First Nations forest products a ripe opportunity in BC
Mountain Pine Beetle: Socio-Economic Strategies for First Nations
A future in forestry: It’s never looked brighter for First Nations
First Nations forest products a ripe opportunity in BC
By Shirley Collingridge
There is a movement afoot in British Columbia. Two men have teamed up with a powerhouse of organizations to revolutionize the role of First Nations people in Canada’s western forest industry.
Spearheading the movement are Frank Brown, First Nations Liaison, First Nations Forestry Value Added Industry, and Dave McRae, Industry Advisor to FPInnovations - Forintek Division. Brown is also a member of the Heiltsuk First Nation and Proprietor of See Quest Developments.
(Left) Frank Brown, First Nations Liaison, First Nations Forestry Vallue Added Industry.
(Right) Dave McRae, Industry Advisor to FPInnovations - Forintek Division.
The goal is to establish a First Nations forestry value-added industry by providing technical assistance. The First Nation Forestry Council (FNFC) partnered with FPInnovations-Forintek Division to deliver the three-year program Wood Products Technical Support Program for BC First Nations.
“The long-term goal is to have a First Nations forest products industry that is stand-alone,” said McRae. “It is really the birth of a new opportunity. This is a new venture for this generation, but it is not a new idea. Back in the sixties, First Nations had the concept, and before colonization, First Nations were involved to a degree in forest products and in value-added products.”
At the time, the problem was twofold – lack of technology and lack of access to wood. Now that the Crown has recognized Aboriginal rights, First Nations in British Columbia have access to nearly 30 million cubic metres of wood.
“Never before in the modern history of British Columbia have First Nations had access to the timber and other natural resources that we now have,” said Brown. “BC are non-treaty First Nations. So the government of British Columbia, the Crown, offered Forest and Range Agreements (FRA’s) or Forest and Range Opportunity Agreements (FRO’s) as an accommodation strategy to Aboriginal title in British Columbia.”
About 129 First Nations signed FRAs or FROs with the Provincial Ministry of Forests and Range, giving potential for greater First Nations involvement in the manufacture of wood products. In November 2006, as an indication of the importance of the FRO/As, the First Nations Chiefs of BC supported by consensus a BC Assembly of First Nations Resolution to “Establish a First Nation Forestry Value Added Industry in BC.”
“Hopefully the days are over when First Nations people are sitting on the side of the highway or in their community villages and watching the resources being extracted from their territories without receiving any benefits,” said Brown. “Currently we are not in a position to maximize the value and receive the maximum benefit, but with this program we are developing an implementation plan.”
To get that plan underway, “We visited 35 First Nation communities along the BC coast, 43 First Nations groups in the interior and 15 individual communities in the North,” said McRae. That equates to contact with almost half of the 200 First Nations communities province-wide.
“The response from the communities has been one of somewhat reserved enthusiasm,” said Brown, “hopeful that we could realize all the potential.”
“Currently, most First Nations are simply logging their timber and not being able to realize the true value that they have,” added McRae. “What Frank and I see here is an opportunity to address some of the unemployment issues. In almost every First Nation community, unemployment is about 85 per cent. There is an opportunity here to address that and also to address some of the socio-economic challenges in those communities as well.”
Based on their findings, says Brown, there are three areas of concern: “No capacity; minimal capacity consisting of portable band saw mills and maybe an edger; and three larger sized sawmills.”
McRae says the initiative is not meant to influence the decisions of First Nations communities, only to offer technical and other information to facilitate progress. “We are not telling anybody they should be doing this or doing that. All we are doing is offering a service. Because First Nations have been left out of the forest products industry for generations now, they do not have that background; they do not have that knowledge base. What we are offering is a service to try to get them up to speed,” he said.
“There is an opportunity to improve on the economic and employment development opportunities for First Nations people through the wood product side by adding value to our timber,” added Brown.
Despite downturns in the market, McRae believes these products will meet with success because Europe and Japan are eager to deal with First Nations companies. “One of the keys that we see in this program is to be able to brand the products as First Nation,” he said. “I believe this has the potential to open up markets.”
“Forintek has economists, marketing experts, mill layout experts and industry advisors. These professionals offer advice ranging from where the wood product market is, to designing a program around market demand, to offering advice about equipment based on that demand – as opposed to just building a system and deciding where you are going to sell the product,” said Brown.
