Something new and exciting will soon be happening at the lake, courtesy of the Cowichan Lake Community Forest Co-op.
Bruce Ingram, chair of the CLCFC finance committee, announced to Cowichan Lake Chamber of Commerce members at their annual general meeting March 7 that, starting just after June 30, the year end for CLCFC, the co-op will be calling for requests for funding.
Yes, they’ll be giving away money, he said.
“That’s what the community forest co-op is. We fund our community, and our community goes from Paldi to the Pacific Ocean, not just the Town of Lake Cowichan, but the Cowichan Lake area. We are here for you guys. You can apply for those funds and we’re going to be able to give them to you,” Ingram said.
“What’s going to happen prior to July is an invitation is going to be issued to come to our office at 121 Point Ideal Rd. You’ll be able to get a community funding request form, and you’re also going to get a CLCFC policy package. What that is is the rules and regulations under which we are going to be giving out funds,” he continued.
The CLCFC, the Pacheedaht First Nation, and the provincial government are now working together, after years of negotiation, operating the Qala:yit Community Forest: 8,000 hectares of land with an annual allowable cut of 31,498 cubic metres.
Ingram is enthusiastic about what’s coming for his community.
“There are significant funds. We are not going to pretend that we’ve got millions and millions, but we’ve a 20-year cut so we’re going to be doing this over a 20-year period, until guys like Ian [Morrison, chair of the Cowichan Valley Regional District board] get us another 20-year period.
“All of the policies are going to be in the packet: how you’re going to be able and what you’re going to be able to do to receive funds from the forest co-op,” he said.
“Just to give you an idea, since 2015, when we were lobbying the government to give us this licence between the Pacheedaht Nation and the CLCFC, we have given out $120,774 to our Cowichan Lake community. I’ll also tell you we couldn’t have done that without the work of that man over there,” he said, indicating the CLCFC’s Lorne Scheffer.
A call for requests will be issued twice a year: in spring, and in fall.
“There are five of us that are involved in the initial consultation. Once we get through that, we’ll then take it to our board and all will be finalized. All the people with funding requests will be advised on whether they are successful or otherwise. We’ll do this twice a year. We will be advertising and more but that’s where we’re going to leave it right now. That’s where we are so far,” he said.
Ingram reminded the crowd that the community forest co-op is run by volunteers.
“We are bound by rules and regulations. We have to be very careful what we do in the next five years,” he said, concluding that he didn’t know yet what amount of money would be available to be allocated.
lexi.bainas@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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