Thanks to Gulf Islands residents’ advocacy for better allocation of a local resource, Cortes and Quadra Islands community organizations can lodge applications for free wood chips until March 4, 2022.

The wood chips are created locally through the FireSmart Residential Driveway Wood Chipping Service, which began two summers ago on Cortes and Quadra. Residents were invited to stack their pruned and fallen branches at the roadside next to their driveways, thus clearing any potential fuel for wildfires. The branches were then processed into wood chips and taken to Campbell River for professional disposal.

But some residents objected to the carbon footprint created through the off-island transportation, as well as the loss of this valuable resource to the community. Through expressing their concerns to the local governing bodies, the residents were successful in having the policy adjusted by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). Now wood chips are available for community organizations' use such as combatting erosion, as long as they follow the clear guidelines.

FireSmart prescribes that 100 metres around a structure are left without flammable materials, such as wood chips would be in a hot summer. Image courtesy of SRD.

In a published statement on Dec. 3, Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Protective Services Coordinator Shaun Koopman wrote: 

“The community organizations who choose to submit an application for consideration, must do so with the understanding that woody debris plays a role in contributing to fire ignition. The wood chips/woody debris is allowed to be used only outside of the FireSmart Non-combustible Zone and Priority Zones 1, 2 and 3, which is 100 meters beyond any residential structure. Proposals from community organizations will still need to be vetted through the UBCM before approval can be given.” 

Interested parties can find the application and more information on the SRD website.

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