Rehabilitating Our Forests: First Nations Lead the Way for Future Generations
- CentralCR
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
For many years, Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR) has collaborated with Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) to restore and rehabilitate dead and damaged forests, reduce wildfire risk to communities, and support economic reconciliation in the Cariboo Chilcotin region. These efforts go beyond forest enhancement projects; they reflect a deep commitment to stewarding the land for future generations.
While significant progress has been made, the work is far from complete.
As Daniel Persson, CCR’s Forestry Superintendent, explains, “Forests are like gardens; you can’t just plant them and walk away. They need care, attention, and continuous management. If we don’t continually care for them or abandon them, we lose the value, the safety, and the future they represent.”
The collaboration with funding partners like FESBC has generated important economic benefits, such as creating and sustaining over 100 jobs in CCR’s local communities and supporting surrounding secondary service providers such as fuel stations, restaurants, and accommodations.
“The economic spin-off of this forestry work is significant,” notes Percy Guichon, elected councillor of Tŝideldel First Nation and Executive Director of CCR. “By investing in forest rehabilitation and allowing First Nations to lead the way, we are helping support social programs, create local employment, and strengthen communities.”
The rehabilitation work underway is not meant to be a one-time event. Treating fire-damaged areas is only the beginning. Without ongoing investment and good forest management practices, the land and forests risk slipping back into what they were prior to rehabilitation, once again seeing an increase in catastrophic wildfires and diminishing the longer-term value a healthy forest provides.
“Forests need that long-term care,” Persson emphasizes. “If left untreated, the risk of wildfires and ecological degradation grows. We must continue managing these areas to preserve their health and future potential.”
Continued investment is particularly critical in remote areas like the Chilcotin, which have been impacted by the mountain pine beetle and massive wildfires. If forested stands are left untreated, creating healthy, productive forests becomes more difficult, potentially impacting areas that have benefited from good forest management activities.
“If we don’t invest now, we may find ourselves without a viable forest industry in the future,” Persson adds.
Despite the challenges, the CCR approach has been forward-thinking. Even in stands considered beyond recovery, value is still being found. By salvaging fire-damaged trees for wood waste to create pellets, pulp, and bioenergy products, CCR has shown that revitalization is possible with innovation and effort, even in most challenges of forests.
“There’s real value in these stands, even those that have had wildfires go through many years ago,” Guichon notes.
“With the right approach, we are turning what seems like a loss into an opportunity for growth, like we did in a pilot project at Pressy Lake with funding investments from FESBC. I’m very proud of our team for raising our hand and saying that we were willing to try something brand new so that it could benefit many others in the work they do by learning from us.”
Progress has been made possible through collaboration with FESBC and other funders. Looking ahead, Guichon calls on the provincial government and other partners to continue supporting this vital work. “If we want the forests for tomorrow, we need to take care of the forests today.”
Through sustained effort and collaboration, CCR remains committed to rehabilitating the forests and land of the Cariboo Chilcotin region, ensuring they remain a source of strength and opportunity for generations to come.
To collaborate with CCR, please reach out to Daniel Persson, Forestry Superintendent. CCR is always looking for new funding opportunities and collaborative partnerships. Email Daniel at dpersson@centralcr.ca