The B.C. government鈥檚 pledge to ensure 鈥渇ree, prior and informed consent鈥� for land use changes has been targeted by a group of Indigenous communities who want to grow their local forest economies.
The has rejected the province鈥檚 effort to work with them to redistribute Crown forest resources, citing a maze of complicated technical questions sent to First Nations with insufficient time for remote communities to answer them.
鈥淭he process is being expedited during a time of crisis due to wildfires,鈥� Chief Bill Williams, president of the council, said in a letter to Premier John Horgan and Forests Minister Katrine Conroy and made public Sept. 9. 鈥淭he timeline for consultation is disrespectful, compressed and expedited, and does not allow for meaningful and informed consultation.鈥�
is signed by Williams, a hereditary chief of the Seaichem Reserve the Squamish Nation, and supported by the Ashcroft, Canim Lake, Cook鈥檚 Ferry, Williams Lake, Upper Nicola and Little Shuswap Lake Indian Bands, as well as the Nisga鈥檃 Lisims Government, Nk鈥橫ip Forestry, T鈥橲e鈥檏ame Forestry and the Foothills, Fort Nelson, Katzie, Kitselas, Lhtako, Lil鈥檞at, Nuchatlaht, Skin Tyee, Stswecem鈥檆-Xgat鈥檛em, Tla鈥檃min and Tsay Keh Dene First Nations.
The group say a forest ministry 鈥溾�� issued this spring that calls for sweeping changes to forest policy and Indigenous participation was 鈥渄eveloped internally by ministry staff with no input from First Nations.鈥�
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The letter calls for an extension to the end of 2021 for the consultation. In a statement to Black Press, the forests ministry did not respond directly when asked if the extension is being considered.
鈥淭he intentions paper is about starting a conversation,鈥� the ministry stated. 鈥淚t draws upon the extensive engagement we鈥檝e done with First Nations and others on initiatives like the First Nations Forest Strategy, Interior Forest Sector Renewal, Coast Forest Sector Renewal, Forest and Range Practices Act improvement and the Old Growth Strategic Review.
鈥淓ngagement will be ongoing in the intentions paper as we work to reshape how forests are managed, and how to increase the participation of Indigenous people in the forest sector.鈥�
tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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