A new aerial forest fertilization project in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) aims to sequester carbon dioxide in forests and improve timber volumes for harvesting. From now through November, helicopters will drop urea, a nitrogen fertilizer similar to what goes on lawns, on forests near Lillooet, Pemberton and Squamish, and signage will be placed on roads to inform the public of safety hazards or delays, according to a notice posted by the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District. The plans have been approved by local First Nations, the Ministry of Forests and forest licensees. The project is funded through the province’s Forest Investment Program and administered by B.A. Blackwell & Associates. Jeff McWilliams, a senior associate with B.A. Blackwell, said programs like this have occurred in the Sea to Sky since the early 2000s. …McWilliams explained fertilizer is trucked to designated areas and loaded onto a helicopter that spreads it similarly to a lawn fertilizer.

Additional coverage in the Squamish Reporter: SLRD notice for ‘Aerial Forest Fertilization’ in the Sea to Sky