Category: Press Release

Call for 2024 Project Funding Proposals – We’ve Expanded Our Program!

MLMCF Admin Community Projects, Press Release ,
Call for 2024 Project Funding Proposals – We’ve Expanded Our Program!

Want to help enhance the McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest or have a project idea that would benefit the communities of McLeod Lake and Mackenzie?

The call for year 2024 project funding proposals is now OPEN!

We now have 2 funding streams!

The MLMCF Tenure Enhancement Stream supports research, physical works, and other applied projects that:

  1. Are relevant to and enhance the Community Forest area; and
  2. Support sound environmental and cultural stewardship, social values, and economic growth.

The MLMCF Community Benefits Stream supports local projects and services that:

  1. Benefit the communities of McLeod Lake Indian Band and Mackenzie.

How to apply

  1. Read the MLMCF funding policy (link below) and familiarize yourself with the MLMCF tenure area map (link below) to ensure your proposal will meet the project eligibility criteria.
  2. Download the application form (link below) to your computer. Using Adobe Reader, fill in your answers to the questions and then save the completed PDF form.
  3. Refer to the evaluation criteria / application ranking tool (link below) to understand how your application will be reviewed and scored.
  4. Submit your completed application and any relevant attachments to the MLMCF before the deadline: 4 pm March 31 2024.

Project eligibility criteria

>>Download the MLMCF funding policy

>>Download an overview map of the 5 MLMCF tenure units

Application form

>> Download the Tenure Enhancement application form

>> Download the Community Benefits application form

>> Download the project evaluation criteria / application ranking tool

Completing the application form

Download and save the application form to your computer. Using Adobe Reader (available as a free download), fill in your answers to the questions. Save the PDF form occasionally as you work through the application.

*Please ensure that the application form is downloaded and saved to your computer desktop prior to entering any information. If opened and completed within your internet browser, any information entered will not be saved.

>> Link to Adobe Reader download site

Getting technical help with the application form

Having trouble downloading or typing and saving in the application form? Send your technical questions to admin@mlmcf.ca

Submitting your application

Completed funding applications (with all attachments) must be received by McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest no later than 4:00 pm on March 31 2024

Late applications will not be considered.

How to Submit Your Application

Email to: generalmanager@mlmcf.ca and admin@mlmcf.ca

-Or-

Mail to:  MCLEOD LAKE MACKENZIE COMMUNITY FOREST, PO BOX 579, MACKENZIE BC, V0J 2C0

-Or-

Deliver to:  MLMCF Office, Suite 127 in the Commercial Wing of the Mackenzie Mall  You can drop your application in the mail slot if the office is closed.

Notification of results

The MLMCF Board of Directors is planning to provide notification of funding decisions to all applicants by May 1, 2024.

Public announcements of funding decisions will be made at the Chamber of Commerce Trade Show in early May 2024.

Questions?

Contact Admin Assistant Cherri Carlson by email admin@mlmcf.ca or General Manager Dan Boulianne by email  generalmanager@mlmcf.ca  or call 250-997-8155.

Or visit the MLMCF office at Suite 127 in the Commercial Wing of the Mackenzie Mall .

BC Community Forest Indicators Report (2020) Released

MLMCF Admin Press Release
BC Community Forest Indicators Report (2020) Released
The BC Community Forest Association is pleased to share the 2020 Community Forest Indicators Report. The Indicators Report, now in its 6th year, contains analysis of 18 different areas where community forests deliver economic, social, cultural, and environmental benefits to their rural and Indigenous communities and to the Province.

Along with the quantitative information, the report is filled with stories and photos that further demonstrate the importance of community forests to the sustainable future of these communities and the land that surrounds them.
“Community forests are showing British Columbians that forest management can be much more than timber harvesting and the economic bottom line. By supporting the success of existing community forests and by investing in the creation of more and larger community forests, the Province can solve multiple problems. The time is now to empower communities to become true partners in modern, collaborative, and sustainable land management,” said Jennifer Gunter, Executive Director of the BCCFA.
Thirty-two community forests participated in the 2019/2020 survey, providing data from their last reporting year, specific to their operations. This sample represents 73 percent of the operating community forests in the BCCFA. Most are small rural communities, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, with an average population of 3,965.

Community forests are creating more jobs in rural communities. This year’s results show that community forests are creating 85% more jobs/ m3 than the industry average in their forestry, logging and support services.

They operate in sensitive areas and are reliably supplying logs to both major processing facilities and small manufacturers.

