Prince George Community Forest – proposed expansion

Following the massive wildfires that swept through the interior of BC in 2003, the threat of “urban interface fires” (fires that happen at the meeting place of wildlands and urban areas) became a topic of discussion throughout the province.

Prince George is a city within a forest, and the urban interface area is significant. The risk of fire has increased greatly as a result of the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) epidemic and the large area of unmanaged forest.

Recognizing the growing threat to residents and infrastructure, the City of Prince George [www.city.pg.bc.ca] applied for and received a Probationary Community Forest License in October 2006. Following Bill 13 changes to the Forest Act, the probationary period has been dropped for new applicants. The City is undergoing a review to determine a suitable area and allowable annual cut for a long term tenure.

The city saw a community forest license as an opportunity to achieve three objectives:

• management of the fire hazard in and around the city;
• management of the MPB impacts on the urban forest; and,
• support for the city’s Official Community Plan, which emphasizes “improving safety and security in the city” as part of its mission to improve quality of life for residents.
  

The Probationary Community Forest Agreement carries with it an initial five-year term with an opportunity to apply for a longer term tenure approximately half way through the initial term of operation.