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FESBC receives 132 project proposals to support B.C. forests
Jan. 7, 2019 – The Forest Enhancement Society of B.C.’s (FESBC) fifth intake deadline for proposals was Nov. 30. In this round of funding, the Society is making $63 million available for deployment to projects aligned with FESBC’s five purposes to advance environmental and resource stewardship of B.C.’s forests. As of the deadline, the Society received proposal requests for almost double the $63 million available from across the province. FESBC received 132 applications requesting $119,103,098. Of the total applications, 45 were received from First Nations organizations requesting $38,744,613 for projects.
January 7, 2019 By FESBC
“We are delighted with the number of good quality proposals,” said Steve Kozuki, executive director of FESBC. “Our team of forest professionals guided proponents through the application process to ensure funding is well spent on projects that have meaningful impact. Our Society is now in a position to award new grants in addition to the already approved 171 projects valued at $163 million to organizations like community forests, municipalities, and First Nations, who implement projects focused on a variety of treatments on Provincial Crown forest lands.”
“Our five purposes are the focus of this funding,” Kozuki continued. “These are preventing and mitigating the impact of wildfires, improving damaged or low value forests, supporting the use of fibre from damaged and low value forests, improving habitat for wildlife, and/or treating forests to improve the management of greenhouse gases. We’ve seen the need for this important funding highlighted again in the applications submitted.”
FESBC received the following proposals for projects pertaining to its five purposes:
- Wildfire risk reduction: 86 applications for $62,769,855
- Forest carbon initiatives: 33 applications for $50,451,268
- Improving low value forests: 10 applications for $4,435,078
- Improving wildlife habitat: two applications for $1,296,897
- Supporting the use of fibre: one application for $150,000
By geography:
- Cariboo region: 34 proposals
- Kootenay/Boundary region: 30 proposals
- South Coast region: 10 proposals
- Omineca region: five proposals
- Northeast region: one proposal
- Thompson Okanagan region: 32 proposals
- Skeena region: 12 proposals
- West Coast region: six proposals
- Province-wide: two proposals
All projects put forward by proponents were developed in collaboration with the Land Manager from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. The job of FESBC now is to select projects for funding, ensuring the project is on Provincial Crown land, aligns with FESBC’s purposes and is consistent with the priorities of the Land Manager.
“It is important that we use the funds entrusted to us to support projects that provide maximum benefits in terms of environmental and resource stewardship of B.C.’s public forests.”
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