Lake Babine Nation has signed an agreement with the Province and West Fraser that drastically increases the size of the Nation's forest tenure.
Forest tenures are essentially logging rights and forest management agreements between the provincial government, which owns most of the forested land in B.C., and companies or groups that harvest wood.
Lake Babine Nation previously managed 5,600 hectares of forest under what's known as a First Nations woodland licence, which is a special type of long-term forest tenure that allows a First Nation to manage forest and land use on its territory, protecting traditional practices and benefiting economically in the process.
Under the new agreement, announced July 24 at a press conference in 亚洲天堂 Lake, Lake Babine Nation's woodland licence will expand to approximately 126,000 hectares of the Nation's territory. This includes areas northeast of Smithers near Wit'at (Fort Babine) and Old Fort.
Much of the land that was added to the Nation's woodland licence came from West Fraser's forest tenure. The agreement will see the Nation supply West Fraser with wood to be processed at West Fraser mills.
鈥淭his is real on-the-ground collaboration that gets things done for Lake Babine Nation, boosts the local economy and delivers for people across B.C.,鈥� Ravi Parmar, B.C.'s minister of forests, said in a press release from the Ministry of Forests. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a powerful partnership 鈥� one that secures a steady fibre supply for West Fraser and helps produce world-class, made-in-B.C. wood products.鈥�
The new agreement represents a significant accomplishment for the Lake Babine Nation, which has a goal to manage at least 250,000 cubic metres of forest tenure. That goal was laid out in 2020 as part of Lake Babine Nation鈥檚 Foundation Agreement鈥攁 20-year plan set forward by the Nation to assert their rights and title. The new agreement brings the Nation's woodland licence up to approximately 230,000 cubic metres,
鈥淎s stewards of our lands since time immemorial and still today, Lake Babine Nation has forever recognized the deep responsibility we hold in ensuring our forests are managed with ecological respect and generational sustainability,鈥� said Chief Wilf Adam of Lake Babine Nation in the press release.
鈥淔orestry is not just an industry; its principles and mechanisms are woven into our identity, our traditions and our vision for the future. With the support of the Province, our new partnership with West Fraser will advance Lake Babine Nation toward prosperous new opportunities, along with the interconnected local economies within our area of influence. It's a flexible agreement aimed at our great-grandchildren, through the health of our ecology and economy in balance.鈥�
West Fraser and Lake Babine Nation had two previous forest tenure agreements. Sean McLaren, CEO of West Fraser, said the new agreement will help drive the local economy.
鈥淚 want to congratulate the Lake Babine Nation on what we have been able to build together,鈥� he said in the press release. "By recognizing the importance of fibre security and Indigenous partnerships, the Province is helping secure the future of the forest sector in Smithers 鈥� for our employees, contractors, local businesses and communities throughout the region.鈥�
With this new agreement, approximately 20 per cent of B.C.'s annual allowable cut is now managed by First Nations, according to the press release, which meets a target set out by the Province in 2021.
