British Columbia Trade Envoy to the United States David Emerson was in Portland, Ore. yesterday advancing B.C.’s interests in the ongoing softwood lumber dispute.

Effective at noon Pacific time on Oct. 13, 2017, Category 3 fires will once again be permitted within the Columbia Fire Zone in the Southeast Fire Centre, due to a decreased risk of wildfire in that region. Category 2 open fires have been allowed in the Columbia Fire Zone since Sept. 30.

Effective at 5 p.m. (Pacific time) on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires will again be allowed throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, due to a decreased wildfire risk in the region.

The British Columbia government is distributing over $528,000 in project development grants to help rural communities develop strong, stable economies and create long-term local employment, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Doug Donaldson announced today.

Effective immediately, the new allowable annual cut (AAC) for the Prince George Timber Supply Area (TSA) is set at 8,350,000 cubic metres per year for the first five years, and 7,350,000 cubic metres for the following five years, chief forester Diane Nicholls announced today.

Effective at noon on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires will once again be allowed throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, due to a decreased wildfire risk in the region.

The BC Wildfire Service is burning slash piles in several areas within the Nadina Fire Zone to help prepare the sites for reforestation in the spring of 2018.

Two areas of the Cariboo Region that were severely impacted by wildfires this summer will be closed to moose hunting for the Oct. 15-31 and Nov. 1-15, 2017, seasons.