Building Forest Resilience After Wildfire: The Palmer Project in the Cariboo Chilcotin is Rehabilitating Land Post-Wildfire
- CentralCR
- Aug 12
- 4 min read
Williams Lake, B.C.: Along Palmer Lake Road in the Cariboo Chilcotin, about one and a half hours west of Williams Lake, a new chapter in the life of the forest is unfolding. Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR) is applying the hard-earned lessons of its Pressy Lake pilot project to another large-scale treatment area. This effort is already making a visible difference not only in forest health, but also economically and environmentally, with the enhanced recovery of burned wood fibre to mitigate the risk of future wildfires. This project is supported through funding from Natural Resources Canada’s Build and Mobilize Foundational Wildland Fire Knowledge Program.
The project in Palmer, or Palmer Project, is addressing two key challenges that arose after the devastating 2017 wildfires: extreme fuel loading of dead, mature trees and excessive natural regeneration of new trees, which will further result in the area being ripe for another catastrophic wildfire in the future. In some areas, over 100,000 pine seedlings are sprouting per hectare, far too many for a healthy, productive forest to thrive.
“It’s like a lawn of trees,” said Daniel Persson, Registered Professional Forester and CCR’s Forestry Superintendent. “The trees are so dense that they’re all competing for the same resources.”
CCR’s goal is to thin out these densely packed stands while also removing dangerous fuel loads to reduce the risk of future fires. Using specialized forestry equipment, the team started with strategically planning the prescription for the treatment of the area, designing buncher and skidder trail patterns that allow machines to roll over small trees, helping to space out the trees while harvesting the burnt trees. This approach not only reduces competition among seedlings but also allows for meaningful fibre recovery in areas that would not be considered for this work because they were too challenging.
Photo Credits: Liam Hall, Kiwiman Creative
“We’re improving both forest health and operational efficiency,” added Persson. “By treating the site in a smart and strategic way, we’re creating longer-term value, not just for First Nations communities and industry, but for the environment, too.”
Once the burnt trees are harvested, they are sorted based on overall condition, getting the right recovered fibre to the right biomass facility.
“The actual burnt material goes to Drax, where it’s processed into pellets for bioenergy. The trees that were fire-killed but not completely burnt, those still in decent shape, are sent to Cariboo Pulp & Paper (CPP) for use in pulp production,” shared Joe Webster, Operations Manager for Tsi Del Del Biomass. “It’s a full-circle approach to recovery.”
Unlike the mixed-species forest at Pressy Lake, the trees in Palmer are overwhelmingly dead pine, which simplifies sorting and reduces downtime for crews.
“We’ve learned a lot from Pressy Lake,” Webster added. “That project required more sorting due to fir, spruce, and pine mixes. With Palmer being 100% pine, we can operate more efficiently and focus on quality fibre recovery.”
The Palmer Project is proving to be more than a technical success; it's an investment in more resilient forests for the future. By removing hazardous fuel and spacing young trees, CCR is helping create a forest that can better withstand future wildfires, support wildlife, and be accessed by First Nations Peoples to hunt, gather, and forage.
As Percy Guichon, CEO of CCR and elected Councillor of Tŝideldel First Nation, explained, “We want to leave behind a legacy, a resilient forest that not only sustains our people but supports wildlife and future generations. We’re helping Mother Nature recover, and that’s something we’re proud of.”
“Protecting the safety, health and economic well-being of communities across Canada is one of my top priorities as we face the ongoing threat of wildfires,” said the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. “NRCan’s funding for the Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd.’s project will support the Cariboo Chilcotin to incorporate cultural and traditional knowledge and reduce the risk and impact of wildfires and protect their communities.”
“As the severity and frequency of wildfires increase, the federal government is proud to support the Palmer Project to advance wildfire knowledge, strengthen risk assessments and restore Indigenous fire stewardship to help keep communities safe,” said Corey Hogan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
CCR works closely with the federal government, local forest districts, and industry partners to carry out this work at a large scale. These partnerships enable the company to take on high-impact projects that not only recover lost value but also help shape a more sustainable future.
At its heart, the Palmer Project reflects CCR’s commitment to Indigenous-led stewardship, environmental resilience, and community well-being. Through innovative forest rehabilitation practices, CCR is transforming areas post-wildfire into opportunities to restore ecosystems, recover fibre, and build economic and environmental security for the people who call the territory home.
“We’re helping the land heal,” said Guichon, “This will ensure that future generations inherit a healthier, more balanced forest, one that we’ve helped better protect and prepare.”
About CCR
Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation is a joint venture of Tŝideldel First Nation, Tl’etinqox Government, and Yunesit’in Government. The joint venture was originally formed to address the 100,000 hectares of dead pine left in the Chilcotin region and to rehabilitate those stands into productive forests. The fires in the summer of 2017 amplified the need to address heavily burned forest stands with minimal economic value. CCR’s mission is to coordinate and implement large-scale forestry programs and initiatives within the traditional territories of the Tŝideldel First Nation, Tl’etinqox Government and Yunesit’in Government, generating economic, social, and environmental benefits. For more information: www.centralcr.ca
Follow CCR on social media:
Twitter/X: https://x.com/centralcr_ca
For an Interview with CCR, contact:
Aleece Laird, Communications Liaison, aleece@amplifyinc.ca, (250) 574 0221
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