By Louis Belcourt, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

The Cortes Community Forest Cooperative has obtained funding to implement two wildfire risk reduction projects in the community forest, a project that’s been in the works for years.

“The Forest Enhancement Society of BC gave funding to the community forest focused on fiber utilization, but since last year, they’ve been spending half their money on wildfire risk reduction and have a mandate to spend it all around the coast,” says Mark Lombard, manager of the Community Forest Coop.

“We’re the first shovel ready project that they have funded on the coast, which is exciting,” added Lombard.

This fall, the projects funded will involve thinning out the trees and reducing fuel loads in the Coulter Bay residential neighbourhood and in another area in Squirrel Cove.

The Cortes Community Forest Cooperative worked with the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) to complete a revised wildfire protection plan that completed in 2020. These two projects are the final two of three remaining projects as a part of that plan, with one final project straddling Klahoose First Nation land.

Top image credit: The Cortes Community Forest Cooperative has been working on completing their Wildfire Protection Plan since 2020. Photo courtesy of Mark Lombard.