Forest Fuel Management

BeaverTooth’s early stages have included a focus on forest fuel management projects as this was the majority of the company’s expected revenue for 2020, 2021 & 2022. The objective of fuel management treatments is the proactive removal of debris from forested areas around communities to reduce the potential impact from wildfires to human life and safety, residences, evacuation routes, and critical infrastructure. The catastrophic wildfire seasons in 2017 and 2018 in British Columbia have catalyzed large government funding programs for fuel management including:

• Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) Program – Created in 2018 with a $60,000,000 initial investment, this is an annual program providing up to $150,000 to municipalities and First Nations communities to complete FireSmart/fuel management activities. SteS applies to this program each year, and all fuel management treatments in 2020 and 2021 were direct awarded to BeaverTooth. SteS’s FAL has since been implemented as these fuel management treatments increase in size and cost, requiring BeaverTooth to bid on work within its’ own community.

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• Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction (WRR) Program – administered by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development (MFLNRORD), this program provides $20,000,000 of funding annually to complete fuel management projects across the province. BeaverTooth collaborates with SteS and Forsite to submit proposals on a variety of treatment contracts through this funding program within the Okanagan, Shuswap, and Thompson Rivers regions. This funding program has provisions to preferentially award contracts to First Nations contractors, which provides BeaverTooth a competitive advantage in the tendering process. BeaverTooth did secure work through this program for 2021, 2022 and 2023 and will be seeking to secure additional contracts. The primary customer for this type of work are various branches of provincial (e.g., MFLNRORD, BC Parks etc.) and local governments (First Nations and municipalities). BeaverTooth is well equipped to continue expanding this service area as most contracts can be completed with hand crews and small equipment. BeaverTooth is now looking to acquire this small equipment (e.g., mini-excavator, skid-steer etc.) as this will aid in projects that require moving larger pieces of debris (e.g., blowdown logs) is required.

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Several strategies are being utilized to expand BeaverTooth’s fuel management services:

• Maintaining and building on the relationship with SteS and moving toward developing relationships with other First Nations and municipalities in the area to secure additional fuel management projects through the CRI funding stream.

• BeaverTooth will work effectively to continue collaboration with SteS to submit proposals for fuel management projects administered through provincial government agencies (e.g., MFLNRORD and BC Parks) including the WRR funding stream.

• Continue building relationships with private sector companies or other contractors that may require contractors to complete fuel management projects.