Kamloops council has agreed to send the province’s minister of forests a letter advocating for measures that pulp mill representatives say would increase fibre supply while cleaning up forest fuels and preventing fires. Thomas Hoffman, fibre manager for Kruger Kamloops Pulp L.P.
, told council at its Tuesday meeting the mill brought value to nearly 1.4 million cubic metres of fire-affected wood in 2023. “There’s no other pulp mill in the province that accomplished that,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman said the industry is looking for the province to expedite timber salvaging permits, ensure full access to allowable annual cut for licensees, and develop “an aggressive forest fuel risk reduction program” to mitigate wildfire damage. He said within 200 kilometres of Kamloops sit four million cubic metres of fire-affected fibre that hasn’t been scheduled for harvest. Coun.
Margot Middleton said she sees “mountains of slash” that also appear to be left in some areas. “As we see the fire-affected wood potentially going to waste as they’re not harvesting it in a timely fashion, what about the existing slash and burn piles that are evident all over logged areas? ..
. How much of that waste would still be good for fibre if it were not just put in a burn pile?” Middleton asked. Hoffman said the mill is working hard with its suppliers to address the issue, adding he’d like to see more incentives for companies to take out the brush.
Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson said he found s.