B.C. forestry companies have agreed to follow Indigenous protocols pertaining to large cultural cedars set by a B.C. Indigenous Council.

Several firms, including Western Forest Products Inc. and Interfor, as well as BC Timber Sales have indicated their intention to abide by traditional laws outlined in B次元官网网址淟arge Cultural Cedar (LCC)Operation Protocol,B次元官网网址� according to a statement from the Nanwakolas Council.

The council consists of five First Nations members B次元官网网址揗amalilikulla, Tlowitsis, DaB次元官网网址檔axdaB次元官网网址檟w Awaetlala, Wei Wai Kum, and KB次元官网网址檕虂moks B次元官网网址� with traditional territories on northern Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland.

The LCC Protocol outlines policies and procedures for those seeking to carry out forestry activities and secure permits to harvest timber in these NationsB次元官网网址� territories. It aims to protect culturally important large cedars B次元官网网址� which are at risk from B次元官网网址渓arge scaleB次元官网网址� logging B次元官网网址� under traditional laws and jurisdiction.

Large, high quality red and yellow cedars B次元官网网址� also known as B次元官网网址榯ree of lifeB次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� are used extensively by First Nations for cultural practices such as carving dugout canoes, totem poles and traditional buildings.

When it became difficult to find cedar trees suitable enough for our cultural needs, we decided to make some rules ourselves for the remaining trees in our territories, said Dallas Smith, president of the Nanwakolas Council.

B次元官网网址淭his way we make sure we have access to these type of trees going into the future for our current and future generations,B次元官网网址� he said.

Explaining the workings of the protocol further Smith said that based on the dimensions outlined, if any tree is determined as an LCC by the First Nation it is off-limits for logging.

B次元官网网址淭he protocol just put up a set of rules that needs to be followed when trees of certain dimensions are found and how weB次元官网网址檙e going to manage them going forward,B次元官网网址� he said.

In a statement, Nanwakolas Council called this agreement by members of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 forestry industry a B次元官网网址渢railblazing move towards improved relationships between Indigenous peoples and the industry.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淣anwakolas Council has worked with the forestry industry for many years to help them better understand how the First Nations make resource management decisions, and in turn to understand the economic and other impacts on forestry activities of complying with Nanwakolas First NationsB次元官网网址� laws,B次元官网网址� they said.

Smith, also said that the commitment by these forestry companies represents B次元官网网址渇undamental change for the better for everyone.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭he Protocol supports culturally important activities and increased environmental integrity, but not at the cost of economic certainty. Compliance with it will make things better not only for our communities, but regionally and for the province as a whole,B次元官网网址� said Smith.

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