They are generating economic activity, while contributing to local projects. 

With community forests located primarily in the land surrounding communities, they are acting on the urgent need to manage these areas to adapt to climate change and mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfire.

This year’s results show a tripling of the community forests’ own investments in wildfire management –  evidence of the leadership role that community forests are playing. They are managing for ecosystem resilience and investing in forest stewardship, above and beyond legal requirements.

Read the 2020 BCCFA Community Forest Indicators Report.

Wildfire Fuel Treatment Update for the Week of January 13 2020

MLMCF Admin Mackenzie Wildfire Advisory Committee, Press Release
Wildfire Fuel Treatment Update for the Week of January 13 2020

Fuel treatment works in the John Dahl park area will not be conducted this week due to the current cold weather conditions.

Fuel treatment activities for the Hydro Substation block, A1, will not be conducted this week due to the current cold weather conditions.

Depending on temperatures fuel treatments will resume once work conditions become more favourable for machinery and workers.

Please stay informed by listening to CHMM the local radio station, reviewing the District Facebook site, the District of Mackenzie Emergency Network and the District of Mackenzie Website.

Ian LeBlanc, Wildfire Projects Coordinator  wpc@mlmcf.ca   250.640.6287  www.mlmcf.ca/wildfires    

The Mackenzie Wildfire Advisory Committee (MWAC) is a partnership of the McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest, District of Mackenzie, McLeod Lake Indian Band, BC Wildfire Service, industry, and stakeholders. We work together to advance and coordinate wildfire protection strategies at the local and landscape levels.

WILDFIRE PROTECTION EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Are you FireSmart?    Are you informed?   Are you prepared?
Learn MoreLearn MoreLearn More



Contract Opportunity for Wildfire Fuel Reduction Treatments in Mackenzie

MLMCF Admin Mackenzie Wildfire Advisory Committee, Press Release ,
Contract Opportunity for Wildfire Fuel Reduction Treatments in Mackenzie

The District of Mackenzie invites qualified and experienced firms to submit a proposal for operational wildfire fuel reduction treatments to achieve the targets and objectives of the “District of Mackenzie Fuel Management Prescription (FMP), Amendment #2” (attached).

The purpose of this project is to carry out operational fuel treatment activities as prescribed in the FMP developed for the District in Treatment Units DAHL -1, DAHL-2 and A1 (see attached maps). The successful proponent will be responsible for:

  • Cutting and removal of trees prescribed for removal.
  • Control of vehicle (car, ATV, motor bike, etc) and non-motorized (pedestrian, bicycle, horse, etc) traffic in and around the vicinity of fuel treatment operations.
  • Pruning of trees intended to be retained, cutting brush to be removed, and bucking, chipping, and removal of debris.
  • Management of debris created during operations.

For details, see the Request for Proposals documents:

Request for Proposals: Wildfire Fuel Reduction Treatment Project
Attachment #1 – Fuel Management Prescription
Attachment #2 – Maps

Questions and Answers #1

Questions and Answers #2

Deadline for proposal submissions is August 22, 2019 4:00 pm.

Proponents are required to attend a mandatory site viewing on Wednesday August 7, 2019 10:00 am. The site viewing will commence from the Little Mac Ski Hill at the end of Laurier Drive in Mackenzie.

Call for Project Funding Proposals

MLMCF Admin Community Projects, Press Release ,

Want to help enhance the McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest or have a project idea that would benefit the communities of McLeod Lake and Mackenzie?

The call for year 2024 project funding proposals is now OPEN.

We now have 2 funding streams!

The MLMCF Tenure Enhancement Stream supports research, physical works, and other applied projects that:

  1. Are relevant to and enhance the Community Forest area; and
  2. Support sound environmental and cultural stewardship, social values, and economic growth.

The MLMCF Community Benefits Stream supports local projects and services that:

  1. Benefit the communities of McLeod Lake Indian Band and Mackenzie.

How to apply

  1. Read the MLMCF funding policy (link below) and familiarize yourself with the MLMCF tenure area map (link below) to ensure your proposal will meet the project eligibility criteria.
  2. Download the application form (link below) to your computer. Using Adobe Reader, fill in your answers to the questions and then save the completed PDF form.
  3. Refer to the evaluation criteria / application ranking tool (link below) to understand how your application will be reviewed and scored.
  4. Submit your completed application and any relevant attachments to the MLMCF before the deadline: 4 pm March 31 2024.

