Restoring Healthy Forests, Supporting Communities – Chetwynd’s Community Forest

…While the forests of BC have evolved and adapted to experience wildfires as a natural agent of disturbance, it is a shock to established systems. In the wake of [recent] fires, here’s a brief look at how West Fraser is part of renewing the forest landscape. The volume of the forest burnt in the past two summers creates significant challenges for our woods teams who plan our timber harvesting. Where we operate in Canada, nearly all of the forests are owned by the public, and approvals for harvesting must be sought through the government. Our plans begin months and years ahead of time, surveying the land, consulting with stakeholders, developing plans, and applying for the required permits to build roads and approvals to harvest trees. When wildfires occur, our woods teams must re-plan their multi-year harvesting plans, knowing a large amount of the logs they had counted on have been consumed in the fires.