Four British Columbians, who run small, community-based forestry operations, have been recognized by Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson with awards for innovation and excellence in woodlot management.

The award recipients are:

• Clayton Foster of Vanderhoof, who received the $2,500 award for the North region, in recognition of his commitment to stewardship and innovative marketing practices.
• Fred and Jane Marshall of Boundary, who received the $2,500 award for the South region, for their leadership in the field and their long-time advocacy of the woodlot licensing program.
• Wolfram Wollenheit and Sibylle Walkemeyer of Campbell River, who received the $2,500 award for the Coast region, along with a separate $2,500 provincial award in recognition of their commitment to long-term forest stewardship.

Thomson made the presentation at the Federation of B.C. Woodlot Associations Annual Conference, in Golden. The awards are funded by the Province and administered by the Province and the Federation of BC Woodlot Associations. Each year, the awards recognize a woodlot licensee representing each of the Coast, South and North regions, along with an overall top performer.

Quotes:

Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson -

“Woodlots generate $200 million of economic activity for the province every year. That’s a lot of money and jobs going into small communities across B.C. Individually, woodlots might be relatively small tenures but collectively, they have a huge impact. Congratulations to all the award recipients; we appreciate your industry leadership and value your long-term commitment to the woodlot program.”

President Federation of BC Woodlot Associations Mark Clark -

“The Federation is very pleased to join with Minister Thomson in recognizing these exceptional woodlot licensees. From the quality of forest management they practice to the contributions they make to BC’s Woodlot Licence program as a whole, they are well-deserving of this recognitions. On behalf of the Federation and all its members - congratulations!”

Quick Facts:

• Woodlot licences are small, area-based tenures managed by individuals, groups or First Nations.
• British Columbia has over 860 active woodlots. Each woodlot generates jobs in planning, harvesting, road construction and maintenance, reforestation, silviculture and small-scale timber processing.

Learn More:

B.C. Woodlot Licence program: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hth/timber-tenures/woodlots/index.htm

Federation of B.C. Woodlot Associations: http://www.woodlot.bc.ca/

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261