A planning and reconciliation agreement between four member Nations of the Na̲nwaḵolas Council and Western Forest Products Inc. (Western) includes an agreement to defer harvest of approximately 2,500 hectares of ancient, rare and other priority old growth for two years in support of Province’s Old Growth Strategy.
The Na̲nwaḵolas agreement covers 100% of the ancient and remnant trees in 1,068 hectares identified by the Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) within Tree Farm Licence 39-2 on central Vancouver Island, Canada. Another 1,506 hectares of priority large, remnant and ancient forests have been deferred through other bi-lateral initiatives between Na̲nwaḵolas and Western, including a Large Cultural Cedar Protocol, TFL ecosystem mapping and an addition to the H’kusam area, originally deferred in the fall of 2020.
As recommended by the Old Growth Strategic Review, deferrals are a temporary measure to prevent irreversible biodiversity loss while First Nations, the Province, tenure holders and other partners work to employ sustainable forest management in a manner that prioritizes ecosystem health and community resiliency throughout B.C.
This agreement is supported by previous agreements between Na̲nwaḵolas Council and Western based upon pre-existing sustainable forest management standards that include retention of rare ecosystems. Western and Na̲nwaḵolas Council have a long-standing relationship, including working together on forest stewardship, and have agreed to complete collaborative plans that address their shared interests during the next two years.
The Province is bringing together co-ordinated and comprehensive supports for workers, communities and First Nations to offset economic impacts that may follow from new approaches to managing old-growth forests in BC. Last month, the Province announced it was making nearly $19 million in new funding available for the remainder of 2021-22 to provide enhanced supports, which are now in place.