Project eligibility criteria

>>Download the MLMCF funding policy

>>Download an overview map of the 5 MLMCF tenure units

Application form

>> Download the Tenure Enhancement application form

>> Download the Community Benefits application form

>> Download the project evaluation criteria / application ranking tool

Completing the application form

Download and save the application form to your computer. Using Adobe Reader (available as a free download), fill in your answers to the questions. Save the PDF form occasionally as you work through the application.

*Please ensure that the application form is downloaded and saved to your computer desktop prior to entering any information. If opened and completed within your internet browser, any information entered will not be saved.

>> Link to Adobe Reader download site

Getting technical help with the application form

Having trouble downloading or typing and saving in the application form? Send your technical questions to admin@mlmcf.ca

Submitting your application

Completed funding applications (with all attachments) must be received by McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest no later than 4:00 pm on March 31 2024

Late applications will not be considered.

How to Submit Your Application

Email to: generalmanager@mlmcf.ca and admin@mlmcf.ca

-Or-

Mail to:  MCLEOD LAKE MACKENZIE COMMUNITY FOREST, PO BOX 579, MACKENZIE BC, V0J 2C0

-Or-

Deliver to:  MLMCF Office, Suite 127B in the Commercial Wing of the Mackenzie Mall. You can drop your application in the mail slot if the office is closed.

Notification of results

The MLMCF Board of Directors is planning to provide notification of funding decisions to all applicants by May 1, 2024.

Public announcements of funding decisions will be made at the Chamber of Commerce Trade Show in early May 2024.

Questions?

Contact Admin Assistant: Cherri Carlson by email admin@mlmcf.ca or General Manager: Dan Boulianne by email  generalmanager@mlmcf.ca  or call 250-997-8155.

Or visit the MLMCF office at Suite 127 in the Commercial Wing of the Mackenzie Mall.

Call for 2024 Project Funding Proposals

MLMCF Admin Community Projects, Press Release ,

Want to help enhance the McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest?

The McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest (MLMCF) allocates up to $100,000 annually towards research, physical works, and other applied projects that will:

  1. Enhance the Community Forest area;
  2. Support sound environmental and cultural stewardship, social values, and economic growth;
  3. Benefit the communities of McLeod Lake Indian Band and Mackenzie.

How to Apply

Deadline for 2024 project proposals is 4 pm March 31, 2023.  Get more information and download an application form at www.mlmcf.ca

Questions?

Contact Cherri Carlson be email admin@mlmcf.ca or Dan Boulianne by email  generalmanager@mlmcf.ca  or call 250-997-8155.

Forest Practices Board Audit Results Released

MLMCF Admin Awards, MLMCF Activities, Press Release ,

McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest receives good audit

An audit of the McLeod Lake Mackenzie community forest in the Mackenzie Natural Resource District has found compliance with B.C.’s forestry legislation.

The community forest is jointly managed by the District of Mackenzie and the McLeod Lake Indian Band.

“We are pleased to see that the community forest carried out sound forest practices and fully met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act,” said Kevin Kriese, board chair.

“Of note, the community forest has been proactive in adopting fire-management stocking standards for stands harvested in the wildland urban interface,” said Kriese. “These standards permit more deciduous trees and fewer coniferous trees when these stands regenerate and will assist in reducing the risk of wildfire to the community of Mackenzie. This is a best practice that deserves recognition.”

The community forest has five operating areas around the Town of Mackenzie, from the Parsnip River in the south to Nation Arm on Williston Lake in the north.

The McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest Limited Partnership harvested 108,000 cubic metres of timber between September 2016 and September 2018. The audit examined all operational planning, harvesting, roads, silviculture and wildfire protection activities carried out during the two-year period.

The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. The board audits forest and range practices on public lands and appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.

Read the audit report: 2018-ARC219-McLeod-LakeDownload

Forest Practices Board audits MLMCF forestry practices

MLMCF Admin Press Release

The Forest Practices Board will be examining the activities of the McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest Limited Partnership (the partnership), located in the Mackenzie Natural Resource District, starting Sept. 10, 2018.

The auditors will examine whether all operational planning, harvesting, roads and bridges, silviculture, and wildfire protection and associated planning carried out between Sept. 1, 2016, to Sept. 14, 2018, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.

Once the audit work is complete, a report will be prepared, and any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations then will be released to the public and government.

The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government.

The board audits forest and range practices on public land, as well as appropriateness of government enforcement.

