B.C.’s Huu-ay-aht First Nation signed the first-ever First Nations' woodland licence with the B.C. government December 2.
This new licence provides the Huu-ay-aht First Nation with the ability to harvest approximately 70,000 cubic metres of timber per year within a 9,500-hectare area next to their treaty settlement land, 10 km northeast of Bamfield.
The licence will allow the Huu-ay-aht First Nation to have more say in the management of the land consistent with the culture and values of their community, the B.C. government said in a release.
The First Nations' woodland licence is a new, long-term, area-based tenure.
“This First Nations woodland licence gives Huu-ay-aht First Nation the ability to plan their future and build for longer-term economic certainty and stability,” said Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson. “It also supports jobs for Huu-ay-aht’s families.”
Long-term tenures, starting at 25 years, provide increased tenure security and improve First Nations' ability to secure investment and loans.
The First Nations' woodland licence was a recommendation of
the working roundtable on forestry.
Glen Korstrom
@GlenKorstrom