The Province is accepting bids on a new woodlot licence near 100 Mile House, a move that will eventually generate new job opportunities across the region, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson announced today.

The woodlot licence covers approximately 968 hectares of Crown land on the south side of Timothy Lake. The area is predominantly Douglas-fir.

The deadline for submission is Nov. 27, 2013. Applications and details are available online. See Notice 8180 at: http://www23.for.gov.bc.ca/notices/init.do

Woodlot licences are small, area-based tenures that combine private land with up to 800 hectares of Crown land on the Coast and 1,200 hectares of Crown land in the Interior. The Province's 860 woodlot licences generate local jobs in planning, harvesting, road construction and maintenance, as well as reforestation, silviculture and small-scale timber processing.

Over the past two weeks, the Province has announced that it was accepting bids on woodlot licences in Skookumchuk and Edgewood. These new woodlot licence opportunities support Our Natural Advantage: Forest Sector Strategy for British Columbia, which outlines a number of priorities to help grow the forest sector sustainably, including continuing the expansion of the woodlot program.

Quotes:

Chilcotin-Cariboo MLA Donna Barnett -

"This new woodlot licence is a great opportunity for the region, and part of the government`s ongoing plan to support prosperous rural forest economies by improving access to forest tenures."

"Woodlots make a significant contribution to a healthy and diverse forest industry, improve overall forest productivity and promote local employment."

Learn More:

• Forest Sector Strategy for B.C.: https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/mof/forestsectorstrategy/
• Woodlot licences: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hth/timber-tenures/woodlots/index.htm
• Federation of B.C. Woodlot Associations: http://www.woodlot.bc.ca

Media Contact:

Brennan Clarke
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261