In the Southwest of BC, burning restrictions prohibit harvesting and fire prevention activities in some forested regions. This led Lil’wat Forestry Ventures (LFV), an economic development venture with traditional forestry activities and assets, to consider new pathways to remove forest waste sustainably. Furthermore, LFV considered how this biomass could be used in a value-added process to generate a new revenue stream for the First Nation. Having pre-identified biochar, a rich form of solid carbon, as a potential solution, LFV wanted to understand:
- The best small-scale biochar technology for forestry residuals in the local region
- North America’s market for biochar
Foresight’s work with LFV bolstered their decision to begin work on a new biochar venture project that could benefit the First Nation, local economy, and environment, including potential to:
- Create new jobs for the community
- Divert wood waste in the broader region
- Reduce wildfire risk
- Sequester carbon
This report was created as part of our BC Net Zero Innovation Network project. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation as well as support from Pacific Economic Development Canada.
