The British Columbia government is awarding three research universities with over $5.2 million to support a variety of innovative research projects in B.C. with the potential to save lives, solve crime, reduce green house gas emissions and improve wildlife management.

The Province, the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council and seven Carrier Sekani First Nations have completed an agreement that will increase the First Nations’ participation in the forest economy, while setting the stage to advance reconciliation.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations has been issued a pesticide use permit to aerial-spray 182 hectares of residences, park and farm land around Elk Lake in Saanich with a spray approved for use on organic farms, to eradicate a growing population of gypsy moth and minimize the risk they pose to forests, farms, orchards and trees.

The next phase of the logging contractor sustainability review is underway, as the Province works to improve the competitiveness of British Columbia forest sector contractors and licensees.

Effective March 24, 2017, the allowable annual cut for Louisiana-Pacific Canada Ltd.’s Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 55 near Revelstoke, is 83,000 cubic metres.

Cutting-edge health research projects at Genome BC received a big boost with $20 million in new additional government funding, which was announced after recently wrapping up the second annual #BCTECH Summit.

The Government of British Columbia is taking action under the Climate Leadership Plan to support investments by natural gas utilities that will increase the use of LNG and renewable natural gas in the transportation, marine and other sectors and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The challenge is clear. While British Columbia’s forest sector has a distinct advantage in market development, there are untapped opportunities related to innovation.