Projected log sales from the West Boundary Community Forest (WBCF) are expected to hit $400,000 in dividends to Greenwood and Midway next year, according civic and forestry officials.
Forest Manager Dan McMaster said the number is based on the community forest’s upcoming budget for the fiscal year 2021. Area logs are bought, harvested and milled by Midway’s Vaagen Fibre, with annual dividends split between WBCF shareholders, the City of Greenwood and Village of Midway.
The projection is a conservative estimate of how much the communities can reasonably expect from next year’s dividends, McMaster said. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted British Columbia’s forest industry and might again, he said. But he stressed that Vaagen intends to bring in log harvests designed to lower the risk of local forest fires.
“Moving into 2021, we have strong commitments to a number of fuel-mitigation projections”
Forest contractors from Midway, Greenwood and Grand Forks will prune trees and fall and process timber in the a way that will leave the WCBF less susceptible to devastating fires.
“Employment is 100 per cent local,” he said, adding, “the Boundary’s escaped problems for a number of years and, knock on wood, we aim to keep it that way.”
Area log sales annually generates $50,000 worth of community grants dispersed by the WBCF’s five area directors. The grants come on top of WBCF dividends, according to McMaster.
Next year’s projected dividends are roughly in line with previous years, he added.
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laurie.tritschler@boundarycreektimes.com
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