Aerial Forest Fertilization Project in the Sea to Sky Natural Resource District
(Líl̓wat Nation, October 30, 2024): Starting tomorrow, October 31, 2024 (weather permitting) and in the weeks ahead, Líl̓wat Nation members will see a helicopter undertaking aerial fertilization of the forests in and around their Traditional Territory. There are several objectives of the project, the primary objective being to help trees grow faster to sequester more carbon dioxide, assisting in helping with climate change.
The project is being funded by the Provincial Government under the Forest Investment Program, formerly the Forest Carbon Initiative, and the Land Based Investment Strategy. The project is administered by B.A. Blackwell & Associates Ltd., a Canadian forestry consultant company based in North Vancouver, B.C, under contract with the Province of British Columbia.
“Our Nation has been consulted and we have provided our support for this project,” shared Klay Tindall, General Manager of Líl̓wat Forestry Ventures. “Aerial Forest Fertilization is more simply utilizing helicopters to spread fertilizer in forested areas to help trees and other plants grow stronger and faster by increasing the amount of available nutrients. The broad application of the fertilizer is both safe and efficient, but we wanted to inform Nation members of this project, so they know we are aware of it and have been involved in the approval process.”
Forest fertilization is a long-standing silviculture tool that forest managers use to increase volume growth and carbon sequestration of trees in managed forests where nutrient deficiency is an issue.
Fertilization can:
1) increase tree growth and forest and wildlife habitat cover,
2) increase carbon sequestration,
3) increase green-up for visual quality objectives,
4) accelerate stand development toward older stand structure including old-growth character; and
5) thereby, contribute to maintaining biodiversity.
To learn more about Forest Fertilization, please review this brochure.
Overview maps, information about the fertilizer, the BC fertilization standards, and a sample site map and prescription can be found in this Dropbox folder. Specific block information can be provided upon request.
For more information, please contact:
Jason Hutchinson, RPF, Technical Advisor Forest Carbon at: Jason.Hutchinson@gov.bc.ca
Jeff McWilliams, RPF, B.A. Blackwell and Associates Ltd. at: jeff.mcwilliams@telus.net
Sara Barker, RPF, Ministry of Forests at: sara.barker@gov.bc.ca
Klay Tindall, RPF, Líl̓wat Forestry Ventures at: Klay.Tindall@lilwat.ca