In expanding economic opportunities, City of Powell River Council can see the forest for the trees.
At a recent meeting, council endorsed a recommendation that the existing agreement with Powell River Community Forest (PRCF) for the ongoing maintenance and management of the city’s airport reserve lands be expanded to include additional forested lands owned by the city. Further, the recommendation included PRCF proceeding with harvesting plans for the additional lands.
The financial impact of permitting PRCF to manage and harvest these tracts of forested land could provide a profit to the city of between $700,000 and $800,000 from a total volume of about 19,130 cubic metres of timber. The income could be used for a variety of purposes, from funding capital projects to the replenishment of the city’s reserve funds.
The matter was brought forward from an October committee of the whole meeting where PRCF representatives made a presentation regarding management of the airport reserve lands.
In introducing the motion at the city council meeting, and providing some history, Councillor Russell Brewer said the city owns some parcels of land in and around the city that are forested.
“They have great timber on them,” Brewer said. “It makes sense for the community forest to manage those parcels for us in the same way they are managing the community forest. Through that process there will be revenue returning to the community that will help us complete other great projects...This just makes a lot of sense for us.”
Brewer said in addition to the currently forested lands that could be harvested, there are some lands that have been harvested in the past that may need some survey or silvicultural work that PRCF could oversee.
In June 2010, the city entered into an agreement with PRCF, which delegated the right and responsibility to administer, control and manage all forestry, logging, timber divestiture, silviculture and associated activities in respect of the trees and vegetation upon the lands.
Council voted unanimously to support the motion to assign management of the airport reserve lands’ timber to PRCF.
