CANADA, April 24 - 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.
