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100 MILE HOUSE - Fourteen forest workers are reducing the spread of the Douglas-fir Beetle near Big Bar, Canoe Creek and Canim Lake through more than $92,000 from the Community Development Trust’s funding of two Job Opportunities Program projects, Community Development Minister Kevin Krueger and Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell announced.
“The Job Opportunities Program is part of the Province’s comprehensive strategy to address the needs of workers, their families and communities being impacted by the current state of the forest industry,” said Krueger. “Our government wants to encourage forest-dependent communities to continue identifying projects that will qualify, and submit project proposals.”
One project involves eight workers cutting and burning approximately 325 Douglas fir trees to coincide with the beetle’s life cycle. The trees are cut and laid on the ground to attract Douglas fir beetles as they search for new trees in which to bore and lay eggs. By concentrating the beetle egg-laying to the fallen trees and then burning those logs, the project will help reduce the beetle population.
“The Job Opportunities Program
continues to provide employment for forest workers and work towards improving
the forest health in the Cariboo,” said
The work is the third Job Opportunity Program being carried out by the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem Development Limited Partnership. The two other projects employed 15 forest workers to conduct ecosystem and range restoration projects.
“The Job Opportunities Program continues to provide immediate help by creating employment for forest workers during this difficult time,” said the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem Development Limited Partnership’s Mike McDonough. “But there are also stewardship benefits, like improving forest health and the restoring of grasslands, which will be appreciated long into the future.”
A similar project involving six workers will fell about 215 Douglas fir trees on 19 sites near Canim Lake.
The $26.25-million Job Opportunities Program is reducing the impact of current layoffs on workers employed in the forest industry, retaining skilled forest workers for the anticipated future upturn, and preserving the characteristics of the labour force in forest-dependent communities.
Forest-dependent communities or organizations, licensees and contractors working in cooperation with a forest-dependent community are eligible to submit a project proposal to the Job Opportunities Program. To date, the program has approved over $16 million to support 93 projects which will employ more than 750 forest workers in communities across the province.
The Job Opportunities Program is one component of the Community Development Trust, which was announced last spring. B.C.’s share of the federal trust is $129 million over three years, with funds also directed to a tuition assistance program and the Transition Assistance for Older Workers program.
In the 2009-2010 budget, the Province committed an additional $30 million for further programs similar to those offered under the Community Development Trust.
For more information about the Community Development Trust and Job Opportunities Program, go to: www.cd.gov.bc.ca/cdt/
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Communications Manager Ministry of Forests and Range 250 387-5728
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Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Community Development 250 213-8075
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The Stswecem'c Xgat'tem Development Limited Partnership 250 398-9440
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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. |
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