Kamloops, B.C. – On Wednesday, June 19, 2024, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) organized a tour of their funded forest enhancement projects in the Thompson Nicola region. The event, which offered a glimpse into the impactful work being done to improve forest health and resilience, was attended by FESBC’s Board of Directors, members from the forestry industry, project proponents, and local community leaders.
Highlights from the Tour
The tour provided a full-circle experience, showcasing the journey from wildfire devastation to forest recovery and utilization of “waste” wood or residual fibre:
- Wildfire Risk Reduction in Merritt
Participants visited a completed wildfire risk reduction treatment and learned about the ongoing efforts from Don Gossoo, RFT, General Manager of the Lower Nicola Indian Band Development Corporation. - Logan Lake Wildfire Treatment
The group examined a site where work was underway to reduce wildfire threats, implemented by the Lower Nicola Indian Band (LNIB) Development Corporation, and discussed its effectiveness with Adam Sullivan, RPF, Planning Forester and Fuel Management Specialist, Forsite and Ernie McIvor, Crew Boss, LNIB.
The group then visited an area in the Logan Lake Community Forest that had been heavily affected by the 2021 Tremont Creek Wildfire. This area used to be a dry fir forest that had experienced 200 years without any fires due to fire suppression efforts. Lindsay Hill, a Wildfire Management Specialist from Forsite, talked about the efforts to salvage and recover the area after the wildfire.
- Wood Waste Utilization
Attendees next learned about the processes and challenges involved in transporting and processing wood fibre waste, as well as various uses of wood waste, including biomass generation, creation of cardboard boxes, paper products, etc., from experts Greg Kilba of Arrow Transportation and Kevin Gayfer of River City Fibre/Arrow Transportation.
The tour highlighted the collaborative efforts between FESBC and its many local project partners, emphasizing the significant progress and positive outcomes achieved through these initiatives. It helped illustrate the journey from the aftermath of wildfires to the proactive steps taken on the ground and, finally, to the innovative use of forest by-products.
We invite you to explore the photos and videos from the tour, highlighting some ‘before’ and ‘after’ scenes of work done and the people working hard on these forest enhancement projects in the Thompson Nicola region.
To view all photos from the tour, visit: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?set=a.122174492246194513&type=3
FESBC would like to gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Forests.