Kelowna, B.C.- Premier Christy Clark has announced the Province will  spend $8 million to promote the use of B.C. wood, help advance wood building systems and products, and to expand global markets for B.C. wood products.
She made the announcement  this afternoon at the Council of Forest Industries convention underway in Kelowna.
The funding is being made available to 15 different industry trade associations and research institutes that deliver market development programs on behalf of government and industry. The largest portion of the money, ($6.2 million) is ear marked for  initiatives  aimed at expanding  markets for  B.C.’s wood products.

These activities will be delivered on a cost-shared basis, with additional funding coming from  industry and the federal government.

Last year,  wood products made up 36% of B.C.’s total exports  with nearly $13 billion dollars worth of lumber, pulp and paper and other wood products being  exported.