Northern B.C. projects will continue to successfully turn wood waste from slash piles into wood pellets and pulp products, as the Forest Enhancement Society of BC has allocated over $2 million in grants to four projects.
The announcement was made by Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, in Prince George on Jan. 30.
Donaldson said the NDP’s focus is to create jobs in the forestry sector by getting the most out of fibre that comes out of public forests.
By converting wood waste into products, British Columbia and Canada will be able to achieve their climate change targets, stated a Jan. 30 media release by the ministry.
Grants are being allocated as follows:
* Skeena Bioenergy Ltd. will receive $408,320 to use material from slash piles to make wood pellets. They are expected to make approximately 440 truckloads or about 22,000 cubic metres in the Coast Mountains Natural Resource District.
* Taan Forest Products will receive $1,080,000 to use material from slash piles to make pulp for use in paper products which will be approximately 1,020 truckloads or about 51,000 cubic metres in the Haida Gwaii Natural Resource District.
* Skookumchuck Pulp Inc. will receive $880,000 to also use material from slash piles to make pulp for use in paper products. That amounts to 2,200 truckloads or about 110,000 cubic metres in the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District.
* RPP Holdings Inc. will receive $369,450 for the same purpose to make paper products which will be approximately 36,000 cubic metres or 720 truckloads in the Quesnel Natural Resource District.
“Assisting the province to reduce greenhouse gases, add value to forest fibre and maintain jobs for workers and communities are some of our key objectives,” said Wayne Clogg, board chair of the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C.
He added that the amount of wood debris that will not be burned to slash, but instead be used to fuel a greener economy in the winter, is expected to exceed 1.6 million cubic metres by March 2020.
“Funding has been committed to continue some of these projects to 2022 to further help forest workers and communities who are most in need,” Clogg said.
As of Jan. 30, 2020, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, a crown corporation, has supported 250 projects valued at $233 million, in partnership with the B.C. government and the Government of Canada.
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Aman Parhar
Editor, Vanderhoof Omineca Express
aman.parhar@ominecaexpress.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
