A Publication of the Indian Forest Lands Program

TreeTalkl'(umber 6

B.C. I TERTRIBAL FORESTRY ASSOCIATIOACTIVITIES UPDATE

The Intertribal Forestry Association of BCis now comfortably located and operatingin offices at he following address:

201-515 Highway 97SKelowna, B.C. V1 Z 3J2Phone (604)769-4433

Assisted by funding from FRDA andI dian Affairs, the IFABC and heKamloops Indian Band hosted a two day(November 17-18, 1988) Forestry Work­shop in Kamloops. The goal of thisworkshop was to provide information on awide range of forestry topics of particularrelevance or interest to Native Forestry inB.C. Speakers included representativesfrom Forestry Canada, the B.C. Ministryof Forests, plus several native and non-

IFABC Logo:First Nations Forestry

native speakers. Other workshops areplanned for northern bands in Smithersand for coastal bands in Nanaimo beforethe end of the 1988/89 fiscal year.

As outlined in their constitution anddepicted by their logo, the primarymandate of the IFABC is "...to protect,maintain, enhance and develop FirstNation forestry resources for the use,benefit and enjoyment of First Nations oftoday and tomorrow and to establish andfulfill the rights and responsibilities ofBritish Columbia First Nations with regardto First Nations Forestry reso rces". In­formation on membership in the IFABCmay be obtained from the Associationoffice in Kelowna.

NATIVE FORESTER FILLS VITAL REGIONAL POSITIONThe INAC Regional Forester's position has beenfilled by Garry Merkel, Registered ProfessionalForester. Mr. Merkel comes to the position withconsiderable experience in field forestry, forestplanning, policy and economics, and forestrycons Iting. Born and raised in Whitehorse,Yukon, and a member of the Tahltan Band fromTelegraph Creek, B.C., Mr. Merkel began hiscareer as a fire camp cook at fifteen. He holdsa Forest Technician Diploma from SelkirkCollege (1979), a Bachelor of Science inForestry from the University of Alberta (1985),and is currently completing a Master of Sciencein Forestry from U of A in Forest Planning.

"The Indian people can, must, and willMerkel: Establishing an Inheritance determine their own destiny in a positive and

constructive way," he says. He believes in"...providing assistance, creating opportunitiesand/or reducing risks to those who want tobecome involved in some facet of forestresource management."

Eliminating the gap between those whocreate policies (the government) and thosewho have to live with them (the Indians) ishigh among his priorities. "My underlyingpremise is that the Indian people are the onlyones who know what they are and what theywant to be." As both a public servant and afather, Garry Merkel takes his responsibilitiesseriously.

"I am doing my part to establish aninheritance." •

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WOODLOT LICENCE PROGRAM

------------------------- 1-WOODLOT ASSOCIATION ­

A NEW FEDERATION

ing facility and they do not already hold aWoodlot licence.

For information on how to apply for awoodlot licence bands should contact theTimber Harvesting Branch of the B.C.Ministry of Forests. •

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14294 Marc Road,R.R. #2, Maple Ridge, B.C.V2X 7E7Phone (604) 467-2455

advisory services to existing and newlyformed associations on organizationalmatters. Eventually the Federation hopesto play an important role in forest policyformulation as it relates to private forestland, and in particular to the FRDAprogram. For more information contact theFederation of BritiSh Columbia WoodlotAssociations at:

The Federation of BritiSh ColumbiaWoodlot Associations held its inauguralmeeting in Fort St. John in November,1988. The meeting, chaired by PeterSanders, president of the new Federa­tion, and funded by Forestry Canada,provided a forum for representatives ofthe province's woodlot associations to airtheir concerns. Among those attendingwere John Burch from the PacificForestry Centre in Victoria, and HaroldDerickson, president of the IFABC.The new organization encouragesmembership by all local private forestowner associations, and will provide

management of B.C.'s forests throughsmall-scale, area-based forestry opera­tions.

Can Indian Bands Become Involved inthe Program?Indian Bands can contribute Reservelands under a Woodlot Licence agree­ment provided they do not own or controla corporation that owns a timber process-

What Is The Woodlot LicenceProgram?The Woodlot Licence Program is de­signed to increase opportunities forprivate citizens to become involved insmall-scale forestry in British Columbia.Involvement in the Program increases theamount of private forest land underproper forest management and improvesthe productivity of both this and provincialCrown forest land. The program isadministered by the B.C. Ministry ofForests Timber Harvesting Branch.

