2022 Conference and AGM
October 19–21, 2022 in Nakusp, BC
Thank you to our most fantastic hosts, the Nakusp and Area Community Forest
Over four days, nearly 200 people made their way to Nakusp to participate in the BCCFA’s 2022 Conference and AGM and to join the celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the organization.
The conference was a testament to what we have seen in our work over the past 20 years. There is no doubt that community forestry provides a vision for the future of forestry in our province that is innovative, forward-thinking, and inclusive of multiple values on the landscape and in communities. Community forestry takes heart, courage and hard work, and we are proud and humbled to be walking this path alongside all of our members and partners as we continue to move forward and to support the practice and expansion of sustainable community forest management in BC.
Nakusp and the Arrow Lakes have a rich Indigenous history and are the focus of a number of shared territories. We respectfully acknowledge that Nakusp and the Arrow Lakes have long been an ancestral, traditional place for many First Nations. We are grateful to have been able to meet, share our experiences and celebrate there.
Conference Presentations
Provincial Forest Policy—Update on Key Government Initiatives
Recent legislation and ongoing forest policy reform are aimed at transforming BC’s forest sector. Driving this change is the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and a new vision for forest management that prioritizes ecosystem health and resilience. In this panel, we heard the latest on these initiatives from senior government representatives, with a focus on what it means for community forests. Topics include the Old Growth Strategic Review recommendations; the Forest and Range Practices Act and changes to the Forest Act.
Moderated by Jennifer Gunter, BCCFA Executive Director
Speakers:
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Eamon O’Donoghue, Associate Deputy Minister, Ministry of Forests
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Julie MacDougall, Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Chief Forester
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Doug Kelly, Director, Forest Tenures Branch (no presentation)
Adaptation for Wildfire Resilience
This session put the focus on the important work of wildfire risk reduction. Jennifer Gunter opened the session with an update on the various projects and initiatives that the BCCFA is engaged with around fuel mitigation. And we heard from some of our partners in this work, including Steve Kozuki, Forest Enhancement Society BC (FESBC) and Lori Daniels, Kelsey Copes-Gerbitz and Kea Rutherford, Tree-Ring Lab at UBC Team, sharing their important research on the efficacy of fuel reduction treatments on CFAs.
Moderated by Randy Spyksma
Speakers:
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Jennifer Gunter, Executive Director, BC Community Forest Association
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Steve Kozuki , Executive Director, Forest Enhancement Society BC (FESBC)
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Lori Daniels, Kelsey Copes-Gerbitz and Kea Rutherford, Tree-Ring Lab at UBC Team
Community Forestry and the Law
In community forestry we sometimes are uncertain when to pull in outside professional services that are not technical forestry in nature, including lawyers. In this short session, Jeremy described the types of legal work that he often does for community forests – from log sales agreements and logging contracts, to regulatory work, board governance and relationship management. Jeremy has a unique perspective on law a pertains to community forestry because, as he told the group, “I’m a lawyer, but first I was a forester and still am.”
Speaker:
Forest carbon offsets: know your options and know the risks
Community forests are asking if they could potentially incorporate carbon management into their operations. We asked Jason Fisher to bring us up to speed.
Keynote Speaker:
Congratulations to Wetzin’kwa Community Forest, winner of the 2022 Robin Hood Memorial Award
Congratulations to Wetzin’kwa Community Forest for earning the Robin Hood Memorial Award for Excellence in Community Forestry! Thank you to Minister Conroy for joining us at our 2022 Conference & AGM in Nakusp to present the award.
“This year’s Robin Hood Memorial Award recipient, the Wetzin’kwa Community Forest, exemplifies community leadership and innovation,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests. “Community forests are part of our vision for a modern forest sector with stronger, more resilient communities generating new economic opportunities through innovative, value-added manufacturing.”
For the full press release, click here.