Forestry Project Rehabilitates Land Near Pressy Lake Through Replanting and Regrowth

Pressy Lake, B.C. – Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR), a joint venture company owned by the Tŝideldel First Nation and the Tl'etinqox Government, is proud to release its third video on its work in Pressy Lake titled 'Replanting and Regrowth', highlighting the ongoing efforts and successes of a pilot project to rehabilitate large areas severely affected by the 2017 Elephant Hill wildfire, with funding support from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).

The first two videos, ‘Trying Something New’ and ‘What We Learned’, showcased new ways to use damaged and burned trees to make wood chips and hog fuel to create green energy. The latest video provides information on methods implemented by CCR to help rehabilitate large areas of land.

The third video, ‘Replanting and Regrowth’, shares more about the tree-planting and rehabilitation process.

"We've removed the dead standing fir and are trying to accelerate getting a healthy forest back growing,” said Ann Nielsen, silviculture superintendent of CCR. “This regrowth of trees from the planting work will help to establish some wildlife habitat and the hydrology of the site.”

The project initially had its fair share of challenges. The extraction of 7-year-old burned fibre presented considerable challenges due to the brittleness and decay of the remaining burned trees. Once the low-value trees were removed with the fibre utilized, the next step was to plant the area with a mix of Douglas fir and a component of Lodgepole pine.

"We are pleased to share this video, which includes details on our strategies to better ensure the successful re-establishment of the ecosystem,” noted Percy Guichon, executive director of CCR. “Most notably seven years after the wildfire devastated the area."

Daniel Persson, CCR's forestry superintendent, emphasized the significance of NRCan’s support.

 

"Natural Resources Canada is a key funder of our programs as they support our restoration efforts through their 2 Billion Trees program. Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation was one of its first partners nationwide, and we have had a positive collaborative relationship since, making a significant difference for future generations who will enjoy and utilize these trees."

The video also highlights the importance of Indigenous values in projects CCR leads.

"We need to help Mother Nature. We need to get the land back up and growing, producing resilient forest stands," acknowledged Guichon. “Our incorporation of Indigenous values in our forestry initiatives, like this one at Pressy Lake, is a significant contribution to the project's success and another example of First Nations taking the lead in forestry.”

CCR's innovative approach to land rehabilitation in areas impacted by wildfire has involved producing green energy products, which help take action on climate change. Through a strong collaboration with local industry, CCR has not only helped to rehabilitate damaged forests but also has contributed to job creation within local communities, ensuring far-reaching economic impacts.

In the video, Guichon shares that the team at CCR learned a lot from this project and collaborated with many groups. They are currently in phase two of this project to rehabilitate an additional 145 hectares of forest.

“We believe this is a great model for other First Nations and forest companies in B.C. who are dealing with devastating mega wildfires in their areas because the work we are doing can be replicated."

Photo (row 1 L > R): Ann Nielsen, Silviculture Manager with CCR, holds some of the young trees that were planted on site. New trees waiting to be planted at Pressy Lake. Tree planters with Torrent Silviculture are working hard to plant trees on-site at the Pressy Lake project.

Photo (row 2 L > R): Ann Nielsen, Silviculture Manager with CCR and Sarah Adams, Supervisor with Consus Management Ltd., on-site at Pressy Lake. Sarah Adams, Supervisor with Consus Management Ltd. checks trees planted by tree planters to ensure quality control.

Photo credit: CCR.