Why Was It Created?The Program was created in recognitionof the growing number of British Columbi­ans who are personally interested in the

What Is A Woodlot Licence?A Woodlot licence is a legal agreementbetween its holder and the Ministry ofForests that allows the holder to reapcertain social and economic benefits froman area of Crown forest land, includingprofits from the sale of timber. In returnfor this, the holder is expected to managethe Crown land and any included privateor Indian land for the sustained produc­tion of timber in accordance with aManagement and Working Plan approvedby the Ministry. Each licence is valid forup to 15 years and is replaceable everyfive years on request of its holder.

Canadian Forestry Service now Forestry Canada (FORCAN)

change significantly, nor is it likely thatthe transition will affect present FRDAprograms such as the Indian ForestLands Program.

The mandate of the new Forestry

The announcement by Prime MinisterBrian Mulroney in September, 1988 ofthe creation of a new Department ofForestry, has resulted in a namechange for the CFS. It's goodbye to theCanadian Forestry Service and hello toForestry Canada, or ForCan for short.The functions of Forestry Canada inBritish Columbia are not expected to

1+1 ForestryCanada

ForetsCanada

Department includes the developmentand coordination of national forestpolicy, research and development inthe forest sector, and cooperation withindustry and provincial and territorialauthorities on a wide range of forestrymatters. Frank Oberle, MP for PrinceGeorge - Peace River has been namedMinister of State (Forestry). .,

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----------------------------------------------THE BUSI ESS OF GROWl G CHRISTMAS EES

------------------------------FRDA ADVISORY COMMITTEE

COMPLETES FIRST YEAR

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Bands can also obtain information ongrowi g Christmas trees at their localoffices of the B.C. Ministry of Agricultureand Fisheries and the Ministry of Forests.

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Christmas Tree Farming. PublicationB.16. Copies available from the B.C.Forest Service, Victoria, B.C.

Christmas Tree Culture. 1988. B.C.Ministry of Forests and Lands. Copiesavailable from the Timber Policy Branch,Ministry of Forests and Lands, ParliamEmtBuildings, Victoria, B.C., V8W 3E7.

from the Indian AdvisoryBoard, a group comprisedof five Native and four gov­ernment members w oseprincipal function is toreview proposals submit··ted to the FRDA IndianLands Program.

Recently, a delega­tion from the FRDAAdvisory Committee,including Harold Der­ickson, President of theIntertribal ForestryAssociation of B.C., metwith former Minister ofState (Forestry and Mines)

Gerald Merrithew and provincial ForestMinister Dave Parker to discuss theprogress of the present FRDA and thereal need for a second agreement.Members of the Committee are currentlyworking to reach a consensus on thespecifics they wish to see in the nextagreement. To this end the IFABC is pre­paring a position paper on components ofnative forestry which they wish to seeincluded in a second FRDA.

An Introduction to Christmas TreeGrowing in Canada. 1982. CanadianForestry Service Publication o. 1330.Copies available from the Pacific ForestryCentre or Minister of Supplies andServices Canada.POTENTIAL AS A NATIVE BUSINESS

VENTURE

As of October 1, 1988 the FRDA AdvisoryCommittee marked its first year ofactivities. Made up of representativesfrom various forest worker organizations,forest resource user groups, federal andprovincial resource agencies, and relatedprofessional organizations, the committeehas the task of advising the FRDAManagement Committee on all key issuesrelevant to present and future FRDAagreements. This committee is different

Harold Derickson, President of the IFA of BC and GeraldMerrithew, former Minister of State (Forestry and Mines) at thePacific Forestry Centre in Victoria.

Christmas tree growers, especially smallor new producers, must produce highquality, marketable trees to competeeffectively.

Some areas of Tribal or Band CouncilLands, particularly those in the Interiormay be ideally suited for growing Christ­mas trees. Areas designated as notsuitable for timber production will oftenproduce a profitable forest crop ofChristmas trees! While the market is anextremely competitive one, natives maybe able to take advantage of local, oftenisolated markets, and reap the benefits ofproviding employment for band members.

Some useful publications onChristmas tree production are listedbelow:

expose them to plenty of light on all sides.This encourages good tree color andform. Trees must also be shaped bysheari ng leaders and the tips of longerbranches by hand or with poweredshears. Depending on the quality of thesite, fertilizers may be applied to improvetree health and color. Enemies ofChristmas trees include adverse weather,insects, diseases, animals and fire.Growers must wa ch for these factors andbe prepared to manage them.

