Slocan Integral Forestry Cooperative » News & Events

Work began on the Silverton – Red Mountain Wildland-Urban Interface Project today March 15th, 2012

Stephan — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:15:37 +0000

If you have any questions regarding this project please do not hesitate to contact us at 250-226-7012 or email office@sifco.ca

For the first three weeks we will be working on the “Highway Block”: this is the small sliver of land between the highway and Red Mountain Rd. before the gravel pit and the land between the gravel pit and the highway.

$400,000 for Wildland Interface work for Silverton Village and Red Mountain residents

Stephan — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:09:01 +0000

SIFCo will be working with the Village of Silverton to make both the Village and the Red Mountain area safer through a $316,675 grant received from the Union of BC Municipalities . The project will treat 47 hectares of land between the Village and the Red Mountain Area in and around the municipality’s boundaries. $83,000 will be contributed from local fundraising including $41,675 from the Columbia Basin Trust. SIFCo’s commitment to making the Slocan Valley a safer place in regards to Wildfire and providing local employment continues with current grant investments in excess of $950,000 over the past three years. Interested in applying for the work please download an application here >> and get it to us by March 5th, 2012.

SIFCo gets 25 year License! Come Celebrate with us!

Stephan — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:32:48 +0000

On December 11th 2011, SIFCo achieved a milestone is its evolution as a company by being awarded a 25-year license. This allows us to finally be able to plan long term as a company. Come celebrate with us on Sunday February 12th we are hosting a free family-oriented Winter Celebration day at Valley View Golf Club, in Appledale in the Slocan Valley. We would like to invite you to this event to celebrate the 25-year tenure SIFCo has just been granted, to manage over 35,000 acres of land here in the Slocan Valley.

In partnership with the Slocan Valley Recreation Commission and Rails to Trails, we will have a cross-country ski track set as well as snowshoes available for your use. Between 1-2pm test your speed and grace on your skies or snowshoes compared with your neighbours in a short timed-start competition. The rest of the afternoon the track will be open for everyone’s use. A silent auction will be held indoors with a chance to win a custom concrete bench generously donated by Molded Stone of Winlaw.

For kids we will have a shorter timed-race on skies starting at 12:30, a small scavenger hunt on the property starting at 2pm, and tobogganing. Inside the club house there will be several interactive stations set up for children of different ages where everyone can learn about the forest we live in.

We will also have free hot chocolate and a bonfire all afternoon. At 3pm inside the clubhouse, there will be short welcome speech and free cake to celebrate our tenure! The Valley View clubhouse kitchen will be open all day until 6:30pm.

Come celebrate with us! After 8 years of work, we have reached a major milestone towards community control of our watersheds and sustainable logging practices. Something certainly worth celebrating!

Intern from Sweden joins the SIFCo team!

Stephan — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:54:14 +0000

SIFCo is currently hosting a Master’s student as an intern at our office. Elissa Berrill grew up in the Slocan Valley and is currently studying Environmental Planning at Stockholm University in Sweden. She is helping us to reach out to the community through contacting value-added wood producers in our area and updating our featured businesses page at www.sifco.ca. Her work also includes visiting grades 3 and 4 classes at 5 different elementary schools in the Slocan Valley and introducing students to the species that live in our forests as well as some basic survival skills. She hopes to gain some insights into the realities of community forest management to take back to Sweden with her. Elissa is also helping to plan our community Winter Activity Day, set to happen on February 12, 12-5pm at the Valley View Golf course. We are happy to welcome her to the SIFCo team for 10 weeks!

SIFCo completes Timber Supply Review

Stephan — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:33:29 +0000

After completing four community meetings to present the findings of our Timber Supply Review (TSR) to members and residents, and incorporating feedback from these meetings, our TSR is now completed. Findings from this review will guide SIFCo’s operations for the coming years.

Contractor Call

Stephan — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:56:55 +0000

This is a call for Expressions of Interest by qualified contractors who wish to be informed of contract work opportunities within the Slocan Integral Forestry Cooperative (SIFCo) community forest. SIFCo harvesting operations are generally dispersed retention or group selection, with block volumes from 3000 to 6000 m3. To download expression of interest click here»

The following types of contract opportunities are expected over the next several years:

o Road Construction
o Road Maintenance
o Conventional logging
o Cable logging (tower)
o Log hauling (Self Loader)

To be considered qualified in any category, contractors should possess the following minimum requirements:

o An active WCB number and appropriate classification
o Good company standing
o Liability Insurance
o Experience, with references

Interested parties can complete an Expression of Interest form available from the SIFCo website here>> or by mail from the address below. Completed forms should be returned to SIFCo by May 13, 2011

SIFCo
Box 189
Winlaw B.C. V0G 2J0.

Interface Work Completed in New Denver!

Stephan — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:07:48 +0000

The Interface work is now almost complete in the village of New Denver. Six workers worked for five months and made the Village a much safer place. SIFCo will return for one last week of work to do a final clean-up in one of the areas in early April. If anyone has comments or would like to ask us any questions about our work, please do not hesitate to contact us. It was a pleasure to work with the village of New Denver, and a big “thank you” to all the neighbors for their support during those months!

$247,000 for Wildland Interface work in the Village of New Denver

Stephan — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 22:45:10 +0000

Today SIFCo received $247,000 to carry out Wildland Urban Interface work in the village of New Denver. The project will treat 30 hectares of land in and around the municipality’s boundaries. Three of the blocks are located right in the village on the east side of the highway, while the fourth one is located on the slope above the hospital, also on the east side of the highway. SIFCo’s commitment to making the Slocan Valley a safer place in regards to Wildfire and providing local employment continues with current grant investments in excess of $550,000 over the past two years.

First harvest opportunity for SIFCo

Stephan — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:55:31 +0000

Today SIFCo has cut its first tree! We are currently beginning our first harvest in the Red Mountain area. The block will consist of around seven hectares of land estimated to produce 3500 cubic meters of wood. For more information on our activities, please see the News and Events section.

Wildland-Urban Interface Wildfire Protection Program gets another $75,000

i9design — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:38:56 +0000

SIFCo just obtained another $75 000 to carry on their Wildland Urban Interface Management Program begun in the Spring of 2009. This investment will go towards 10 hectares of Land in the Trozzo Watershed. An area outlined in our mapping process that has very high fire risk and consequence if a fire was to occur. Four jobs will be created for at least three months with these Forest Investment Account Funds.