The board of directors of 亚洲天堂 Lake鈥檚 newest community forest - Chinook Community Forest - considered its first year of operations a 鈥渟uccess.鈥�

From April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017, Chinook generated a net profit of over $1.6 million. The Chinook board has decided to distribute 35 per cent of the net profit to its shareholders.

鈥淭he company needs to retain earnings and liabilities that go along with holding a forest licence,鈥� explained Ken Nielsen, Chinook鈥檚 interim general manager.

This means that each of the six local First Nations received approximately $80,000, while the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako received about $50,000 and the Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake received roughly $33,000.

No salaries exceeded $75,000 in the first year of Chinook鈥檚 operations.

鈥淭he board of directors really stepped up to the plate and gave it their all in this first year,鈥� said Nielsen. 鈥淭he difficult part was getting things set up and operational.鈥�

Although Chinook became incorporated on March 31, 2016, actual logging operations didn鈥檛 begin until November 2016 due to a lengthy process to obtain a forest stewardship plan.

Between November 2016 and March 2017, Chinook harvested 130,000 cubic metres of fibre.

鈥淲e logged a year鈥檚 worth of fibre in three and a half months,鈥� said Nielsen.

Chinook鈥檚 annual allowable cut is set at 150,000 cubit metres for its first three years, dropping to 65,000 cubit metres in 2020.

Although Chinook operated as a managing board in its first year of operations, the community forest is now in the process of hiring a full-time general manager to separate its operational side from the board of directors. The position will be advertised in the next few weeks and the new general manager is expected to be chosen by the end of September.

Meanwhile Nielsen will continue as the interim general manager, and Miles Fuller has become Chinook鈥檚 new president.

Chinook has a temporary office located inside the 亚洲天堂 Lake Community Forest鈥檚 office, but the board is currently looking for a new office space.

When it comes to community donations, Chinook distributed $3000 in its first year to Lake District Secondary School for scholarships. Nielsen said community donations are expected to increase in Chinook鈥檚 second year.

鈥淎 sub committee has been set up and they are working on a donation policy and application process,鈥� he explained.

For more information, visit the community forest鈥檚 new website at http://chinookcomfor.ca/