Faced with ever-increasing competi­tion from both the artificial tree marketand an extensive, plantation-basedChristmas tree market in the U.S.,

Sites which are level or slightly rolling, arefree of heavy brush and have few stumpsand rocks are best. Smaller growing sitesare more manageable and require lessplanning than larger tracts. Sites withthin, gravelly soils, clay or wet soils, oralkaline soils should be avoided. Growersmust prepare sites for planting and thensecure planting stock from local nurseriesor grow their own stock from seed. Treesmust be properly planted and spaced to

THE BASICS OF GROWINGCHRISTMAS TREES

Christmas trees are big business inCanada, with British Columbia generallyranking fourth after Nova Scotia, Quebecand New Brunswick in trees exportedannually. In 1980, B.C. exported approxi­mately 250,000 trees, valued at $500thousand, chiefly to the United States.The main species exported from B.C. isDouglas-fir from the interior of theprovince. The dry, cold climate of thisregion is ideally suited to the growing ofhigh quality Christmas trees. Gone arethe days when customers were satisfiedwith "Charlie Brown" Christmas trees;today's market demands the carefullycultured and shaped contours of planta­tion grown trees.

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ForestryCanada

Fon~ts

Canada

Canada-British Columbia Forest Resource Development Agreement

"DO IT YOURSELF" FORESTRYHA DBOOK NOW AVAILABLE

I

ANNOUNCEMENT IHave you ever felt like you wanted to getinvolved in forestry but just didn't knowhow? Or you felt intimidated by all the bigwords and fancy terms used by theprofessionals who do forestry for a living?If so, this handbook, entitled ManagingYour Woodland: A Non-Forester'sGuide to Small-Scale Forestry InBritish Columbia might be just what youneed. It provides basic forest manage­ment information for non-foresters whoare interested in small-scale forestry inlanguage they can understand and relateto. Users will discover fundamentalinformation on topics such as:

Forestry Basics:• Tree identification and how trees growForest Inventory:• Understanding what it is and how to do

itForest Management Planning:·How to develop a forest management

planForest Access:• planning and construction of roadsReforestation:• Choosing species, how and when to

plant themBusiness Basics:• How to develop a business plan and

keep records

TREES FOR A REASON

Trees for a Reason - a forestryvideo coordinated and produced by nativepeople, with financial assistance fromFRDA, has been completed. Featuring allnative talent the video outlines thepresent state of Native Forestry in BritishColumbia and describes how IndianBands and Tribal Councils can utilize andmanage their lands for forestry purposes

Getting Help:• How to get financial, technical and train­ing assistance

In addition, readers will find informa­tion on tending forest stands and protect­ing them from fire and pests, harvestingtrees and getting them to the market­place, and understanding stumpage andtax procedures in the province.

tn\"enton"

Since the book is written for non­foresters it will be a good referencedocument for current and future bandcouncils making resource managementdecisions. It could also find some use inband schools and libraries.

The handbook has now beendistributed to Band and Tribal Councils inBritish Columbia. Councils who have notyet received a copy should contactForestry Canada at 388-0600. •

while preserving cultural, aesthetic, andrecreational values. The hows and whysof doing this through the Indian ForestLands Program of FRDA are alsoexplained.

The video will be screened atseveral Tribal and Band Council meetingsin the province over the next few months.Coordination is being provided by theIntertribal Forestry Association, which willsee that each band and tribal councilreceives a copy for their video libraries. •

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SIZE OF ELIGIBLE RESERVES RE­DUCED

FRDA announces that the size ofreserves eligible for funding under theIndian Forest Lands Program has beenreduced from the original minimum of 20hectares to 10 hectares on the Coast and16 hectares in the Interior. This decisionwas made as a result of lobbying by theFRDA Native Advisory Board, theIntertribal Forestry Association of B.C.and a number of bands with smallreserves

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR INDIANBANDS?

This means new opportunity for Bandswith smaller reserves which wereoriginally excluded from the Program andmay mean increased opportunity forBands already participating. For furtherinformation contact Mark Atherton,Program Coordinator, 388-0600. •

TREE TALKIndian Forest Lands Program

published by

Forestry CanadaPacific Forestry Centre506 W. Burnside RoadVictoria, B.C., V8Z 1M5

(604) 388-0600

Mark Atherton, Program CoordinatorIndian Forest Lands Program

Rona Sturrock, Editor

CanadaFebruary, 1989