Wood leftover from Okanagan forestry operations that would once have been burned is now being put to productive use, the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. says. Sixty-six innovative projects undertaken around the province in the past year at a cost of almost $50 million have generated an environmental benefit equal to one million fewer tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, the society said Wednesday. And debris wood that would have filled more than 68,000 logging trucks has been used instead for the making of wood pellets and other products, the society says. “With the help of 66 projects funded in 2023, B.C. is taking necessary steps in battling climate change and becoming more resilient in the face of worsening wildfire seasons,” Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston said in a release.

The Province is opening the door for more wildland firefighters with in-depth knowledge of local terrain to join the service. Aligned with feedback from the Premier’s expert task force on emergencies, the improvements to the BC Wildfire Service’s hiring process have resulted in more than 1,000 firefighter applicants, with another three months of hiring to go. …Aligned with the work of the Premier’s expert task force on emergencies, a series of enhancements have been made to strengthen pathways for participation in wildfire response, specifically for applicants in rural and remote communities. This work includes expanding First Nations bootcamps… A dedicated training and recruitment model for First Nations communities is being expanded. …Learnings from First Nations bootcamps will be adopted into the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) core curriculum and serve as a model for other First Nations interested in augmenting their response capacity. Additionally, the use of Indigenous initial-response crews is being expanded.

Additional coverage in the Vancouver Sun: B.C. Wildfire Service recruiting more locals to fight wildfires

While protest action involving First Nations peoples blocking industry projects often make headlines and are sensationalized images on our screens, there is a quiet majority of Indigenous workers proudly making tracks in resource industries, says the head of the Indigenous Resource Network (IRN). …IRN reps were recently in Squamish to create content with local Indigenous forestry workers to highlight the importance of First Nations involvement in that industry. “We want to … give voice to what good looks like in resource development, and really profile Indigenous success and go a little deeper than just [resource development] providing the jobs,” said IRN executive director John Desjarlais. …Squamish’s Roger Lewis is one of those people working in the resource sector. …Lewis is the superintendent of special projects with Sqomish Forestry LP,part of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). …Desjarlais said that in the media, Indigenous folks are often portrayed as blocking projects, but that isn’t the whole story.

Homalco First Nation and Mosaic Forest Management are celebrating a land sale to the Homalco First Nation. The acquisition will expand upon the size of the Nation’s lands in Campbell River, providing exciting opportunities for community development and community togetherness. “We are celebrating more than the acquisition of land for the Homalco people. The land deal has been decades in the making, and it lays the foundation for a future filled with promise and prosperity,” said Homalco Chief Darren Blaney. “…I want to thank Mosaic Forest Management for supporting this vision and making the sale a reality.” The property is in south Campbell River and has frontage along Highway 10 and Jubilee Parkway. The acquired lands formerly owned by Mosaic and managed by its real estate arm, Couverdon, surround the current Homalco lands. The sale was celebrated at a special event hosted by Homalco on January 19.