Tumbler Ridge gets community forest agreement

Jan. 21, 2011, Tumbler Ridge, BC – The
District of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, has received a community forest agreement, which will
give the community a larger role in how local forest resources are managed. The
community forest agreement is for a 25-year term and grants the right to
harvest 20,000 cubic metres/year of timber from about 22,000 hectares of Crown
land in the Dawson Creek timber supply area. The community forest consists of
three separate parcels within 25 kilometres of Tumbler Ridge’s municipal
boundaries.

Timber from the community forest will be
used to supply West Fraser and Canfor sawmills in nearby Chetwynd, supporting
existing jobs in the local forest sector and creating a new revenue stream for
the District of Tumbler Ridge. The district also plans to use its community
forest licence to mitigate wildfire risks by reducing fuels in the surrounding
forests that have been affected by mountain pine beetle infestation.
Beetle-killed timber will also help Tumbler Ridge in its pursuit of bioenergy
production to provide the community with a stable back-up power supply to
prevent extended outages.

Community forest agreements are a form of
legal tenure that enable communities to more fully participate in the
stewardship of local Crown forest resources. They are area-based and give
communities exclusive rights to harvest timber, as well as the opportunity to
manage and profit from other forest resources such as botanical products,
recreation, wildlife, water, and scenic viewscapes. More than 50 community
forests are operating or are in the planning stages in British Columbia.