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INTRODUCTION TO NEWSLETTER
Welcome to my new monthly
e-Newsletter, aimed at keeping you up-to-date on forestry news and achievements, as they occur.
During my first three months as Forests and Range Minister, I have already visited 12 forest districts, meeting with key ministry staff, local forest companies and First Nations.
From my travels, I have come away with the strong feeling of how important forestry is to all those involved. I am committed to working closely with community leaders, union reps, and forest licensees — large and small — to ensure that forestry has a bright future in B.C.
I am committed to keeping you up-to-date on an ongoing basis, and I feel this e-Newsletter is a great way to accomplish that.
Until next month,
Minister Pat Bell
Ministry of Forests and Range
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FOREST SAFETY
The Ministry of Forests and Range is committed to maintaining high safety standards to protect both forest workers and the public.
The Ministry has recently made several announcements to support this commitment:
PROVINCE INVESTS $356,000 TO IMPROVE ZEBALLOS ROAD
The Province is investing $356,000 this year to upgrade the Zeballos Forest Service Road and make it safer for all travellers. The road to Zeballos turns off Highway 19 just north of Woss. The 74-kilometre gravel logging road continues past Zeballos to Fair Harbour. Zeballos, with a population of about 200 people, is a popular destination spot for kayakers, sportfishers and other outdoor enthusiasts.
BC TIMBER SALES ACHIEVES SAFE COMPANY CERTIFICATION
BCTS has now achieved SAFE company certification from the BC Forest Safety Council. BCTS is also seeking to enhance safety in the forest sector by requiring firms bidding on BCTS fieldwork contracts (such as road building or reforestation), and those directing or employing workers on timber sale licences issued by BCTS, to be SAFE Company certified after Dec. 31, 2008. Photos
NEW OVERPASS MAKES BUSY INTERSECTION SAFER FOR HAULING
A site tour of the Bobtail Forest Service Road overpass marks substantial progress on a $5.2-million construction project to improve traffic safety and support economic diversification. With an estimated 600,000 to 700,000 cubic metres of wood being hauled along the Bobtail each year, road user groups identified the crossing as a significant safety concern. Photos
RADIO PROTOCOLS LEAD TO SAFER FOREST TRAVEL
A pilot project on radio communication protocols aims to improve safety and reduce collisions on resource roads. The goal of the project is to improve road user safety through standardized radio call procedures for forest service roads. Photos
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MINISTRY NEWS
PROVINCIAL FUNDING HELPS YOUTH EXPERIENCE B.C. FORESTS
A $100,000 grant to the Junior Forest Wardens Association of B.C. will help promote forest stewardship among British Columbia’s youth. Junior forest wardens are six to 18 years of age and learn about tree, plant and wildlife species, soil types as well as water and resource management. The program is outdoor-oriented with activities including camping, backpacking, canoeing, mountaineering, and tree planting. Photos
RESEARCH GRANTS SUPPORT BIOENERGY DEVELOPMENT
The Province has granted $600,000 to help grow B.C.’s wood bioenergy sector with continued research into feedstock supplies, technology and infrastructure. The ministry has provided $300,000 to the FPInnovations forest research institute, $200,000 to the University of British Columbia, and $100,000 to the University of Victoria for a research partnership focused on feedstock availability, harvesting and delivery equipment and systems, and economic analysis. Photos
NAK'AZDLI TO RECEIVE $112,500 FOR HISTORIC RESTORATION
The Community Development Trust is providing $112,500 to the Nak'azdli Natural Resource and Development Centre to support the restoration of the historic Duzcho Trail. The Nak’azdli estimate the trust’s Job Opportunities Program will support six to eight forestry workers to re-establish the Duzcho Trail from Stuart Lake to where the present day Carp Lake Provincial Park campsites are located, adding bridges and interpretive signs. Photos
* For information on other announcements, visit the
Ministry's News Page and Media Room.
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Please visit the Ministry's website for more information regarding B.C.'s forest sector. |
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B.C. CELEBRATES NATIONAL FOREST WEEK
Video of Minister's NFW Message
As we mark National Forest Week, I am honoured to celebrate a heritage, a true trust that we have been provided by our ancestors. And it is a time for us to look to the future of forestry. Maybe it looks a little different than the forest industry that I remember as a kid and the forest industry that I worked in the 1990’s.
Solid wood and pulp are still going to be key components of the forest sectors as we move forward in the 21st century.
But it is also about new products and new services that we can provide to the public - whether it is energy, pellets, biofuels or new high-value building products. Read more
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CELEBRATING THE INDUSTRY
KDL Group's value added facility began operation in early 2008 and is using KDL-developed technology and equipment to become a leading producer of fence posts. All of the fence posts made at KDL come from timber harvested within the Fort St. James Forest District. Most of these fence posts will appear in yards and properties in the western United States. More photos
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
In mid-June, The Canada Wood Group recently donated two wood-frame school buildings to a rural community in Shanxi, China, which were constructed in Shanghai by students of the Canada Wood College and assembled onsite by the Shanghai-based Canada Wood technical team. Read more
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The Province is recruiting a team of architects and construction managers to send to China to help reconstruct areas in Wenchuan province devastated by a major earthquake earlier this year. The team will support the $8-million Wenchuan Earthquake Reconstruction Project announced in June. Read more
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FORESTRY FACTS
- B.C.’s parks and
protected areas are
almost four times the
size of Vancouver Island.
- B.C. has had an average
of 1,782 wildfires a year
since 1998.
- B.C. spruce was used to
build British Mosquito
fighter bombers during
the Second World War.
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WEB RESOURCES
The Ministry provides
e-mail subscription services on a number of different issues and topics related to the forest sector.
For example, the What's New
e-mail service contains a summary of changes to Ministry legislation, regulations, policy or guidebooks, with links back to the Ministry website containing the published changes.
Visit the Forestry Roundtable's website for more information and updates on their activites. The provincial government established the Roundtable to identify key issues and opportunities facing the forest sector in B.C. The Roundtable's recommendations will help to ensure a strong, vibrant, sustainable forest industry in British Columbia for future generations.
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