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Governments of Canada and B.C. Invest $12.4m in Jobs

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Backgrounder

Community Adjustment Fund – Job Opportunities Program Projects

Cariboo:

TDB Consulting Inc.: TDB Consulting Inc. will undertake a fuel management project in the Prince George area. Work activities will include removal of under story vegetation and dead pine on 100.4 hectares to reduce the risk of wildfire. This project will create employment in an area that has high resource income dependency. The safety of the community will be increased and resource workers from the area will be able to remain in their community.
Federal Funding: $361,390
Provincial Funding: $194,595
Total Funding: $555,985

Alexis Creek Indian Band: The Alexis Creek Indian Band will remove wildfire risk pine trees across 380 hectares, to improve the safety of the community of Williams Lake. Up to 61 person months of employment will be created through the project. Mountain pine beetle killed trees will be felled to improve the health of stands for the future.
Federal Funding: $355,153
Provincial Funding: $88,788
Total Funding: $443,941

McLeod Lake Indian Band – Two projects:

McLeod Lake Indian Band will remove approximately 6000 mountain pine beetle infected, hazard trees within 25 meters of high use areas around Carp Lake. This project will improve the safety and usability of Carp Lake Park, which is currently closed due to risk posed by the dead trees. Once reopened, the park will generate renewed tourism opportunities to help the local economy.
Federal Funding: $232,180
Provincial Funding: $125,020
Total Funding: $357,200

The second project focuses on the culturally significant Duz Cho Heritage Trail, which connects McLeod Lake to Carp Lake. Work activities include the removal of dead tress and brushing on 23 kms of the trail to make it passable and safe. This trail will contribute to the social and economic well being of the McLeod Lake Indian Band through additional cultural awareness and educational opportunities.
Federal Funding: $93,082
Provincial Funding: $50,121
Total Funding: $143,203 

Industrial Forestry Services Ltd. -– Two projects:

This project will complete necessary maintenance on 12 recreation sites in the Mackenzie area to improve safety and encourage tourism opportunities. Work activities will include felling of mountain pine beetle killed trees, chipping and burning of debris where required. The safety of a number of recreation sites in the area will be improved and as a result, tourism in the area will increase, helping the local economy.
Federal Funding: $309,022
Provincial Funding: $166,397
Total Funding: $475,419

This project will complete routine work activities on ten recreation sites in the Prince George area to improve safety and encourage tourism opportunities. Work activities will include felling pine beetle damaged and danger trees, chipping and/or burning the debris while utilizing as much as possible for the recreation site in the form of firewood. Both local area residents and tourists will benefit from the project.
Federal Funding: $225,802
Provincial Funding: $121,586
Total Funding: $347,388

Quesnel Woodlot Association: The Quesnel Woodlot Association will prepare 34 hectares of pine stands for reforestation due to damage from the mountain pine beetle infestation. Project activities will include felling, piling and burning mountain pine beetle killed stems. As a result of this hazardous tree removal and reduction of fuel loading, community safety will be improved.
Federal Funding: $308,884
Provincial Funding: $166,322
Total Funding: $475,206

Prince George Snowmobile Club: This project will complete necessary trail maintenance. Project work will clear all trees and shrubs from trail surfaces, prune tree branches obstructing trail users, fell hazard trees and dispose of cleared trees, shrubs and branches, and construct recreational trail signs at four trailheads. Further work will include the construction of four picnic tables to enhance the use and enjoyment of recreational sites.
Federal Funding: $213,166
Provincial Funding: $53,292
Total Funding: $266,458

Tsay Keh Dene Band: The project will maintain existing trails that provide access to forested lands and recreation and traditional use forested lands of the Tsay Keh Dene Band within the Mackenzie Forest District. Project workers will maintain the trails by brushing back existing priority trails and by removing remaining brush by decomposition, according to accepted Tsay Keh Dene Band standards.
Federal Funding: $200,000
Provincial Funding: $50,000
Total Funding: $250,000

Esketemc First Nations: The Esketemc First Nations will begin work activities to improve forest health and productivity and reduce wildfire risk in the Central Cariboo Forest District. Activities include spacing, thinning, falling and burning in required areas, fuel reduction in the community forest and on nine First Nation reserves. As a result, 432 hectares of repressed timber stands will be spaced and thinned, and 50 sites will undergo felling and burning.
Federal Funding: $164,442
Provincial Funding: $41,110
Total Funding: $205,552

UBC Alex Fraser Research Forest: As part of the Forestry Faculty of UBC, this project will undertake vital forest management practices including tree thinning to improve forest health and reduce the threat of wild fire. This project will also enhance mule deer habitat and tree resiliency.
Federal Funding: $129,655
Provincial Funding: $69,815
Total Funding: $199,470

Kootenay:

Regional District of Kootenay Boundary: The Central and East Kootenay, and Kootenay/Boundary Regional Districts will undertake fuel management projects in their communities. Activities will include stand thinning, pruning and removal of short stems, and the removal of remaining fuels by burning or chipping. This project will create 62 jobs and 747 person months of employment to conduct fuel management activities on approximately 750 hectares of Crown land.
Federal Funding: $4,000,000
Provincial Funding: $1,000,000
Total Funding: $5,000,000

Corporation of the City of Cranbrook: The City of Cranbrook will undertake a forest fire fuel management project. Work activities will include felling target trees and piling debris to standards established by the city. Debris piles will be burned and not chipped due to poor access, safety liability and excessive cost. Butcher paper will be placed over piles to keep them dry in preparation for the burn in fall/winter.
Federal Funding: $133,606
Provincial Funding: $33,402
Total Funding: $167,008

Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club Society: Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club Society will complete work activities on snowmobile trails in the Arrow Boundary Forest District. Overhang and dangerous trees that are impeding trails will be removed, and the trails will be widened to allow for recreational activities. Work activities completed through the project will increase the draw of tourists to the local community, through improved trails for cross-country events and competitions.
Federal Funding: $82,400
Provincial Funding: $20,600
Total Funding: $103,000

Thompson-Okanagan:

Seniors Information, Referral and Resource Society: The Seniors Project is taking place in the community of Kamloops and surrounding areas to enable seniors from the community to remain in their homes for longer periods of time. Work activities such as general home and yard repairs and maintenance will be completed on seniors’ homes to reduce the risk of injury.
Federal Funding: $492,435
Provincial Funding: $204,934
Total Funding: $697,369

Drake Forestry Services Ltd.: Work being done will include activities such as the installation of fire pits, picnic tables, kiosks within the Aspen and Jack Pines Flat campsite areas and log barriers around parking lots. Pruning will take place along roadways, and sites will be brushed and levelled. The establishment of the recreation site will provide local area residents and tourists with a designated recreation area, protect local drinking water sources and reduce environmental impacts to the ecosystem.
Federal Funding: $270,590
Provincial Funding: $145,702
Total Funding: $416,292

Integrated ProAction Corp.: Work activities completed through this project will help to maintain access to recreation sites in the 100 Mile House area. This will include the removal of danger and mountain pine beetle killed trees along recreation site roads, the clean up of debris for fire hazard abatement and limbing, bucking, piling and burning where required. These improvements will increase safety of access roads in the recreation site and restore usability of the area. Additional tourism will be generated and the local economy will benefit as a result.
Federal Funding: $170,259
Provincial Funding: $91,678
Total Funding: $261,937

C&A Contracting Inc.: This project will complete important work activities to protect public watersheds. Much needed employment will be generated through work activities of the project. Activities will include fence line repairs and clearing and danger tree removal along 54.9 kilometres of fence line.
Federal Funding: $169,616
Provincial Funding: $91,331
Total Funding: $260,947

Stomata Forestry Consulting: Work activities completed through this project will include tree spacing on 172.5 hectares of post-free growing blocks. This project will provide 30 person months of employment in an area that has been affected by the current downturn in the resource sector.
Federal Funding: $114,880
Provincial Funding: $61,858
Total Funding: $176,738

Ducks Unlimited Canada: Work activities completed through this project will include fence removal (right of way construction), new fence construction to restore ecosystem balance within the Pressy Lake pasture and the Rayfield River area. As a result of the work activities completed, livestock management will be improved and surrounding wetlands will be protected.
Federal Funding: $86,237
Provincial Funding: $21,559
Total Funding: $107,796

North Coast:

Gitxat’in Development Corp.: This project will complete work activities to restore lands adjacent to the traditional Nisga'a Village of Laxgalts'ap. Work activities will include stump removal, pathway clearing, the re-establishment of the riparian ecosystem and the re-establishment of historical interpretive trails. Trail and stream restoration work activities will aid in the improvement of water flow and wildlife habitat.
Federal Funding: $349,328
Provincial Funding: $87,332
Total Funding: $436,660

Silverwood Consulting: Silverwood Consulting will conduct brushing treatments on eight hectares, site preparation on 73 hectares, juvenile tree spacing on 125 hectares, and the removal of seedling protectors on 97 hectares. Work will improve forest health and provide a detailed assessment of the current condition of multiple sites in the Gitanyow, Kitwanga, Kitsegukla and Hazelton areas.
Federal Funding: $253,271
Provincial Funding: $136,377
Total Funding: $389,648

Nechako:

Cheslatta Community Forest: Project activities will include clearing and brushing on approximately 145km of historic heritage trails on the southside of Francois Lake where access was extremely impaired by heavy snowfall during the winter of 2007. Activities will enhance year-round local and regional tourism opportunities, and will provide a vital link to other established trails in Burns Lake, Tweedsmuir Park, Kemano-Kiziope and to Fort Fraser/Fort St. James.
Federal Funding: $187,051
Provincial Funding: $46,763
Total Funding: $233,814

Wit’at (Lake Babine) First Nations: This project will restore numerous Wit'at Hereditary trails which have fallen into disuse. These trails include the 2009 French Creek project, a portion of the 92-mile Suskwa Pass — a First Nations walking trail from Moricetown to Fort Babine. The trails, all on crown land, will be located, inspected and GPS- coordinated. Then brushing, clearing, widening, board walks, footbridges, kiosk and 'from-to' signs at trail heads and junctions will be completed to Recreation Sites & Trails Branch standards.
Federal Funding: $157,600
Provincial Funding: $39,400
Total Funding: $197,000

Vancouver Island – Coast:

Quatsino First Nation: This project will provide local employment opportunities that will both improve the health of forest stands and the safety of the community. Work activities will include surveying, spacing, pruning and fuel removal on 100 hectares.
Federal Funding: $188,614
Provincial Funding: $47,154
Total Funding: $235,768

Contact:

Marc Black
Public Affairs Bureau
Ministry of Community and Rural Development
250 387-4089

Donna Howes
Communications Manager, British Columbia
Western Economic Diversification Canada
604 666-1318
(Cell) 604-505-6616

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