Private landowners in the Cariboo Region who’s properties were affected by wildfires in 2017, 2018, or 2021, are being offered some unique help.
Registered Forestry Technologist Andrew Steeves works for a Forestry Consulting Company based in 100 Mile House, said they are offering to have trees planted in those burned areas for free.
“One of the major things our company does (Zanzibar Holdings and Cariboo Carbon Solutions) is wildfire reforestation work. We partner with not only private landowners but different funders who are interested in greening up landscapes in BC. Some of our partners are very interested in providing funding to private landowners so that we can get trees planted on affected areas that might otherwise be left in the burnt state that they are.”
Steeves said the first stage of the project is communicating with the landowners getting information from them about where they are located, what the size of their property is, how much of it was affected by a fire.
“I would then put together a proposal to one of our NGO funders for this project and the next stage would be me coming out and doing a site assessment of the property.” Steeves said, “I’d be looking at how bad the wildfire devastate the property, and is this going to be a property that we can get trees re-established on based on whatever level of devastation it faced and that would happen sometime in the Spring or the Summer.”
The following stages after that are all dependent on securing funding for the project.
“Our company will take on all stages of the project. We will sow trees, get them grown in a nursery, then we would bring tree planters out to the property to do the planting. So for the landowner it’s a very hands off process for them. Basically we just want them to sign their property up to have these trees planted at no cost and then we’ll take care of the rest of the process.”
Steeves said he has already had people from Clinton, 70 Mile, Pressy Lake, 100 Mile House, reach out to him already.
“I certainly really enjoy working with landowners to get their properties reforested and I’m very passionate about trees and getting trees back on the landscape.”
To find out more information Steeves said you can email him at [email protected]
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