DISTRICT OF HOPE GAINS COMMUNITY FOREST OPPORTUNITY

HOPE – Today Yale-Lillooet MLA Dave Chutter and Forests Minister Michael de Jong announced a community forest opportunity for aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities and local industry in the Hope area, providing new forest sector opportunities and local control of forest resources.

“This community forest opportunity will strengthen the local economy by diversifying the area’s economic base and creating jobs,” said Chutter. “What’s more, revenues can be used as the communities see fit, to meet their specific needs and objectives.”

“Through the Forestry Revitalization Plan, timber reallocation and the small tenures expansion program we are finding ways of cultivating greater diversity in our forest sector, while giving regions what no previous government has been able to deliver – more control of their local forest resources,” said de Jong.

The proponents include representatives from the District of Hope, Yale First Nation and Fraser Valley Regional District, Electoral Area ‘B’. The proponents will be invited to apply for a probationary community forest agreement, providing up to 34,300 cubic metres of timber annually in the Fraser timber supply area. Before an agreement can be awarded, the Ministry of Forests must consult with area First Nations.

“If the award of a community forest is accepted by our citizens, our community forest initiative partners and the Province, we would look forward to working with local stakeholders to create a forestry business able to provide maximum benefits to families and workers in our community,” said District of Hope Mayor Gordon Poole.

“I think that the training and employment opportunities from this announcement and the forestry agreement signed earlier today will help the Yale First Nation and neighbours develop capacity in the forest industry within our Traditional Territory,” said Yale Chief Robert Hope. “Today’s announcements are a step in the right direction and will help us in the interim, while negotiating a treaty with B.C. and Canada to define our Aboriginal rights.”

“Together with the Province, the District of Hope, the Yale First Nation and the Fraser Valley Regional District, we intend to create a community forest plan that will be a first step toward a viable, sustainable forestry operation to bring lasting economic and social benefits to communities in the Hope region,” said Arne Zabell, Electoral Area ‘B’ director, Fraser Valley Regional District.

The timber volume will be available once the provincewide timber reallocation process is complete. Under the Forestry Revitalization Plan, government committed to reallocate timber to communities, woodlot operators and First Nations to diversify the forest economy.

Community forest agreements are a mechanism by which the province transfers decision-making to communities that wish to more fully participate in the stewardship of their local forest resources. Community forest tenures are area-based, giving the agreement-holders exclusive stewardship of an area of forestland over the term of the agreement.

The probationary agreements are initially for five years, at which time they may be extended for another five years or replaced with a long-term agreement of 25 to 99 years. Since August 2004, government has provided community forest opportunities for 25 communities across the Province.

For more information on this community forest agreement opportunity and other ministry programs visit: http://www.gov.bc.ca/for/.

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1 backgrounder(s) attached.
Media contact:	Don McDonald Communications Director Ministry of Forests 250 387-8486

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