As well, the program’s guiding principles directly reflect those of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.
“The objective is to build a system that helps ensure the success of a First Nations forest products industry by providing long-term opportunities to First Nations communities. That’s item one,” said McRae. “Item two is to contribute to the development of a sustainable long-term solution to address poverty and unemployment challenges in those communities.
“Item three is to help provide health, hope for communities, and contribute to the long-term sustainable wealth for individuals, band councils and community members involved in the First Nation forest products industry.”
Consequently, the program respects First Nation perspectives and methodologies, emphasizing partnerships and mutual understanding among the communities. The official launch is scheduled for September 21, 2007.
The First Nations Forestry Council of British Columbia will administrate the program. Other parties that have supported the program include the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) and the BC First Nations Leadership Council (BCFNLC) – a political accord between the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, the Assembly of First Nations, and the First Nations Summit.
The initiative is clearly an idea whose time has come. “I have had other First Nations in different parts of Canada call me and say, ‘How do we make this happen?’” said McRae. “I explained that they cannot even start unless they have access to fibre – to wood.”
About Forintek: On 1 April 2007, after 28 years of exceptional services as an independent institute, Forintek merged with FERIC and Paprican to create FPInnovations. The three institutes, together with the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre of Natural Resources Canada, have become the largest not-for-profit forest research institute in the world. For more information, visit www.forintek.ca.
About See Quest: Their mission is to move forward with employment and economic development for First Nations, focusing on Aboriginal tourism, indigenous and corporate relations, First Nations forestry value-added, and community development.
“It is my hope and dream to see First Nations take their rightful place in being able to share the bounty of the timber resources from our land,” concluded Brown. “I believe that this program is an important part of this new economic and political reality that is beginning to unfold in British Columbia. This is based on the New Relationship Accord and the reconciliation of Aboriginal and Crown title. This program addresses the economic component of Aboriginal title.”
Mountain Pine Beetle: Socio-Economic Strategies for First Nations
By Natasha Caverley and Roxanne Scott
Many First Nations communities in Western Canada are feeling the economic bite of the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB), an insect that has chewed its way through a broad swath of the lodgepole pine forest in the central and northern interior regions of British Columbia, now also appearing in Alberta. This infestation is causing environmental and socio-economic repercussions that are forcing many First Nations communities to make changes to their strategies for future development.
Some 40 percent of BC’s central and northern interior forests are lodgepole pine, the beetle’s favourite food. The BC Ministry of Forests & Range says that currently 9.2 million hectares are in the “red attack” stage in which the trees have turned a distinctive red indicating a serious, and probably fatal, infestation. It is estimated that by 2013, 80 percent of commercial lodgepole pine in BC will be killed.
For the over 100 First Nations territories affected by the MPB infestation, this natural disaster threatens the stability and long-term socio-economic and spiritual well-being of First Nations people. Over the next few years, there will be some upsurge in forestry activity as trees are cut to help slow the spread of the disease, control the fire threat that comes from large stands of dead or dying trees and maximize economic value of standing timber. MPB-damaged wood retains its structural strength and other properties for some five to 18 years depending on factors such as climate, and so remains harvestable. The characteristic blue streaks caused by the infestation do not affect the wood’s character but may make it less attractive to some purchasers.
However, in a longer timeframe, forestry activity is expected to decline significantly, potentially devastating to communities dependent on the forests for a wide range of needs. Communities that depend on tourism including services to hunters, fishing enthusiasts, guide outfitters and eco-tourism, may find these operations affected. Greater potential for forest fires, flooding and landslides can pose a significantly greater threat in isolated communities.
The interest many First Nations people have to the forest goes well beyond the economic value of harvested trees. A MPB-impacted forest is less productive of traditional foods and medicines, and for some, the spiritual and cultural aspects of the forest may be affected (e.g., disruption of ceremonial and traditional healing sites). There is also the loss of wildlife habitat, making traditional hunting, trapping and gathering more difficult. There is potential for greater erosion, with soil washed into streams, affecting aquatic habitats and fishing; thus, creating an impact on salmon fishery. With less vegetative cover to hold moisture, there may be greater fluctuations in water levels in lakes and streams, affecting hydro-electric power generation. MPB-caused damage may also have an effect on treaty negotiations as it will affect the commercial value of the land.
