New Funding to forests to reduce wildfire hazards, rehabilitate forests damaged by fire and disease and increase B.C.’s carbon sink.

BC government commits $150 million to forest rehab

By Nelson Bennett

The B.C. government announced $150 million in spending Friday February 17 to “treat” forests to reduce wildfire hazards, rehabilitate forests damaged by fire and disease and increase B.C.’s carbon sink. …Although tree-planting is part of the projects that will be funded, cutting trees is also a big part of the plan. Jim Snetsinger, vice-chairman of the Forest Enhancement Society, said that forestry companies with Crown forest licences have already made good use of much of the pine beetle kill. But some of the stands of beetle kill timber is still standing, because there’s little profit to be made in harvesting it. “It’s basically coming to the end of its shelf life from an industrial perspective,” Snetsinger said.

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