investments to maximize the economic, social and environmental benefits from our forest lands and make B.C. a world leader in growing trees. Discussion Paper
CARBON TRUST LOOKS TO INVEST IN FOREST OFFSETS - The Pacific Carbon Trust has released a request for information to develop forest-based carbon offsets, marking the first major step toward positioning B.C. forests as a key supplier in the global carbon market.
AMENDMENTS STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY AND WOODLOT TENURES – Changes to the Forest Act will provide better tenure certainty for community forests, reduce red tape for woodlot licensees, and allow for more flexibility to postpone cutting permits.
ANOTHER NEW ISLAND WOODLOT LICENCE AVAILABLE – A new 792-hectare woodlot licence available near Gold River offers residents the opportunity to enter or expand their role in the forest industry and pursue their passion of managing the land base.
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INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
British Columbia is working
to expand its overseas
exports, particularly into
the rapidly growing
China market.
ACTION PLAN TARGETS INTERNATIONAL MARKET - Generating More Value from Our Forests, addresses the need to create strategies to better access and strengthen international markets to boost demand of higher-value forest products.
WENCHUAN EARTHQUAKE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT UPDATE - The Mianyang Special School for the Disabled is the second reconstruction initiative under this project. The school's designs have recently been approved by local authorities and school officials, and construction is scheduled to start early this summer. Photos
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IMPROVING UTILIZATION
British Columbia is working
to maximize the economic
opportunities from wood
fibre previously considered
waste or debris.
ACTION PLAN AIMS TO MINIMIZE WOOD WASTE - Generating More Value from Our Forests, targets the exploration of new systems and technology to ensure manufacturers get the dimensions, species and grades of fibre they need and minimize the amount of material they cannot use.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
STUDENTS INTERESTED IN FORESTRY CAREERS - The number of students that attended recent annual forestry career awareness sessions hosted by the Council of Forest Industries have indicated the next generation of workers are interested in learning about future career opportunities in the forestry field.
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FORESTRY FACTS
- Ministry Compliance & Enforcement staff
conduct more than 16,000 inspections a year.
- Burns Lake Community Forest was offered the
first long-term (25 year) licence in Sept. 2004.
- A single tree can absorb a tonne of carbon
dioxide over 40 years.
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WEB RESOURCES
The ministry's website provides a wide range of services and a wealth of information regarding B.C.'s forest sector.
The Forest Science Program e-mail service is used to send the best available research information quickly and effectively to its clients and partners and provides scientific information on which to base operational and policy decisions.
The Forestry Careers website contains information on job opportunities within the ministry related to the protection and management of our forest and rangelands, including positions in research, management and engineering.
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For information on ministry announcements and events, visit the Ministry of Forests and Range Media Room.
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