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70,000 trees planted through PWB program

Pacific Western Brewing patrons bought enough beer to plant 70,000 trees this summer.
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Pacific Western Brewing patrons bought enough beer to plant 70,000 trees this summer.

The figure, released Monday, comes as a result of PWB's "Cariboo Cares" reforestation program in which the brewery contributes 25 cents to the cause for each six pack sold.

The trees, consisting of spruce and lodgepole pine seedlings, were planted at a site about 50 kilometres southwest of Prince George and came at a critical time for B.C.'s forestry-dependent Interior, said PWB general manager Scott Rattee.

"The downturn in the forest sector has taken a heavy toll with several hundred direct and in-direct jobs lost in Prince George and neighbouring Interior communities," he said,

Neil Hughes, a forester at the Ministry of Forest's lands' resource practices branch, echoed Rattee's comment.

"The unprecedented mountain pine beetle outbreak followed by catastrophic fires in 2017 and 2018 are going to require a huge effort to reforest," he said.

"Having local companies like PWB recognize the situation and, more importantly, step up to do something to help is a wonderful example for others to follow."

Last year, a team of more than 90 tree planters planted 100,000 seedlings on Crown land scorched by the Elephant Hill fire east of 70 Mile House.