Alberni Valley

A $250,000 investment from the City of Port Alberni to start up the Alberni Valley Community Forest will soon be paid off from the revenue the forest is bringing in. The community forest, initiated in 2009 to provide local jobs, create city revenue and protect the environment through responsible logging, announced it was able to cut two-and-a-half times the amount it normally would in the last year, according to Coun. Jack McLeman. McLeman is the city liaison on the community forest board of directors. He said this year’s cut produced approximately $500,000, and $150,000 of that will complete payment in full to the city after two previous separate payments of $50,000.