Salvage Licence Pilot Project Launched

By 250 News

"This is great news, this is  just what we've been hoping for" those are the words of Leif Short of  Nordik Log Homes, having just heard that the Ministry of Forests  is testing what it calls a new "intermediate salvage licence."

The Ministry says the pilot project  is designed to  help "recover optimum value  from mountain pine beetle timber".  The mid sized tenure carries a maximum volume of 5,000 cubic metres and will be available  through a one-year pilot project in six forest districts, Prince George, Vanderhoof, Fort St, James, 100 Mile House, Cascades, and Kamloops.

The new licence was created to  recover medium -sized patches of wind-damaged, dead or beetle-attacked trees that aren't being harvested by major logging companies.

That is the key for  companies like  Leif's  "This sounds like it is tailored for  people like us, but you know, in the past,  the bigger mills have gone after these small licences, and the small  guys like us, just can't compete with the multi million dollar operations."  He is hopeful the fine print on this pilot project will give the small companies a chance.  The Ministry says licences will be competitively awarded and will include silviculture requirements.

Between 12 and 15 of the new licences are expected to be awarded over the coming year.  If it proves to be successfull,  the Forest Act could be ammended to allow the pilot  to be expanded.

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