The ministry’s five-year action plan for implementing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act) fails to include any of the priority areas and concrete actions identified in the BC & First Nations Forestry Strategy that should be used to guide and inform forest policy and legislation reform over the next five years.
Actions listed in the plan regarding rights of Nations to own, use, develop and control forests lands and resources within their territories are vague, and not measurable milestones.
Priority areas of work that should be listed under the 2021-2026 Actions include:
- Development of new forest revenue sharing models to increase revenue sharing to 50% over the next three years,
- Tenure reform and reallocation to increase First Nations access to volume and decision-making regarding forest management,
- Reform of the Timber Supply Review process, and
- Access to resources for all First Nations to develop the own land use plans (LUP), and support their meaningful participation in collaborative LUP processes with the Province.
To download and read the full letter submitted by the Forestry Council, click here.