First Nations Forestry Program Success Stories

The First Nation Forestry Program intends to improve the economic conditions in status Indian communities with full consideration of the principles of sustainable forest management. This report presents case studies of Program successes, organized under the following themes: forest management; building skills & professional development; community employment; forestry business; ecotourism & forest resources; traditional knowledge; and regional initiatives. These examples provide a role model to other First Nations wishing to develop their own projects or to those who want to gain insight into First Nation forest-related issues & development. Contact information is included with each case study.

Canada is experiencing an unparalleled crisis involving forests and communities across the country. While municipalities, policy makers, and industry leaders acknowledge common challenges such as an overdependence on US markets, rising energy costs, and lack of diversification, no common set of solutions has been developed and implemented. Ongoing and at times contentious public debate has revealed an appetite and need for a fundamental rethinking of the relationships that link our communities, governments, industrial partners, and forests towards a more sustainable future. The creation of community forests is one path that promises to build resilience in forest communities and ecosystems. This model provides local control over common forest lands in order to activate resource development opportunities, benefits, and social responsibilities. Implementing community forestry in practice has proven to be a complex task, however: there are no road maps or well-developed and widely-tested models for community forestry in Canada. But in settings where community forests have taken hold, there is a rich and growing body of experience to draw on. The contributors to Growing Community Forests include leading researchers, practitioners, Indigenous representatives, government representatives, local advocates, and students who are actively engaged in sharing experiences, resources, and tools of significance to forest resource communities, policy makers and industry.

Aboriginals, indians, natives, small business, sustainable forests.

This book is designed to help policy makers put together strategies for anticipating distributive impacts of biodiversity policy across different groups; and for selecting processes and instruments that manage distributive impacts without compromising conservation and use objectives.