Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. Highlights Impact of Government Partnerships Supporting Forest Rehabilitation
- CentralCR
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Williams Lake, B.C.: Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR) has worked with provincial and federal partners to rehabilitate wildfire-affected forests in the Cariboo Chilcotin region of British Columbia. Support from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has enabled large-scale work focused on reducing future fire risk, supporting forest recovery, and making use of available wood fibre.
Following events such as the 2017 Elephant Hill fire, many areas were left with dense stands of damaged trees and heavy fuel buildup, increasing the risk in the landscape and slowing natural forest regrowth. With support from funding partners, CCR has been able to rehabilitate thousands of hectares while creating meaningful employment opportunities in remote communities.
Across projects such as the Pressy Lake pilot project, the ongoing Palmer Lake rehabilitation initiative, and fuel break work near local communities, CCR has completed approximately 1,000 hectares of risk reduction work through the construction of fuel breaks and has rehabilitated roughly 3,000 hectares of fire-damaged forest. This work improves forest conditions and helps lower the risk of future wildfires.
CCR’s approach also focuses on utilizing wood fibre that might otherwise be burned or left to decay. Through fibre recovery and rehabilitation work, more than one million cubic metres of wood fibre have been put to use, supporting pulp, bioenergy, and biomass production while reducing waste.
The work has created steady employment in rural communities. On average, CCR projects support approximately 75 full-time jobs each year, along with more than 100 seasonal positions, many of which are filled by workers from nearby First Nations communities. These opportunities allow people to work on the land while contributing to the recovery of the forests around them.
In addition to economic outcomes, the work supports healthier ecosystems. Reducing excess fuel and improving forest conditions helps restore wildlife habitat and food sources while strengthening long-term landscape resilience.
CCR acknowledges and thanks the Forest Enhancement Society of BC and Natural Resources Canada for their support on projects delivered to date and looks forward to continuing this work together in the future.
“Support from FESBC and Natural Resources Canada has allowed us to take on large-scale rehabilitation work that would not otherwise be possible. It has helped us reduce risk, recover usable wood fibre, and move these areas toward long-term recovery. We sincerely value the support we’ve received thus far and are confident in our ability to strengthen this collaboration moving forward as we continue to achieve success together.”- Daniel Persson, Forestry Superintendent, Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd.
“We are grateful for the continued support from FESBC and Natural Resources Canada. This work is creating real opportunities for people in our communities to stay connected to the land while supporting long-term recovery.” - shared Percy Guichon, CEO of CCR and Elected Councillor of Tŝideldel First Nation.
This work reflects a long-term approach to forest recovery that supports both the land and the communities connected to it.
About Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd.
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
For an Interview with CCR contact:
Foram Joshi, Communications Liaison, foram@amplifyinc.ca, 604.728.3723
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