Forests
Summary
- B.C.’s commitment of $20 million annually to Forest Enhancement Society of BC will help organizations as they develop new and innovative forest practices
- The funding will support 60 forest enhancement projects being undertaken this year
- The forest enhancement projects will be delivered by First Nations, local governments, community forests, woodlot operators, forestry companies and other organizations working to improve the long-term health and resilience of B.C.’s forests
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More communities throughout B.C. will be better protected from wildfire risk, keeping people safe.
With a new annual investment to fund forest enhancement projects throughout the province, people in British Columbia are benefiting from good-paying jobs and wildfire-resilient forests.
Through the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), the Province is committing $20 million per year over three years supporting First Nations, local governments, community forests, local forestry companies and community organizations. This investment funds projects that reduce wildfire risk, restore forest ecosystems and improve the long-term health and resilience of B.C.’s forests.
“The best wildfire is the one that never starts. The best way to protect communities is to work together to prevent them,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “Through this investment into FESBC, we’re investing in wildfire resilience and this means local logs for local mills to create local jobs.”
Projects focused on wildfire risk reduction
This year, 60 forest enhancement projects are receiving funding. These projects not only reduce wildfire risk, they also support forest-sector jobs in rural and remote communities. The projects include:
- creating landscape-level fuel breaks
- removing residual fuels
- carrying out prescribed burns
- making improvements to egress routes that are important in the event of an emergency or evacuation
Other benefits of wildfire risk-reduction work include restoring wildlife habitat, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and delivering improved ecosystem health. It also recovers valuable fibre that might otherwise go to waste, fibre that can help keep B.C. mills running.
“These projects reflect the innovation and commitment we continue to see from proponents throughout British Columbia,” said Jason Fisher, executive director, FESBC. “The work being funded will help create healthier, more resilient forests by reducing wildfire risk to better protect communities, restoring important ecosystems and supporting communities that depend on our forests. We are pleased to invest in projects that deliver lasting environmental, social and economic benefits for British Columbians.”
Many of the projects receiving funding are led by Indigenous organizations, First Nations partnerships and community forests that are delivering locally driven solutions for wildfire resilience and sustainable forest management.
Quick Facts:
- As part of Budget 2024, B.C. announced an additional $60 million over three years for FESBC to continue industry- and community-focused wildfire risk reduction and fuel management projects.
- More than 175 communities have benefited from FESBC investments in forest enhancement initiatives that focused on wildfire risk reduction, providing fibre and funding to mills and investing in jobs throughout B.C.
- During the past 10 years, 426 projects have received support from FESBC projects, including 72 that have included First Nations involvement, collaboration and leadership.
- The B.C. forest industry represents more than 2,000 facilities, nearly 100,000 direct and indirect jobs, and $12.8 billion in annual GDP.
Learn More:
- To learn more about FESBC, visit: https://fesbc.ca/
- To learn about an additional $37 million in funding for FESBC from the federal government, visit:
https://www.canada.ca/en/natural-resources-canada/news/2026/06/canada-advances-forest-sector-transformation-to-protect-jobs-and-strengthen-communities-nationwide0.html
A backgrounder follows.
