The Port Alberni Air Quality Council received $23,500 from the wood stove exchange program to encourage residents to trade in their smoky old wood stoves for a high-efficiency model or other clean-burning appliance, Environment Minister Terry Lake announced today.

Campbell River received $15,000 from the wood stove exchange program to encourage residents to trade in their smoky old wood stoves for a high-efficiency model or other clean-burning appliance, Environment Minister Terry Lake announced today.

Port Alice received $6,750 from the wood stove exchange program to encourage residents to trade in their smoky old wood stoves for a high-efficiency model or other clean-burning appliance, Environment Minister Terry Lake announced.

Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson announced an expansion to the Burns Lake Community Forest that will provide the community-owned forest corporation with access to timber resources near Ling Lake.

Agriculture Minister Don McRae issued the following statement following the World Trade Organization's (WTO) ruling that U.S Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) measures do not conform with its WTO trade obligations:

The public is reminded of their responsibilities when conducting any backyard burning.

The Province of British Columbia and the government of India signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on co-operation between the two governments for mineral exploration and mining.

A new woodlot licence available near Gold River will increase forestry opportunities for small operators. The woodlot includes 740 hectares of Crown land near Hisnit Inlet, approximately 30 kilometres west of Gold River, and has a proposed allowable annual cut of 3,000 cubic metres.

Farmers and ranchers on Agricultural Reserve Land will have more tools to protect their way of life as a result of proposed legislation, increased funding and other measures to improve the operations of the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC), Minister of Agriculture Don McRae and ALC chair Richard Bullock said.

Bill 19, the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act (No. 3), 2011, was introduced in the legislature by Attorney General Shirley Bond. If passed, the amendments will affect the following provincial statutes.