Combined, these factors may cause problems for First Nations communities seeking to diversify their economies and provide skills and employment to allow their members, particularly young people, to stay in the community.
Studies of the situation, including consultation with First Nations leaders and other members, indicates that not all communities will experience effects of the MPB infestation. Understanding the economic dimensions of vulnerability and risk can help guide policy and programming choices to help communities’ development and maintain sustainable economies.
One of the major factors is, of course, the severity and proximity of the MPB infestation to a community. There is not much that communities can do about this, although selective logging and prescribed burning may help slow the infestation.
A second factor is how economically dependent the community is on the forestry sector. Communities that are less economically dependent on the pine forestry industry, and those that are more economically diversified, may have an easier time adapting to the effects of the infestation by developing other economic sectors to off-set the expected large scale decline in forestry. Harvesting of non-timber forest resources (such as traditional foods, mushroom harvesting and botanical forest resources) are important cultural and economic activities for First Nations. The economic viability of harvesting and selling these resources are being investigated – to support the downturn in the forestry-related employment and income generating opportunities over the longer term. However, the potential impact of the MPB infestation on the integrity of the forest ecosystems can also affect the availability and sustainability of these non-timber forest resources for both traditional and commercial use.
A third factor is the economic capital and economic assets present within a community. Employment and income levels, skill levels and education, and successful community-based income generating initiatives contribute to economic resilience and to the collective ability of groups to respond positively to the infestation effects. Unfortunately, these assets are low in First Nations territories, making them more vulnerable and at risk.
It is clear that just as the effects of the MPB are diverse and will be experienced differently by different communities, so must be the responses First Nations territories make. While the effect of the MPB infestation is harsh, it is also long-term. First Nations are deciding on the right courses of action and starting to put their socio-economic development plans into effect by harmonizing their efforts with strategic partners such as government, industry and the broader community. The best actions will likely lie in capacity building, supporting economic diversification and on-going development of sustainable economies. With the heightened forestry activity over the next decade or so, there is the opportunity to build the foundation for a more diversified economy.
Mining may play a greater role in First Nations plan development. This may be through closer work with mining companies, finding ways to improve the economic benefits to the community through local employment, skills development and emphasizing economic spin-offs such as the support of local suppliers. There may also be greater scope for “micro-mining,” in which small, close-to-surface ore deposits are extracted in ways that meet First Nations values and needs. (For more on this, see Micro-mining: Meeting First Nations’ needs economically and spiritually in the May 2007 issue of Native Journal, by Chief Glenn Nolan of the Missinabie Cree First Nation and Eric Hinton of the environmental and geotechnical consulting company Golder Associates Ltd. This can be found at www.nativejournal.ca).
First Nations territories may also diversify their economies through creating companies that support the resource sector, through services such as the environmental monitoring of resource companies’ operations. Companies doing this kind of work include Siksika Environmental Ltd., owned by Siksika First Nation located about 100 km east of Calgary, AB and founded with some support from Golder Associates Ltd.
Institutionally, some strides are being made by First Nations leaders throughout the province by combining resources to develop a multi-pronged response. The political executives of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN), the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) and the First Nations Summit (FNS), having formed the First Nations Leadership Council, are showing a high degree of unity in establishing a coordinated and strategic response to the MPB epidemic that is impacting First Nations territories within British Columbia. Special projects such as the First Nations Mountain Pine Beetle Initiative (FNMPBI) have been established to harmonize First Nations and government strategic partnerships in the co-management of the MPB epidemic.
The FNMPBI focuses exclusively on collaborative facilitation, planning, negotiation and policy development relating to the MPB epidemic in First Nations territories. Overall, the FNMPBI fully recognizes the instrumental role that First Nations people (e.g., First Nations leaders and communities) play in mitigating the effects of the MPB attack on BC forests. The establishment of the FNMPBI is a partnership between the Province of BC (specifically, the Ministry of Forests and Range) and the First Nations Leadership Council facilitated by Four Directions Management Services Limited.
As partners, First Nations, the Governments of BC and Canada seek to establish a harmonized response to the MPB epidemic in core areas such as economic development and sustainability. In the short term, projects such as the FNMPBI are intended to align action plans across jurisdictional boundaries while respecting the appropriate roles of the partner governments. In the long term, the experience gained in responding to this natural resources challenge has the potential to serve as a basis for effectively engaging First Nations (from a management/decision-making perspective) in broader issues of ecosystem stewardship planning.
