Collaborators of Forestry – Wood Pellet Association of Canada

Our team at Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR) can complete the large-scale rehabilitation efforts we undertake because of our collaborators. We would like to take the opportunity to highlight these organizations, share our appreciation, and recognize their role in the work we do.

In this feature, CCR is highlighting the Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC), the national association representing Canada’s wood pellet sector. WPAC and its members work to support the responsible use of wood fibre and the production of renewable energy from material that may otherwise have limited use.

This connection is especially important at the Palmer Project, where CCR is working to rehabilitate forests affected by wildfire. Through this work, burnt wood is recovered from the land and used to produce products such as pulp, paper, and wood pellets.

From WPAC’s perspective, the Palmer Project is an example of how forest rehabilitation and fibre recovery can work together.

“CCR’s efforts at the Palmer Project demonstrate how thoughtful forest management and fibre recovery can create value from material that might otherwise be left unused,” said Gordon Murray, Executive Director of WPAC. “By recovering fire-affected fibre that remains suitable for manufacturing, the project supports local communities, creates economic opportunities, helps maintain fibre supply for manufacturers, and contributes to reducing waste following wildfire events.”

For CCR, this work is about more than removing damaged material. It is about helping the forest recover, reducing fuel loading, supporting young trees, creating employment, and finding practical uses for wood fibre that may otherwise be left on the land or burned.

WPAC plays an important role in helping share that story with a broader audience. The wood pellet sector uses lower-value fibre that is often unsuitable for traditional forest products. By creating a market for this material, the sector helps ensure more of each recovered tree can be put to productive use.

Murray said this aligns with WPAC’s broader mission around responsible fibre use and renewable energy.

“The Canadian wood pellet sector has long been committed to making use of low-value residual fibre and other materials that are not suitable for higher-value forest products,” said Murray. “Recovering fire-affected fibre, where appropriate, aligns with that philosophy by maximizing the value obtained from our forest resources while supporting responsible forest management.”

This approach also supports rural and forestry-dependent communities. Projects like Palmer create opportunities for local employment, Indigenous participation, and continued work in areas where forests have been heavily impacted by wildfire.

Murray noted that forest rehabilitation is strongest when many groups work together, including Indigenous communities, governments, forest managers, researchers, local communities, and industry.

“The wood pellet industry is an important part of that value chain because it creates a market for some of the lowest-quality fibre that is often unsuitable for traditional forest products,” said Murray. “That role complements the rest of the forest sector by ensuring more of every harvested or recovered tree can be put to productive use.”

Through the Palmer Project, CCR has seen the importance of collaboration in action. Forest rehabilitation requires planning, crews, equipment, markets, funding, and long-term commitment. It also requires partners who understand that recovery after a wildfire takes more than one approach.

By highlighting WPAC, CCR recognizes the association's role in supporting resource utilization, renewable energy, and awareness of the work underway on the land. CCR thanks WPAC for helping share the story of the Palmer Project and for supporting conversations about how recovered wood fibre can contribute to forest rehabilitation, community benefit, and a lower-carbon future. Learn more about Wood Pellet Association of Canada here: https://pellet.org/