Details About Contractor Funding Released
The Nova Scotia Community College and the Nova Scotia Forestry Contractors Association released details about the Ecological Forest Equipment Program. The Forest Innovation and Transition Trust funds this $9.85 million initiative. The forestry trust announced the funding in November, and a briefing with officials today outlined the program details and explained how to apply.
Program Details
The program will help contractors and landowners adapt to the practice of ecological forestry. Ecological forestry requires different types of equipment, and this funding can be used to purchase new equipment or to retrofit existing equipment. NSCC outlined three goals for the program:
Scaling and expanding the capacity of forestry contractors.
Support private landowners in adopting ecological forestry.
Advance ecological forestry by improving sustainable forest management practices.
Successful applicants can receive up to $250,000 for new equipment purchases and up to $150,000 in funding for used equipment or equipment retrofits. Each applicant can submit more than one application but cannot receive more than $500,000 in total funding.
You can view the full program details and eligibility requirements by clicking here.
Why It’s Needed
Conducting ecological forestry requires new or different equipment, frequently costing over $1 million. Following the closure of Northern Pulp, contractors were placed under tremendous financial strain—they needed support to purchase equipment so we could implement ecological forestry. This program will help contractors as the sector transitions and implements ecological forestry.
Forestry’s Impact
The contractor base is an essential part of the sector. They ensure mills and plants have the materials they need. Forestry generates $1.8 billion of economic impact every year. In addition to this economic impact, forestry employs over 6,400 Nova Scotians—2,700 direct full-time positions and 3,700 spinoff jobs, including about 900 in wood supply and support services. Additionally, the sector generates $171 million in tax revenue for the provincial and federal governments—$84 million provincially and $87 million federally.
In addition to creating thousands of jobs and billions in economic value, the forest sector is a net carbon sink. This means the sector takes more carbon from the environment than it emits. The sector also plants 12 million trees per year. When the forestry sector grows, it creates green jobs and prosperity
