The Wetzin’kwa Community Forest Corporation is putting out a call for applications for its annual community grant program.
The application deadline for the grants is May 31 for $150,000 total funding available through the corporation. That’s $40,000 more than they awarded last year.
The corporation manages the community forest that is jointly held by the Town of Smithers and Village of Telkwa.
Annually, they set aside some funds to help the communities they serve, a key component of any community forest.
Proposals received must benefit those living in the Moricetown, Smithers and Telkwa region and be from either a non-profit or charitable organization. Each proposal may, if granted by the directors, receive up to $10,000. Grant categories include arts and culture, recreation, environment, conservation and natural resource management, social services and community economic development.
Those interested in applying can go to www.wetzinkwa.ca and look under the grant program tab.
They also increased their logging activities along Hudson Bay Mountain Road and McDonnell Lake Road to address the mountain pine beetle situation recently.
The last few years has seen a significant increase in the amount of affected areas, so they’ve been working in conjunction with a temporary accelerated harvest order in 2010 to salvage the dead trees while still economically beneficial to the organization.
In addition to maintaining ecosystem health provisions, such as protecting biodiversity, soils and riperian zones, the society must also consider visual quality, work with local stakeholders to maintain recreation and cultural interests, as well as target strands most affected.