West Chilcotin – Expedited Fibre Recovery Cost

The fibre recovery program is enabling West Chilcotin Forest Products, a company owned by the Ulkatcho First Nation, to increase utilization of non-merchantable and undersize logs by providing economic support for the cost of harvesting and hauling of the pulp wood to Bella Coola to then ship to the Harmac Pacific pulp mill in Nanaimo. On the ground, the fibre recovery program is increasing utilization of forest fibre by approximately 20% based on current harvest plans with the added benefit of addressing the use of waste wood which has concerned local citizens in the past. As a result, cull piles are now smaller, and less material is burned as waste in cut blocks. Usually, non-merchantable fibre is left in piles along forest roads and is legally required to be burned. By utilizing the fibre instead carbon benefits are created which contribute to the mitigation of climate change.