Pacific Western Brewery announced Wednesday that it is on target with its private silviculture program.
The Prince George company has invested in the planting of 200,000 trees since launching the forestry initiative, with purchases of Cariboo Genuine Draft linked to planting new trees.
?British Columbians know how important our natural landscape is,? said PWB owner Kazuko Komatsu. ?From the growing tourism industry to the world-class recreation so many of us enjoy, it?s the cornerstone of B.C.?s identity. But nearly a decade of vicious forest fires and the mountain pine beetle epidemic have changed the B.C. wilderness forever. To help counteract these losses our brewery partnered with the Ministry of Forests in 2010 to begin what has become the most ambitious reforestation initiative of any Canadian brewery to date."
PWB's goal four years ago at the start was to plant 50,000 trees per year. That target was easily reached, said Komatsu, so the ultimate target of one million seedlings in the region's ground by 2020 is well within sight.
"We?re determined to make this goal a reality and show our appreciation to all the British Columbians who have given us tremendous support from the beginning,? she said. "Forestry is the livelihood of many British Columbians, so we knew we had to help out before it was too late. From the local community?s overwhelming response it was clear that if we wanted to invest in BC?s future, the planting would need to continue each year.?
The program is possibly going to feel even greater public momentum, said PWB's product development manager Paul Mulgrew.
?We?re working on some exciting new ideas that will help reach our goal and get consumers directly involved in the reforestation process. Expect to see big changes in the new year," he said.
PWB is also investing in salmon enhancement initiatives, a new campaign launched this year after seeing the success of the treeplanting program.
