OTTAWA – British Columbia is now closer to identifying new mineral and energy deposits in areas of mountain pine beetle infestations as a result of new data collected during a recent helicopter survey west of Williams Lake, Quesnel and Prince George. Funding for this survey was announced by the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources, on September 24, 2007, as part of Canada's Mountain Pine Beetle Program.
"Our government has committed $1 billion over 10 years to help communities that have suffered from this infestation, including $6 million for mapping areas for potential mineral prospecting," said Minister Lunn. "Mineral exploration will help to diversify the resource economies of beetle-infested areas and is an important part of the overall strategy to help affected communities."
Since 2006, the Government of Canada has announced several mountain pine beetle initiatives, including:
- $26 million to control the spread of the beetle;
- $6.5 million in fire protection;
- $1.1 million on new opportunities for mountain pine beetle wood; and
- $6 million in mineral exploration.
"Over the long term, new mine and energy projects will provide excellent jobs and economic growth opportunities to communities affected by the mountain pine beetle and to those working in the rapidly changing forest sector," said Minister Lunn.
The new data is part of Canada's Geoscience for Mountain Pine Beetle Program (MPB) and is available free at http://gdr.nrcan.gc.ca/gravity.
FOR BROADCAST USE:
British Columbia is closer to identifying new mineral and energy deposits in areas of mountain pine beetle infestations as a result of new data collected during a recent helicopter survey west of Williams Lake, Quesnel and Prince George. The survey was funded as part of the Government of Canada's Mountain Pine Beetle Program.
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