More than 60 projects will reduce wildfire risk, support forestry in B.C.

April 24, 2025

VICTORIA – Communities and workers throughout British Columbia are benefiting from 64 new Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) supported projects that reduce wildfire risk, enhance forest health and get more fibre into the hands of mills and energy producers.

“The projects I am announcing today will remove almost 11,000 truckloads of flammable waste fibre from our forests,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “We all have a role to play in reducing wildfire risk in B.C. This fibre that once would have been burned in slash piles will instead support workers and help keep communities safe.”

With $19 million in provincial funding, projects will take place in all eight of the Province’s natural resource regions. This includes 31 led by First Nations and another 14 with First Nations involvement, demonstrating the critical leadership role First Nation communities are playing in restoring and protecting B.C.’s forests. This funding is part of the $90 million allocated in 2025 for wildfire-prevention initiatives through BC Wildfire Service, FireSmart initiatives and FESBC.

“We received so many excellent applications from interested parties across the province looking to invest in the future of B.C.’s forests,” said Jason Fisher, executive director, FESBC. “After careful review, we are pleased to be able to support a portfolio of projects that will make forests more resilient and communities safer, while unlocking the value of wood waste generated through forest-management activities.”

These projects build on the Province’s broader support for B.C.’s forest sector, which includes wildfire reduction, streamlining permitting, investing in innovation and advocating for fairness in international trade, especially in the face of U.S. softwood lumber duties and tariff threats.

“Many rural British Columbians know the risk of wildfires well, and many have been in frightening situations,” said Steve Morissette, parliamentary secretary for rural development. “This funding will help support forestry projects in rural, remote and First Nations communities with a focus on sustainability and fire prevention.”

Wildfire-mitigation projects remove excess wood and flammable undergrowth from areas around rural centres and have proven effective during previous wildfire seasons. The BC Wildfire Service is planning to treat 9,600 hectares in 2025-26, with more than an additional 2,100 hectares planned under FESBC.

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.

Quick Facts:

• Founded in 2016, FESBC is fully funded by the Province to support forestry projects at the community level. Since then, $79.6 million has been invested in 201 community wildfire risk-reduction projects through FESBC.
• As part of Budget 2024, B.C. announced FESBC would get an additional $60 million over three years to continue community-focused wildfire-risk reduction and fuel-management projects, as well as improving utilization of biomass from harvested timber.

Learn More:

For more information about FESBC, visit: https://fesbc.ca/about-us/

A backgrounder follows.

Contacts:

Ministry of Forests
Media Relations
250 896-7359

Jason Fisher
Executive Director
Forest Enhancement Society of BC
jfisher@fesbc.ca
250 613-6852

BACKGROUNDER

What to know about the fibre-supply and wildfire-mitigation projects

The total amount of provincial funding for these 64 projects is $19.8 million. Of this, $700,000 will go toward a provincial wildfire-risk reduction project led by Woodlots BC on woodlots in the province. The remainder will go toward projects in the following regions:

South and West Coast regions:

Seven projects in the South and West Coast regions will receive $1.8 million. This includes:

Wood-waste utilization:

• Western Canadian Timber Products
• Matchlee Resources
• Atli Resources LP.
• Taan Forest
• Storey Creek Trading (2016) Ltd.

Wildfire-risk reduction:

• The Sunshine Coast Community Forest (Project 1)
• The Sunshine Coast Community Forest (Project 2)

Thompson-Okanagan region:

Eighteen projects in the Thompson-Okanagan region will receive approximately $5.8 million. This includes:

Wood-waste utilization:

• River City Fibre LP
• Skul’qalt Forestry LP
• Arrow Transportation Systems Inc.
• Stuwix Resources Joint Venture
• Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakers of the Land) 2007 LLP
• River City Fibre LP
• Sta’tim’ic Tribal Holdings

Wildfire-risk reduction:

• Logan Lake Community Forest
• Shulus Forest Enterprises LP.
• The City of Vernon
• Vermillion Forks Community Forest
• Shulus Forest Enterprises LP
• Ntityix Resources LP
• The District of Summerland
• Lower North Thompson Community Forest
• Vermillion Forks Community Forest
• Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakers of the Land) 2007 LLP (Project 1)
• Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakers of the Land) 2007 LLP (Project 2)

Kootenay-Boundary region:

Nine projects in the Kootenay-Boundary region will receive approximately $1.9 million. This includes:

Wildfire-risk reduction:

• Kaslo Community Forest
• Creston Valley Forest Corporation
• Nakusp and Area Community Forest
• Harrop-Procter Community Co-operative
• Slocan Integral Forestry Cooperative
• The City of Kimberley
• Kaslo and District Community Forest Society (Project 1)
• Kaslo and District Community Forest Society (Project 2)
• Kaslo and District Community Forest Society (Project 3)

Cariboo region:

Eighteen projects in the Cariboo region will receive $5.1 million. This includes:

Wood-waste utilization:

• Celtic and El Dorado
• Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd.
• Williams Lake First Nation
• Yun Ka Whut’en Forestry Ltd.

Wildfire-risk reduction:

• Clinton and Area Community Forest
• Williams Lake First Nation
• Eniyud Community Forest
• Williams Lake Community Forest
• The District of 100 Mile
• Consus Management Ltd.
• Wells-Barkerville Community Forest
• Nazko First Nation
• Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd.
• Tl’esqox
• Consus Management Ltd.
• The City of Williams Lake
• Willians Lake First Nation
• The City of Quesnel

Northeast region:

Two projects in the Northeast region will receive approximately $1.2 million. This includes:

Wood-waste utilization:

• Fort Nelson Community Forest
• Wildfire-risk reduction:
• Fort Nelson Community Forest

Omineca region:

One project in the Omineca region will receive $400,000. This includes:

Wood-waste utilization:

• East Fraser Fiber

Skeena region:

Eight projects in the Skeena region will receive approximately $3 million. This includes:

Wood-waste utilization:

• NorthPac Forestry Group Ltd.
• Westland Resources Ltd.
• Tahltan Forestry Ltd.
• The Coast Tsimshian Resources LP. and NorthPac Forestry Group Ltd. Joint Venture

Wildfire-risk reduction:

• Burns Lake Community Forest
• Chinook Community Forest
• Wetzin’kwa Community Forest Corporation
• Cheslatta First Nation

Contacts:

Ministry of Forests
Media Relations
250 896-7359

Jason Fisher
Executive Director
Forest Enhancement Society of BC
jfisher@fesbc.ca
250 613-6852

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