To help grow B.C.’s value-added wood sector, the Province will support the establishment of a new mass-timber production facility that will create more than 70 jobs in Williams Lake. 

Strong partnerships, wildfire protection and community involvement helped the Williams Lake Community Forest win the 2023 Robin Hood Memorial Award for excellence in community forestry.

People in the Cariboo region will have greater protection from wildfires through a provincial investment in a series of community-led projects.

The B.C. government has provided more than $490,000 in grants to six local governments and First Nations in the Cariboo Fire Centre to support wildfire risk reduction initiatives and help keep communities safe.

A $1-million grant from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) to Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. will increase use of waste wood fibre, bring more wood products to market and support forestry jobs in the Cariboo-Chilcotin region.

Workers in Williams Lake, Ashcroft and Salmon Arm who were affected by mill curtailments will have the opportunity to gain skills and work in invasive species management and awareness.

Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) grants are supporting the Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) as it creates jobs, fights climate change and reduces wildfire risk near its community.

A fourth year of helicopter logging in the Williams Lake area is expected to start next week to help minimize the spread of Douglas fir beetles on Crown land. 

Up to 17,000 hectares of Douglas fir forest in the Williams Lake and 100 Mile House timber supply areas will be aerially treated to reduce western spruce budworm populations.