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‘Na̲mg̲is First Nation, BC gov sign LOI to negotiate Forestry Reconciliation Agreement

‘Na̲mg̲is First Nation and the government of B.C. have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to negotiate a Forestry Reconciliation Agreement.

According to a government press release, the agreement, in addition to an updated Forestry Fund Agreement, will enhance governance capacity and develop a sustainable forestry program.

The negotiations will focus on land selection, revenue sharing and shared decision-making, building on past forestry projects to create new economic opportunities for the ‘Na̲mg̲is First Nation. This includes a pilot project between ‘Na̲mg̲is and WFP to create a forest landscape plan and Gwa’ni project between the B.C. government and ‘Na̲mg̲is – one of eight planning projects underway as part of the Provincial Initiative for Modernization of Land Use Planning.

As part of the updated forestry agreement, the province will continue to share funding based on the annual harvesting in ‘Na̲mg̲is territory.

“The letter of intent represents a path forward to true reconciliation of our title and rights related to forestry in our territory and we look forward to achieving an agreement that reflects our responsibility for stewardship of our resources and a sustainable, stable forestry sector that will benefit our members and the whole region,” said ‘Na̲mg̲is First Nation Chief Don Svanvik in a statement.