BC forest companies and First Nation among recipients of conservation award
Blueberry River First Nation and BC sign deals on land management
Pine seed orchards under attack
BC forest companies and First Nations among recipients of conservation award
Member companies of the Coast Forest Conservation Initiative (CFCI) – BC Timber Sales, Canfor Corporation, Catalyst Paper Corporation, International Forest Products and Western Forest Products – were among the recipients of The Gift to the Earth award, WWF International’s highest international accolade for conservation outcomes.
The award, presented May 9 by James Leape, Director General of WWF International, also recognized environmental groups (ForestEthics, Greenpeace and Sierra Club of Canada, BC Chapter), First Nations (Coastal First Nations, Turning Point Initiative and the Nanwakolas Council) and the Government of British Columbia for more than a decade of work that ultimately led to final land use decisions for British Columbia’s central and north coast planning regions.
Reynold Hert, president and CEO of Western Forest Products, who accepted the award on behalf of the companies, said it is one more example of the global significance of the coast region and the land use agreements.
“It is an honour for the companies of CFCI to be recognized for global leadership by an organization as respected as WWF,” Hert said. “What’s even more important is knowing we are making a difference on the ground, one that will bring new approaches to forest conservation and management, and greater certainty for companies and our customers. The process that led to the coast vision brought together divergent groups and opened an important dialogue that continues today.”
The Gift to the Earth award is in recognition of the participatory land use planning process that led to the identification of protected areas in the coast region and a move toward a new eco-system-based management approach to forest management, as well as the establishment of conservation and sustainable development funding mechanism to support coastal communities.
The Gift to the Earth is awarded to individuals, companies, institutions or governments who have demonstrated environmental leadership, and have made a globally significant contribution to the conservation of the natural world. WWF is one of the world’s largest and most experienced independent conservation organizations.
Hot, dry conditions that sparked a forest fire in northeastern Ontario, closed a highway and forced the evacuation of a provincial park recently.
Provincial police closed a road near Kettle Lakes park after the fire – known as Timmins 3 – jumped the road. Shortly afterward, the St. Andrew Clavos mine was also shut down.
Police evacuated the Charland Lake and Guiness Lake areas which have roughly 80 to 100 cottages. Crews and water bombers were used to control the blazes.
Meanwhile, an emergency order has been lifted for a forest fire 100 kilometres northeast of Sault Ste. Marie.
Blueberry River First Nation and BC sign deals on land management
By Hardy Friedrich
Blueberry River First Nation and the provincial government have signed four agreements regarding land management of oil and gas, mining practices and forestry practices.
Three 13-year pacts strengthen the Treaty 8 First Nation’s ability to provide input on land use in the reserves 1,500-hectare area and a fourth agreement allows access to 1,000 cubic metres of timber in the Fort St. John, BC timber supply area over five years.
All Crown agencies, along with industrial tenures, applications and permits, fall under the agreements.
“This was a long, hard road for both sides, but in the end we got an agreement that would work for both parties. My vision is a long, working relationship with the province,” said Chief Norman Yahey at the ceremony.
Premier Gordon Campbell heralded the agreements as a move towards the governments “New Relationship” with B.C. First Nations.
“The Blueberry River First Nation has come here today to celebrate their success in mapping out their journey to the future. They will assure that we close the economic, health and social gaps between Aboriginal people and non-aboriginal people,” he said.
Blueberry chief negotiator Howard Southwell said the two sides have been working on the agreements for the past year and there are four to six more expected to be signed in the next 18 months.
There are currently no projects on the reserve affected by the new agreements but they’ll provide a framework for upcoming industry practices and a model for the future, Southwell said.
“These agreements directly deal with the normal regulatory processes,” he said in an interview after the ceremony. “These decisions may not be directly related to whether a permit is issued or not, but they start dealing with the creation of standards and operating procedures.”
David Price, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers vice-president of Western Canadian operations, said this was a step forward after the association approached the Liberals in the early days of government to build certainty for oil and gas activity on First Nations land.
“It’s important to the oil and gas industry in the sense that it provides a great deal of certainty around how we do our business, how decision-making will occur, the timeliness of decisions and that really informs investment decisions for the oil and gas industry,” he said.
The Blueberry First Nation has about 400 members and its reserve is located approximately 80 kilometres northwest of Fort St. John.
Pine seed orchards under attack
By Malcolm McColl
Despite being marginalized by underfunding, the Aboriginal Forest Industry Council (AFIC) continues to evolve into a business group, and currently stages workshops for First Nations with forestry business operators and planners.
Keith Atkinson, owner of Coast Forest Management (in its 25th anniversary as a First Nation-owned professional forest company), Port Alberni, B.C., is member of the board of directors of AFIC. The face of the board is changing. Long suffering Victor Godin continues to manage operations and everything remains volunteer, but professional foresters predominate on the new board.
Sitting are Keith Atkinson, Lennard Joe, Dave Norquist, Dave Walkem, and others, including esteemed Earl Smith as chairperson. These are Registered Professional Foresters who work in B.C.'s forests. “We have representation from coast and Interior, professionals, consultants, band foresters, and a committee with age and youth, a good team ready to actually help grow the forestry business for First Nations.”
Atkinson said Forest Range Agreements are available, good deals and tenure opportunities, do exist, and workshops from AFIC are intended to assist those who stepped in. “What tools help make a venture successful? It takes certain ‘tools’ to make it work and the workshops give information about how to make it work. There are obstacles.”
Atkinson said AFIC remains effective, “It’s filling a seat in the table, it is a leaderhip group. AFIC members are findng solutions to support the business guy. These learning workshops are scheduled for June in Port Alberni and and Sept in the interior. “We are looking for the money to do it.” AFIC has a future. “We want to turn it into an organization that can supply a consulting team to new business.”
Jim Kusisto is the manager of the Skimikim Nursery in the Shuswap, central B.C., said Kusisto agreed the Mountain Pine Beetle remains a massive problem, but work for nurseries proceeds as usual. “We have a mix of greenhouses and outdoor plantations, and are shipping seedlings for planting as we speak.”
He said the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) continues to consume the attention of the industry. “It is unprecedented. It is a matter of continuing to try to get the problem under control. Also the foresters have to learn more about maximizing the use of the product.”
He noted that pine tree seed orchards have been attacking orchards filled with younger pine trees, and, “Cone production is affected in our plantations, so these are spread around, plus we have seed in storage.” He said the northern B.C. seed plantations have the older generation seed orchards that have seen seriously beetle attacked. No more seeds will out of some plantations there.
He said the worry is the adaptive beetle attacking younger trees.
“It may affect tourism. When the trees are dead the shade is gone, and sunshine removes the snowpack sooner, communties will hear high flood warnings. It’s an amazing thing how one little insect affects the entire environment.”
The economy is booming right now, but, he said, there will be a downturn when the AAC drops. To rebuild the forestry in the aftermath, Kusisto said, “Mixed species planting is becoming a study. People are experimenting in planting Douglas Fir, or spruce in wetter areas.”
Kusisto explained an amazing phenomenon of forest fire: “After a fire has burned down a forest, an area will come in entirely in pine because they possess serotonous cones,” which actually sprout under the conditions of the heat. “Pine comes back thick and predominant.”
Kusisto added, “These old forests like Tweedsmuir Park which originates the bugs, fires have been prevented, so the bug is not an accident. After many centuries we still don’t know how to fit our practices into the cycle.”