Measuring the Benefits of Community Forestry: Community Forest Indicators Report Released

MLMCF Admin Press Release , , , , , , , ,

New Annual Community Forest Indicators Report

Press Release April 12, 2017 –  British Columbia Community Forest Association www.bccfa.ca

Link to the Report

Link to the News Release

The BC Community Forest Association is pleased to share the report of their 3rd annual Community Forest Indicators Survey. The survey collects data on the economic, social, cultural, and environmental benefits that community forests bring to their communities and to the province.

The survey results show how important community forests are to their local communities and regions. They generated an average of $1.9 million of economic activity in the reporting year. They contributed $257,000 on average in cash and in-kind donations, a significant boost to rural communities, most with populations of 3,000 or less.

By collecting data on 18 different indicators, the BCCFA has found a way to measure the unique and varied contributions that community forests make. 93% of the operating community forests in the BCCFA participated in the survey and nearly 50% are held by First Nations or a partnership between an Indigenous and non-Indigenous community.

Erik Leslie, President, BCCFA Community Forest Association describes how “The BCCFA Indicators report includes not just statistics and quantitative measures.  The report is also filled with dozens of stories that demonstrate the creative energy and innovation that we see in community forests across the province. 

Jim Atkinson, General Manager, McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest, said “The Indicators Survey shows the spectrum of what community forests can accomplish. Profitability for a community forest is measured by different metrics than used by industry. While profitability for a community forest can be measured in cash, no less important are more intangible benefits such as the long-term health and sustainability of our forest; recreation, employment and development opportunities for community members and harmony with all the other users of the forest.”

For more information contact:
Jennifer Gunter, Executive Director
jgunter@bccfa.ca
250 384 4110

McLeod Lake Band & Mackenzie Celebrate Community Forest

MLMCF Admin Press Release

Ministry of Forests and Range Press Release, August 7 2009

McLeod Lake Band & Mackenzie Celebrate Community Forest

MCLEOD LAKE – Minister of Forests and Range Pat Bell joined McLeod Lake Indian Band Chief Derek Orr and District of Mackenzie Mayor Stephanie Killam to celebrate British Columbia’s newest community forest.

“This community forest will generate employment ranging from enhanced silviculture to finished wood products and gives the communities direct management of specific natural and recreation areas,” said Bell. “The strong partnership between the McLeod Lake Indian Band and the District of Mackenzie is a model of communities working together to promote an area’s economy and quality of life.”

The community forest agreement grants the McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest Limited Partnership the right to harvest up to 30,000 cubic metres of timber per year on 24,218 hectares of public forest lands in the Mackenzie timber supply area. The partnership is jointly operated by the District of Mackenzie and the McLeod Lake Indian Band. The community forest has five separate parts, the largest of which is 8,296 hectares, just north of McLeod Lake.

“This Community Forest Licence will provide long-term future benefits to the members of the McLeod Lake Indian Band and everyone living in the McLeod Lake-Mackenzie area,” said Chief Orr. “It enables local people to have direct input on how the forest that surrounds them is managed.”

Portions of the community forest also surround Mackenzie and include Morfee, Lost and Gantahaz Lakes, the Mackenzie cross-country ski trail, and the Mugaha Marsh sensitive area, all of which will continue to be managed for wildlife, water, recreation and scenic qualities.

“We are confident the partnership in this venture between the McLeod Lake Indian Band and the District of Mackenzie will be extremely important in further developing and strengthening the relationship between the two communities,” said Mayor Killam. “The members of the Community Forest Board spent a great deal of personal time and effort in the pursuit of this opportunity, and it is now offering greater control over our own resources, and the prospect of diversifying the utilization of our timber.”

Other sections of the community forest are on the west side of Williston Lake and near the Heather Dina Lakes, approximately 40 kilometres north of Mackenzie.

“The District of Mackenzie and the McLeod Lake Indian Band have shown collective leadership in the set up of the corporate structure they are using to operate a community forest tenure,” said Susan Mulkey, extension and communication manager at the B.C. Community Forest Association. “It is a clear and helpful road map for future partnerships between First Nations and municipalities.”

Community forest agreements are area-based tenures that enable communities to more fully participate in the stewardship of local Crown forest resources. These tenures provide communities exclusive rights to harvest timber, as well as the opportunity to manage other forest resources such as botanical products, recreation, wildlife, water and scenic viewscapes. There are more than 50 community forests operating or in the planning stages in British Columbia.

[Link to original press release: https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2009-2013/2009for0047-000204.htm]