As a family-run mill, Vaagen Fibre Canada (Vaagen) welcomes unique partnerships that bring valuable opportunities to the Boundary region’s forests.
"Collaboration in forestry and mill management is key,” remarked Dan Macmaster, RPF, Fibre Manager at Vaagen. “Many different local companies each contribute to the ‘journey of a log’ from woodland, to mill, to market. It’s a team effort to add value every step of the way."
This month, we would like to shine the Vaagen Partner Spotlight on Greenpeaks Resource Management (Greenpeaks), an experienced wildfire fuel management and ecosystem restoration contractor located in Greenwood, B.C. Their focus is silviculture, but their expertise also includes habitat restoration, wildfire risk reduction, grass seeding, logging supervision, and other forestry duties.
“Our objective is to supply high quality, local forestry services; always meeting the needs of the forest,” said Owen Stewart, Co-Owner of Greenpeaks Resource Management. “We prioritize worker safety above everything else and pride ourselves in providing a workplace that focuses on support, respect, and inclusivity.”
Both Vaagen and Greenpeaks are committed to making the forest surrounding communities healthier and more fire-resistant, an objective made even more important due to the changing climate environment. Since 2017, Greenpeaks has been supporting the West Boundary Community Forest (WBCF), managed by Vaagen, with seedling fertilization, grass seeding, slash pile burning, and tree planting.
“We work hard to ensure that the wildfire risk reduction efforts we do help protect communities as well as ensure future timber harvesting opportunities for generations to come,” said Stewart.
Vaagen and Greenpeaks also have a passion for sharing their knowledge with their community. Through field trips to the WBCF, the team invites school groups to learn about the importance of creating a healthy ecosystem as children plant trees in their community forest.
To further encourage sustainability, Greenpeaks together with the WBCF are taking the initiative to reduce the amount of plastic tree planting flagging introduces to the environment. This year, they will be testing new products such as biodegradable ribbon and tree chalk.
Thank you, Owen, and your team at Greenpeaks Resource Management for your forestry stewardship to help sustain and promote a positive future of forestry in B.C.