 |
|
VICTORIA – Another new woodlot licence is available near Gold River, as the number of small tenure opportunities continues to increase on Vancouver Island, Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell announced today.
“The new woodlot licences offer Gold River residents the opportunity to enter or expand their role in the industry and pursue their passion for improving silviculture practices and managing the land base,” said Bell. “Woodlot licences create economic spinoffs for local business and residents as well as providing assurance to the community that the forest will be managed for all of its values over the long term.”
The woodlot will include 792 hectares of Crown land, about two kilometres southeast of Gold River, with a proposed allowable annual cut of 3,042 cubic metres, as well as any private land contributed to the woodlot by the successful applicant. The woodlot licence borders a similar sized one advertised in February.
The Province has advertised or awarded seven new woodlot licences on or close to Vancouver Island since December. The new licences are part of more than 60 the Province will offer over the next few years, increasing the total of licensed woodlot operations in B.C. to 900.
“Woodlots support the creation and development of small, community-based forest businesses while using community values to help guide management practices,” said Federation of B.C. Woodlot Associations’ general manager Brian McNaughton. “The expansion of woodlot licences around the Island reflects the opportunities and connection residents have with forests around their communities.”
Woodlot licences are small, area-based
tenures that combine private land with up to 800 hectares of Crown land on the
Coast and 1,200 hectares of Crown land in the Interior, and are managed by
individuals, groups or First Nations. Usually, they are replaceable tenures,
awarded for 20 years.
There are about 830 active woodlots in
British Columbia. Each woodlot generates jobs in planning, harvesting, road
construction and maintenance, reforestation, silviculture and small-scale
timber processing.
Applications and further details about the new licence are available through the Campbell River Forest District office and at http://www23.for.gov.bc.ca/notices/init.do.
-30-
|
contact: |
Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Forests and Range 250 387-4592 |
|
|
|
||
|
For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
||
