An agreement signed by British Columbia’s provincial government and First Nations for harvesting fire-damaged timber is expected to provide an economic boost to the region.
The deal will allow the Shuswap Nations Tribal Council and the North Thompson Indian Band to apply for a forest licence of more than one million m3 in the Kamloops timber supply area.
BC forests minister Mike de Jong says summer wildfires have damaged nearly two million m3 of timber in the region and it needs to be harvested quickly before deterioration.