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Nakusp hosts BC Community Forest Association conference

Nakusp is finally getting its chance to host the BC Community Forest Association’s annual conference. The 2020 event was scheduled to be held in Nakusp, but was cancelled due to the pandemic. This year marks the first time the forum has been held in-person since 2019 and celebrates the 20th anniversary of the BCCFA.

“It provides an opportunity to showcase Nakusp and area,” said Frances Swan, project manager of the Nakusp and Area Community Forest (NACFOR), “and of course showcase the Nakusp Community Forest.”

NACFOR is the host of the conference, which Swan expects will bring about 120 attendees from across the province, including many industry experts who will make presentations on forestry related topics.

The event includes workshops, field trips, the BCCFA’s annual general meeting and a banquet with Minister of Forests Katrine Conroy as special guest. Conroy will present the Robin Hood Memorial Award for Excellence in Community Forestry at the banquet.

The award is presented in memory of past BCCFA President Robin Hood, who, with a good dose of humour, named his forestry company Sherwood Forest Contracting Ltd. The award provides a $10,000 grant to the winning community forest operation.

Conference field trips include tours of the Kalesnikoff Mass Timber Plant, the Slocan Valley Community Forest’s wildfire risk reduction projects, the Nakusp and Area Community Forest tenure and Southern Mountain Selkirk Caribou Maternity pen. These are to be followed by professional development seminars taking place on Wednesday, October 19.

The main events on Thursday, October 20 include updates on provincial forest policy, a panel discussing landscape level planning, a talk on forest carbon offsets, a session discussing wildfire resilience and finally the 20th anniversary banquet at 6 pm.

Events wrap up at noon on Friday, October 21 after the AGM and a talk on the future of the forestry industry.

Sessions and the banquet are being held in the Nakusp and District Community Complex auditorium.

John Boivin is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter.