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 乌鸦传媒淟arge Cultural Cedar (LCC)Operation Protocol,乌鸦传媒� according to a statement from the Nanwakolas Council.
The council consists of five First Nations members 乌鸦传媒揗amalilikulla, Tlowitsis, Da乌鸦传媒檔axda乌鸦传媒檟w Awaetlala, Wei Wai Kum, and K乌鸦传媒檕虂moks 乌鸦传媒� 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 Nations乌鸦传媒� territories. It aims to protect culturally important large cedars 乌鸦传媒� which are at risk from 乌鸦传媒渓arge scale乌鸦传媒� logging 乌鸦传媒� under traditional laws and jurisdiction.
Large, high quality red and yellow cedars 乌鸦传媒� also known as 乌鸦传媒榯ree of life乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綋 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.
乌鸦传媒淭his way we make sure we have access to these type of trees going into the future for our current and future generations,乌鸦传媒� 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.
乌鸦传媒淭he protocol just put up a set of rules that needs to be followed when trees of certain dimensions are found and how we乌鸦传媒檙e going to manage them going forward,乌鸦传媒� he said.
In a statement, Nanwakolas Council called this agreement by members of B.C.乌鸦传媒檚 forestry industry a 乌鸦传媒渢railblazing move towards improved relationships between Indigenous peoples and the industry.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淣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 Nations乌鸦传媒� laws,乌鸦传媒� they said.
Smith, also said that the commitment by these forestry companies represents 乌鸦传媒渇undamental change for the better for everyone.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淭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,乌鸦传媒� said Smith.
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