The State of BC’s Forests The Indicators First Nations involvement — PDF print version

Indicator 19 – First Nations involvement

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Overview

• Forests have been economically, culturally and spiritually significant to First Nations people for thousands of years. First Nations people (not including Metis) now make up about 3% of British Columbia’s population, and most live in rural communities near the forest land base.
• Involvement by First Nations in the forest sector’s economic opportunities has increased over the past 20 years.
• Many First Nations in B.C. have unresolved aboriginal rights and title issues.

STATE

mixed

TREND

improving

INFORMATION

adequate

Questions about First Nations involvement

19-1	What timber harvesting opportunities do First Nations have?
19-2	In what ways do First Nations participate in the forest sector?
19-3	How are First Nations interests considered in forest management?
19-4	Are unresolved aboriginal rights and title issues being addressed?
	What does this indicator tell us about sustainable forest management?

Related indicators

• Timber harvesting puts pressure on First Nations’ traditional cultural uses of the forests, including hunting of wildlife (see Species diversity).
• High rates of unemployment in many First Nations communities create difficult social pressures (see Jobs and communities).
• Management responses include consultation, changes in policy, law, and allocation of forest resources (see Law, Ownership and management), and resolution of aboriginal rights and title issues.

Indicator 19-1

What timber harvesting opportunities do First Nations have?

• Timber harvesting and related milling can provide important economic development opportunities to First Nations.
• The timber harvest volume under tenures held by First Nations increased to 3% of the provincial allowable annual cut (AAC) over the past two decades. The graph shows permitted, not actual, harvests.
• About three-quarters of the timber harvest volume is held by bands or band-owned companies.
• Joint ventures with non-aboriginal companies account for most of the remainder, and provide opportunities for First Nations to develop skills and entrepreneurial capacity.
• Rates of involvement vary around the province, depending on First Nations’ interest and capacity and the availability of unallocated timber.
• Recent initiatives enable the sharing of forestry revenues with First Nations, direct awards to First Nations and reallocation of timber from major licensees to First Nations. Over the next few years, First Nations involvement is expected to increase to 8% of the provincial AAC.

Information

• Records of First Nations’ timber tenures are reliable for recent years.
• The MoF began systematic gathering of data on First Nations’ tenures in 1995. Some minor gaps are known to exist in the data before 1995.

Sources: MoF’s Aboriginal Affairs

Related maps: First Nations Bands (PDF)

Detailed information: Indicator 19-1 (Excel)

• MP (1999) none
• CCFM (1995) 6.2.1
• CCFM (2003) none

Indicator 19-2

In what ways do First Nations participate in the forest sector?

• First Nations hold timber tenures, work in the forest sector (e.g., logging, milling, fire fighting, tree planting), pursue training in forestry, and consult on forest management. Employment provides direct economic benefits to individuals and communities.
• Census data show that aboriginal direct employment in the forest sector increased 60% between 1981 and 2001, from 3,930 to 6,300, or from 3.5% to 7.7% of total direct employment in the forest sector.
• Aboriginal employment in all sectors increased 248% over these two decades, while total B.C. employment increased 45%.
• With increasing education and training in forestry, First Nations individuals are filling more technical and professional positions.
• First Nations are increasingly participating in opportunities to have their interests considered, primarily through the sharing of information with government and the forest industry.
• Harvesting of fish, wildlife and other non-timber forest products continues to play an important role in First Nations’ livelihoods and culture.

Information

• Employment statistics are from the Canada census. The high aboriginal growth rates are partly due to increasing self-identification as aboriginal.
• Information on the use of non-timber forest products is incomplete.

Sources: Statistics Canada

Related maps: First Nations Bands (PDF)

Detailed information: Indicator 19-2 (Excel)

• MP (1999) 6.5.a
• CCFM (1995) 6.2.1
• CCFM (2003) 5.3.5

Indicator 19-3

How are First Nations interests considered in forest management?

• Forest management directly affects the economic, social and legal interests of First Nations.
• The government and the forest industry collect information on aboriginal interests by consulting with First Nations and supporting projects that collect and document information about traditional use.
• Both government and the forest industry have increased their level of consultation with First Nations over time. Court decisions on aboriginal rights issues have prompted development of consultation policies.
• Over the past decade, 55 traditional use projects have documented traditional ecological knowledge and cultural use of land and resources. These projects have involved 126 of 199 bands in the province.
• The government and the forest industry consider information on aboriginal interests in activities such as land use planning and forest management decision-making.

Information

• The quality of information collected in traditional use projects varies.
• Information from the traditional use projects and consultations is available to the involved First Nations and within government.

Sources: MoF’s Aboriginal Affairs, MSRM’s Business Solutions

Related maps: First Nations Bands (PDF)

Detailed information: Indicator 19-3 (Excel)

• MP (1999) 7.1.a
• CCFM (1995) 6.1.1, 6.2.2
• CCFM (2003) 6.1.1, 6.2.1

Indicator 19-4

Are unresolved aboriginal rights and title issues being addressed?

• Resolution of aboriginal rights and title issues is expected to increase certainty for land and resource development in B.C. The preferred approach to addressing these issues is through treaty negotiations.
• Historical treaties signed in the 1800s covered 7% of the First Nations population in 1999.
• In 2000, the Nisga’a Treaty and an adhesion to Treaty 8 increased that coverage to 12% of the First Nations population.
• Over 40 First Nations groups, involving more than 60% of the First Nations population, are currently in tripartite negotiations with the provincial and federal governments. Most are in the fourth stage of the six-stage process – negotiation of an agreement in principle.
• These negotiations are overseen and facilitated by the BC Treaty Commission, an independent body established in 1992 by Canada, British Columbia and the First Nations Summit.
• Interim measures agreements are used to address aboriginal rights and title issues while treaty negotiations are under way. They provide interim solutions and economic opportunities such as forest tenures and revenue sharing.

Information

• Treaty process information is well documented and readily available.

Sources: BC Treaty Commission, BC Treaty Negotiations Office, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, MSRM’s Business Solutions

Related maps: First Nations Bands (PDF)

Detailed information: Indicator 19-4 (Excel)

• MP (1999) 7.1.a
• CCFM (1995) 6.1.1
• CCFM (2003) 6.1.1

 

Indicator 19 – First Nations involvement What does this indicator tell us about sustainable forest management? State mixed Forests are economically, culturally and spiritually significant to B.C.’s First Nations, who have depended on them for thousands of years. The timber harvest volume held by First Nations (about 3% of the province’s allowable annual cut) is proportional to the First Nations population (about 3% of the province’s population). The percentage of First Nations people employed in the forest sector is similar to that of other British Columbians working in the sector. First Nations’ interests are considered in forest management decisions. Treaty negotiations currently involve more than 40 First Nations and more than 60% of the First Nations population. The economic situation of many First Nations is not satisfactory. It is expected to improve with treaty settlements and other initiatives, including reallocation of timber rights. These initiatives, however, have also caused considerable short-term uncertainty for the forest industry. Trend improving Over the past two decades, First Nations access to economic opportunities based on timber has increased substantially. Between 1981 and 2001, First Nations employment in the forest sector increased 60%. Consultation on forest management decisions has also increased, and documentation of traditional uses has improved. Several First Nations are close to negotiating modern treaties, and many more are well into the process. Further work is required to resolve many aboriginal rights and title issues. In the long term, these changes are expected to provide greater certainty around forestry and other issues for First Nations, the provincial government, the forest industry and other British Columbians, thereby increasing social and economic sustainability. Information adequate Large amounts of information have been collected and documented to inform forest management decisions, interim measures agreements and treaty negotiations.