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Groups in Terrace receive grants from logging profits

Money comes from the city-owned Terrace Community Forest fund
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The Terrace Community Forest has presented the City of Terrace with an art piece created by local artist Joerg Jung of JJ’s Woodart. Left to right, community forest board member John Perras, artist Joerg Jung, deputy Terrace mayor Sean Bujtas, and community forest general manager Kim Haworth. (City of Terrace Photo)

Eight local groups will share $50,000 in logging profits from the Terrace Community Forest (TCF) through the latest round of grants from the City of Terrace-owned company.

The money was presented Feb. 12 at city hall with the groups explaining what they’ll do with the money.

The Terrace Off Road Cycling Association is receiving $7,500 for the Courthouse Trail project, the Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club $7,500 for a new rental shop, Shames Mountain $7,500 toward replacing its beginner rope tow, the Terrace Rod & Gun Club $5,000 for a storage container and $2,500 for a berm upgrade, the Skeena Volunteer Ski Patrol $2,500 for new safety signs at Shames Mountain, the Terrace Curling Club $10,000 to upgrade its ice plant, the Mount Remo Backcountry Society $2,500 to upgrade the Anderson Road access and the Skeena Salmon Art Festival $5,000 for a tree and cone-theme mural by JJ’s Woodart.

With this $50,000 the TCF has now provided $500,000 in grants to community groups for recreational projects since its start in 2007.

And TCF has also provided $1.2 million to the city, $750,000 of which was forwarded last year and which has been placed in a land acquisition reserve account.

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City officials are now developing a policy on how it will be spent.

The $500,000 provided earlier was considered general revenue, contributing to projects such as last year’s Kitsumgallum Cemetery Lookout and Howe Creek Trail.

Through a forest license the community forest, which is guided by a standalone board of directors, logs in three areas — Shames/Amesbury including My Mountain Co-Op, the Kitimat Valley and nordic ski trails and Deep/Spring Creek including the LaLa Valley and Steinhoe trail systems.

TCF can cut approximately 30,000 cubic metres a year, roughly equivalent to about 600 loaded logging trucks.

“A lot of second-growth forests in our operating areas are too dense for the trees to grow properly.

“By thinning out these areas, we promote biodiversity while also creating a revenue stream for the city and grant opportunities for the community,” said Kim Haworth, TCF general manager.

“You can see examples of this type of growth at Onion Lake and the cross-country ski trails.”

READ MORE: Security improvement grants available for Terrace businesses

The Terrace Off Road Cycling Association originally asked for $126,225, the Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club $15,000, Shames Mountain $8,500, the Skeena Volunteer Ski Patrol $4,500, the Terrace Rod and Gun Club $15,000 and the Mount Remo Backcountry Society $15,860.

The Terrace Curling Club received its full request of $10,000, as did the Skeena Salmon Art Festival which asked for $5,000.

A $7,500 request by the Backcountry Horsemen of B.C. for trail maintenance and development was not granted and an application for $3,500 by the Lakelse Watershed Stewards Society was submitted past the deadline.