A B.C. Interior First Nation is one step closer to holding a woodland license in its traditional territory after signing an agreement with West Fraser.
Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) has signed a joint development agreement with West Fraser to combine local tenure volumes into a single First Nations Woodland License.
WLFN Chief Willie Sellars described the agreement as a positive step towards reconciliation.
“This agreement allows WLFN to manage forestry activities in key areas of interest while keeping our stewardship priorities at the forefront," Sellars said in a news release. "This agreement is positive for the sustainability of the forestry industry in our region and will deliver employment and long-term benefits to Williams Lake First Nation members, other residents, and the regional forestry sector.”
West Fraser president and CEO Sean McLaren noted the agreement recognizes the importance of the WLFN in leading the forest resource management in their traditional territory, and continues the company's work of building new, meaningful relationships.
“By providing a measure of fibre security for West Fraser, partnerships like this one will be key to restoring a thriving forest sector in the province," McLaren noted in the news release.
John Walker, stewardship forester for WLFN, told Black Press Media the license will be volume-based at the outset and will mostly focus on areas east of Williams Lake toward Horsefly and Crooked Lake, not the whole area, but portions of it.
For several years residents in the Horsefly area have expressed concerns about extensive logging in the and loggin plans for the future, hosting public meetings with industry and government representatives.
When asked about those types of concerns, Walker said the public can expect to see more intensive management, not the status quo.
"The plan is to do commercial thinning," he noted. "It is a good growing site so there will still be a fair amount of harvesting, but it will be different," he confirmed. "It won't be the blanketed 100-hectare clearcut, it will be more selective."
In the future WLFN hopes to have an area-based license and Walker said there will be more silviculture opportunities and hopefully better management.
WLFN will be looking at the watershed and equivalent clearcut area to make sure they are managing it properly, he added.
Presently there are not many WLFN community members working in the forest industry and Walker said they are hoping to grow that number.
He confirmed the agreement still needs to be approved by the province.
"This is just the initial step, there are still many steps to go," he said, adding they have been in talks with West Fraser about the agreement over the last four years.
While the agreement will not increase timber supply for West Fraser, WLFN is working on a long-term agreement and purchasing agreement for market and buying of timber.
"Part of that is staffing and this isn't something to put people out of work, it's to create more work. We don't want West Fraser and contractors to think they will be out of work. That's not the case. We're working together to increase the employment in the area."
The license will be fully-owned by WLFN, he said, noting in the beginning WLFN and West Fraser will be working together but it will all have to go through WLFN for the management.
Walker said West Fraser signed an agreement with Lake Babine First Nation, when asked if there are other examples in B.C. of similar agreements.
"It is a new process and everybody is learning the steps and figuring out how to make this work."
Presently WLFN owns Borland Creek Logging, a chipper and recently created a new company - Williams Lake Forestry Company Ltd. which will be looking after all of WLFN's tenures.
Aside from the tenure that will go into the new agreement, WLFN already has a non-replaceable forest license to harvest dead timber or timber designated as priority by the Ministry of Forests district manager.
With the five-year non-replaceable license WLFN can harvest 26,666 cubic metres annually anywhere within the Williams Lake TSA, but WLFN sticks to its traditional territory, Walker said.
WLFN also has a woodlot with three separate sections - one by Brunson Lake, the second near the cell tower behind Sugar Cane and the third at Knife Creek, south of Williams Lake.
The community is also part of the Williams Lake Community Forest in partnership with the city of Williams Lake.
"We are very excited," Walker said of the joint agreement. "This has been a long process and it's not over, but this is a big step."
