Haida Gwaii will benefit from a portion of $3 million in grants allocated by the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) aimed to reduce wood waste and emissions as well as support communities and workers, Jennifer Rice MLA for the North Coast announced on Feb. 1.
“On Haida Gwaii, things like high transportation costs make it difficult for forestry operations to take advantage of forestry by-products for things like pulp and wood pellets,” Rice said in a press release.
“This grant will mean that more usable wood waste from Haida Gwaii will go to mills for secondary processing, and less will be wasted or go into our atmosphere,” Rice said.
The new grants being issued by the FECBC throughout the province will support jobs in the forestry sector and increase the utilization of wood fibre that otherwise would be burned as slash.
The latest round of funding supports 15 different projects in different regions of the province, with individual grant amounts ranging from $6,000 to $663,748. The projects will allow about 250,000 cubic metres of post-harvest waste wood to be used in the production of pulp, wood pellets, electricity and compost for soil remediation.
This work will also provide environmental, economic and social benefits to B.C. communities, including a reduction in greenhouse gases.
“This new funding is part of the government’s $1.5-billion economic recovery plan, which reflects our ongoing commitment to help British Columbians deal with challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development said. “The grants will support local jobs and help make better use of wood debris left behind after timber harvesting.”
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K-J Millar | JournalistÂ
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