Canada: Kamloops, British Columbia: Post-Fire Reforestation

Located in south–central British Columbia

The city of Kamloops is a major regional urban centre with approximately 82,000 residents, boasting excellent tourism and a rich cultural history, and rugged landscape offering a multitude of recreational opportunities. The diverse land in the area supports a variety and abundance of native wildlife, including mountain caribou, bighorn sheep, and grizzly bear. The Kamloops Indian Band Reserve land base is located east of the North Thompson River and north of the South Thompson River, adjacent to the city of Kamloops. The 33,000-acre reserve, also known as the Sproat Reserve, supports a variety of uses including residential, industrial, commercial and agricultural.

Need for Trees

A large portion of the Kamloops Indian Band Reserve was burned by wildfire, resulting in the loss of hundreds of hectares of forests and hundreds of thousands of trees. An influx of voles further damaged thousands of trees immediately following the fires (the vole population has since decreased, a typical occurrence after the initial post-fire increase). Many areas are in need of replanting to help restore this important economic and environmental resource.

Planting and Impact

For this project, 246,500 Douglas–fir, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, and spruce trees will be planted on approximately 313 hectares of forest land. This planting will help re-establish a forest for the community, assist in reducing slope erosion in critical areas, and provide new areas for cultural activities. This project will provide and protect critical wildlife habitat for a variety of species, including caribou, sheep, grizzly bear, mule and white-tailed deer, bobcats, various salmon species, and a wide variety of birds, including Sandhill Cranes, pelicans, Great Blue Heron, and eagles.

About the Pledge