From wetter coastal zones to drier interior areas, Northwest B.C.’s diverse forests create challenges and opportunities for wood utilization. NorthPac Forestry Group Ltd. (NorthPac), which owns a licence in the Kispiox Timber Supply Area (TSA) and jointly manages licenses owned by the Lax Kw’alaams Band, Tahltan Nation Development Corporation, and Haisla Nation, has a vision of maximizing wood recovery as part of sustainable forest management. FESBC funding is helping make that vision a reality.
Since first being approved for FESBC funding in 2021, NorthPac has transported over 150,000 cubic metres of pulp logs and wood residuals for utilization. Recently, NorthPac and Coast Tsimshian Resources LP (CTR) relocated a chipper from Terrace to Smithers, where it will primarily chip logs harvested from the Kispiox TSA for pulp mills in B.C.’s interior. The wood chips will be transported from Smithers to Prince George by truck, while pulp logs will be sent by rail from Terrace.
NorthPac is using innovative harvest methods to manage multiple landscape resources. On Tree Farm Licence 1, north of Terrace, CTR is thinning second-growth forests to increase long-term site yield, support diverse wildlife, and reduce wildfire risk. In the Kispiox TSA, some cut blocks are designed to retain distributed small patches and seed trees, resulting in a forest that better emulates natural fire disturbance, further providing seed sources, additional cover for wildlife, and future large woody debris, which is important for biodiversity. A range of advanced equipment, including tether bunchers and tether forwarders, which are able to operate safely and productively on steeper slopes, support these approaches.
Chipper Yard when it was located in Terrace, B.C. | Photo Credit: NorthPac Forestry
Indigenous involvement is integral to forestry operations in Northwest B.C. Every road permit and cutting permit application undergoes review by the affected First Nations, ensuring their input guides operations.
“The involvement of Indigenous communities in forestry projects is paramount to ensure sustainable development and economic empowerment. Through collaboration with NorthPac and FESBC, we are strengthening our stewardship of the land while creating opportunities for meaningful participation and benefits for our people,” said Kelly Sampson, Director of CTR.
NorthPac projects positively impacted the Terrace Community Forest’s operations to help them increase fibre utilization and reduce burning slash piles of harvest residuals, which lowers the emission of greenhouse gases and create local employment opportunities.
Between November 2024 to March 2025, NorthPac also completed a salvage project in the Fort St. John TSA, where wildfires had damaged several approved cutting permits. FESBC investments helped with the incremental cost of delivering pulp and hardwood that would have otherwise been wasted. Over 45,000 cubic metres were recovered, equivalent to over 900 truckloads of logs, and the project helped reduce the risk of future wildfire in the area.
To learn more about Indigenous-led projects throughout British Columbia, read the full Special Report released by FESBC, in collaboration with the BC First Nations Forestry Council.