Kimberley is receiving funding for wildfire mitigation as part of projects that are being supported through the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C.
The Kootenay region is receiving $2.4 million that is going towards eight projects in communities that include Kimberley, Creston, Castlegar, Golden, Harrop, Nakusp, Nelson, and New Denver.
Provincially, $28 million is being earmarked by the province to support 43 new and expanded fibre recovery projects and 31 new and expanded wildfire mitigation projects, in large part to support local mills and energy plants in the face of U.S. tariffs.
“In tough times, I want workers in our forest sector to know I’ve got their back,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “Whether it’s better utilizing existing sources of fibre or helping protect communities from wildfire, the projects are supporting workers and companies as they develop new and innovative forest practices.”
Projects are taking place in all eight of the Province’s natural resource regions, helping create jobs, reducing wildfire risk and supporting B.C.’s pulp and biomass sector. They will be complete by the end of March 2025, in advance of wildfire season.
Fibre-recovery projects take wood fibre that would otherwise be burned or abandoned and put it in the hands of mills and forestry companies that can use it, helping keep forestry workers on the job. Through the Province’s continued investment in FESBC, the projects they support have delivered 44,000 logging truckloads worth of fibre out of the bush since April 2024. That fibre would once have been burned in slash piles and is instead creating jobs and revenue for local businesses.
“These projects are putting local businesses and people to work reducing wildfire risk and recovering fibre for local pulp mills, and pellet and energy plants,” said Jason Fisher, executive director, FESBC. “FESBC received strong proposals from across the province and we are pleased to support this strong group of proponents in their forest-management activities.”
