The provincial government will be supporting industry efforts to replant the forests destroyed in the mountain pine beetle infestation.
Beginning next summer, the Ministry of Forests and Range will plant roughly 3.2 million tree seedlings in the Williams Lake and Quesnel timber supply areas. B.A. Blackwell and Associates will administrate the reforestation efforts in the 4,000-hectare area and work with private contracts and area First Nations.
An additional 8,000 hectares will be surveyed by the government this year in preparation for future replanting.
The effort is part of the province's $161 million reforestation program to deal with the pine-beetle infestation. Most of the fund will be used to pay for tree seedlings, site preparation and planting.
The government estimates that in 2007, forest companies will plant roughly 12.6 million seedlings around Williams Lake and 26.5 million seedlings in the Quesnel area.