Premier David Eby Directs $35 Million for First Nations Forest Co-Management and Bio-Economy Hubs

VICTORIA, BC — Premier David Eby and Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston announced the release of $35 million under the Indigenous Forest Bio-Economy Program (IFBP), delivering direct capital funding to 16 First Nations forestry corporations to construct advanced forest residue processing and clean biomaterials plants.

Transforming Forest Slash into High-Value Clean Biomaterials

The funding packages provide matching capital for Indigenous-owned facilities in Quesnel, Burns Lake, and Terrace to utilize roadside timber harvest slash and deadwood to manufacture biocoal, natural fiber insulation panels, biodegradable agricultural mulches, and pharmaceutical-grade tree resins. The bio-economy hubs divert 250,000 cubic meters of combustible forest slash from open-air burning, cutting seasonal wildfire risks and particulate air emissions while creating 320 full-time jobs in Indigenous communities.

Premier Eby affirmed that partnering with First Nations to lead the forest bio-economy creates sustainable jobs while advancing genuine economic reconciliation across rural British Columbia.

First Nations Forestry Council and Climate Researchers Praise

The First Nations Forestry Council commended the revenue-sharing and capital ownership model, ensuring Indigenous communities derive direct economic equity from their traditional forest territories.

University of British Columbia bio-products researchers highlighted that bio-coal directly replaces fossil metallurgical coal in commercial steelmaking.

Equipment Commissioning Timeline

Advanced biomaterial processing machinery will begin installation across all 16 Indigenous facilities in November 2026.