The College of New Caledonia Research Forest Society (CNCRFS) is seeking applications for legacy projects with a focus on environmental improvement.
In celebration of its 10th anniversary CNCRFS will give the successful project up to $30,000 per year for three years as part of a legacy fund to support projects in communities the college serves, states a July 24 media release.
The fund is open to individuals, businesses, community groups, First Nations communities, government agencies as well as secondary and post-secondary schools in and around Vanderhoof, Prince George, Bear Lake, McLeod Lake, Mackenzie, Quesnel, Fort St. James and Burns Lake.
The projects can have a focus on environmental improvement, renewable natural resource education and/or outreach programs, outdoor recreation improvement, or social/environmental commitment to the local communities.
Tara Szerencsi, CNC vice-president finance and corporate services said,” CNC and CNCRFS are both very excited about this opportunity to create new partnerships and lasting legacies for local people focused on sustainability of our natural resources.”
CNC Research Forest was founded in 2009 to provide a new revenue source to sustain and revitalize the college’s natural resource and forestry education. The aim was to provide for new research and learning opportunities for CNC and its students.
When the spruce beetle outbreak began, it affected the CNC Research Forest in 2015. As a result, a new management plan and two timber supply review were done in an attempt to reasonably forecast tree mortality and develop a quick management response, as per the release.
Ultimately, the CNC Research Forest had to increase harvest level to remove spruce beetle populations and salvage spruce timber prior to significant degradation from drying and decay.
CNC Research Forest Manager Carl Pollard says that even though the forest industry is experiencing a difficult time in B.C. right now, the long-term mandate of CNCRFS is to ensure that Research Forest provides important benefits to students and local natural resource research for the years ahead.
“There is now the opportunity to re-invest a portion of the sale of the timber back into the natural resources and people of the region served by CNC through this new legacy fund,” Pollard said.
Applications packages and instructions can be found online at cnc.bc.ca/research/forest. Deadline for applying is August 16, 2019, at 4 p.m.
Aman Parhar
Editor, Vanderhoof Omineca Express
aman.parhar@ominecaexpress.com
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