The Squamish Lillooet Regional District has announced the start of an Aerial Forest Fertilization project from October 31 through November 2024 in the Sea to Sky Region. The initiative is aimed at enhancing forest health and carbon sequestration. To ensure public safety, signage will be posted along local roads, alerting residents to any potential hazards or traffic delays associated with aerial fertilization activities.
Funding is being provided by the Forest Investment Program (FIP), previously known as the Forest Carbon Initiative and the Land-Based Investment Strategy. Project management has been contracted to B.A. Blackwell & Associates Ltd. is working under the authority of the Province of British Columbia.
The project’s primary goal is to increase carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage, thereby supporting climate change mitigation. Fertilizer application is expected to boost tree growth and carbon storage, with treated trees estimated to store up to 55 tonnes of carbon per hectare over a decade.
A secondary goal is to enhance timber volume and quality for future harvesting. Forest licensees receive advance notice of fertilization plans to prevent conflicts with logging operations.
Guidance from the Chief Forester suggests trees in fertilized stands should remain unharvested for 7–10 years to maximize benefits. However, limited harvesting within 5–7 years may be allowed under specific conditions. The anticipated timber volume increase is projected at up to 30 cubic meters per hectare over ten years.
The project also brings economic benefits, generating an estimated 4.5 full-time jobs and $2.7 million in GDP per 10,000 hectares of treated land. For further details, the public can contact project representatives Jason Hutchinson, RPF, at Jason.Hutchinson@gov.bc.ca; Jeff McWilliams, RPF, at jeff.mcwilliams@telus.net; or Sara Barker, RPF, at sara.barker@gov.bc.ca.
N_Dj says
After all, the chemtrails might not be a conspiracy theory any more… 🙂
RAINER KRUMSIEK says
Who is responsible for this environmental degradation and waste of money? Proven research shows that a healthy mycorrhiza network supplies all (not just NPK) nutrients necessary for healthy plants.
Applying commercial fertilizer is avoided more and more in up-to-date agricultural operations, for sure not anymore in regenerative agriculture. By not destroying the soil life plants are getting healthy again and the yield is big enough to provide a higher economic return.
Our forests are already damaged enough by the greed of corporations, this should be stopped immediately.