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VICTORIA – A draft Strategic Land Use Agreement (SLUA) initialled by
the government and the Council of the Haida Nation moves the islands known as
Haida Gwaii or Queen Charlotte Islands a large step closer to resolution of
long-standing land use and resource management issues,
Agriculture and Lands Minister Pat Bell announced today.
Intended
to address the recommendations of an earlier Haida Gwaii land use planning
process, the initialling of the draft SLUA is an outcome of
government-to-government discussions initiated by the Province under a 2005
letter of understanding with the Haida Nation, and is an important step forward
in the process of ratifying a final agreement.
“I’m pleased that we have
reached this milestone in the planning process and look forward to continued
collaboration to reach a final agreement for all communities and residents of
Haida Gwaii” said Bell. “The initialling of this agreement represents the
culmination of years of hard work and collaboration by many people, and is an
example of the respect and cooperation which characterises the New Relationship
between government and First Nations.”
Guujaaw, president of the Council of the Haida
Nation said: “Through this process we have maintained the values that have
given us our culture, while at the same time setting the stage for a
sustainable Island economy.”
The draft agreement
recommends:
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Permanent protection for approximately 225,000
ha of land for natural, cultural, spiritual and recreational values, while
balancing environmental sustainability with the social and economic needs of
the Islands’ communities.
·
The analysis,
testing, and establishment of land use objectives implementing ecosystem based
management or EBM.
·
A timber harvest of at least 800,000 m3 per year to maintain
social and community stability.
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Following
ratification of the agreement, the establishment of appropriate committees to
ensure locally driven implementation and monitoring of the agreement and
EBM practices.
“The next step in the process will be for the government and the Haida
to begin public, community and stakeholder consultations with local
governments, residents and industry sectors before a final decision is reached
on ratifying the agreement,” added Bell.
A community-based,
strategic land use planning process, involving a community planning forum and
jointly chaired by the B.C. government and the Haida Nation, was initiated for
the Queen Charlotte Islands / Haida Gwaii in September 2003. The planning
process concluded in February 2005 and the recommendations of the community
planning forum were forwarded to the parties for further consideration. Government to government
negotiations with the Council of Haida Nations resumed in 2006 and a community
viability study was also developed to complement any final land use strategy.
The Community Viability Strategy and Action Plan for Haida Gwaii/Queen
Charlotte Islands is currently nearing completion and will soon be provided to
government for consideration. It will
contain a number of locally-generated recommendations for improving all aspects
of the economy on the Islands, and is intended to provide a blueprint for a
sustainable Islands economy.
Provincial government and Haida representatives
intend to host a number of public meetings and consultations on the draft SLUA
over the summer before assembling final recommendations for ratification.
To view a map of the area and a copy of the initialled agreement, please see http://www.mediaroom.gov.bc.ca/DisplayEventDetails.aspx?eventId=374.
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Communications Director Ministry of Agriculture and Lands 250 356-2862 250 213-3072 (cell) |
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