In this session, attendees will learn how First Nations in the Cariboo region are taking the lead in forest rehabilitation and sustainable land stewardship through Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR), a joint venture of Tŝideldel First Nation, Tl’etinqox Government, and Yunesit’in Government.

Following catastrophic wildfires in the Chilcotin region, CCR has coordinated large-scale efforts to rehabilitate forests not only for economic recovery but to support landscape fire resiliency, employment and stand management. The presentation will describe CCR’s unique approach treating wildfire affected/abandoned stands and highlight the project concept, operations, outcomes, challenges and its technical details.

Attendees will learn technical details from two significant case studies: CCR’s Pressy Lake project and the Palmer project, to gain insights into how First Nations have thoughtfully enhanced forest management in the Cariboo region and how challenging forest management is being put into action at scale. The session will also touch on lessons learned and next steps. 

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this session, participants will:

1. Understand the wildfire rehabilitation treatments applied at the Pressy Lake and Palmer project sites.
2. Gain an operational understanding of how abandoned and wildfire-damaged stands can be treated and utilized.
3. Review an economic snapshot of the operations, including employment and social benefits.
4. Identify key technical outcomes, challenges, and administrative constraints encountered during project delivery.