Roxanne Scott has a Master of Public Administration (Economics and Public Policy) degree from Carleton University in Ottawa ON, and is a Senior Socioeconomist in the Vancouver BC office of Golder Associates Ltd. She is a technical expert and advisor on socioeconomic impact assessment, community development planning, intergovernmental and local governance issues, institutional analysis, and capacity development planning. Email: rscott@golder.com
Dr. Natasha Caverley is currently the Performance Measurement & Planning Advisor for the First Nations Mountain Pine Beetle Initiative (FNMPBI) in Prince George BC. Natasha has over seven years of experience providing professional services such as strategic planning, program design and evaluation, research analysis and cultural/community facilitation to Aboriginal, provincial and federal levels of government. She holds an Interdisciplinary Ph.D in Organizational Studies from the University of Victoria. Natasha Caverley is of Algonquin ancestry. Email at: ncaverley@shaw.ca
A future in forestry: It’s never looked brighter for First Nations
By Gordon Prest,
Association of BC Forest Professionals
Right now, the potential and need for people with Aboriginal ancestry in the forest sector is at an all time high. First Nation communities need to take advantage of this situation and encourage more of their members to enter the sector. This is a very positive time for First Nations to be involved in the forest sector as jobs are waiting for qualified graduates.
The access and the responsibility for First Nations in the forest sector have never been greater and can be attributed to several factors. First Nations are now having greater input into how the forest is being managed as we are gaining greater access and reclaiming portions of our traditional territories due to favorable results with the BC treaty process and various court decisions. Although this is great news, it is only half the battle, since First Nation communities now need more qualified First Nations forestry professionals to fulfill these new responsibilities.
The need for First Nations members in forestry has increased in part because the Ministry of Forests and Range has reallocated up to 8% of the provincial annual allowable cut to First Nation communities as an interim measure to the treaty process. This reallocation has created new capacity building opportunities and opened new jobs for First Nations. Unfortunately, at this time, we lack sufficient numbers of qualified First Nations forest professionals to fill these positions and, as a result, we have hired non-Aboriginal RPFs to fill this need. Our long-term goal should be to hire our own Aboriginal forest professionals.
From a cultural perspective, it is a natural progression for First Nations to protect and take care of the forest while becoming more involved in the management of the forest lands. When looking to the future, it has been projected by the Aboriginal Forest Industry Council that by the year 2020 that up to 20% of the provincial annual allowable cut could be re-allocated to meet First Nation community needs; thus the future in forestry has never looked brighter for First Nations.
How do we meet this goal? It starts with building First Nations’ capacity by ensuring members receive the appropriate training and education in forestry. Prior to 1994, only three First Nations students graduated from the UBC Faculty of Forestry. By 2004 that number increased tenfold. This increase shows amazing progress, but our potential is far greater.
As the former First Nations’ Coordinator for the UBC Faculty of Forestry, our team constantly looked for new and innovative ways to increase enrollment of First Nations students in the faculty. We assessed the situation by looking at the barriers that limited First Nations from entering UBC. We discovered that cost to live in a large urban setting, large first- and second-year class sizes and an overall culture shock from living in the Lower Mainland played a significant role. These are all legitimate concerns, so we instituted the First Nations Forestry Bridging Partnership Program. This program allows First Nations and others to complete the first two years of the Bachelor of Science and Forestry degree program at Malaspina University College in Nanaimo and then transfer into the final two years at UBC. This institutional partnership program addresses these barriers and allows members of the First Nations community and others a more practical alternative when deciding to enter a forestry degree program to qualify as an RPF.
Usually when forestry is discussed today, we hear only about the negative aspects such as unsatisfactory cross-border trade agreements; the mountain pine beetle epidemic and how global warming is adversely affecting the practice of forestry. However, we should not overlook some of the more positive aspects of forestry such as the tremendous opportunity for First Nations in the forest sector.
In closing, I would like to say that Aboriginal forestry is not a sunset industry, but a sunrise industry. Now is our time to shine, and to create a more prominent and permanent presence for First Nations in the forest sector for the years to come.
Gordon Prest is a lay council member of the Association of BC Forest Professionals. He retired from the position of First Nations Coordinator for Faculty of Forestry at the University of BC and currently lives in Merritt, BC.