For the second time in less than a year, First Nations Wildcrafters co-owner Keith Hunter has charged that B.C. Timber Sales has failed in its duty to consult with public stakeholders, this time over five proposed cut-blocks in Tseshaht First Nation’s traditional territory.
Hunter said BCTS had promised stakeholders it would create an Interim Cedar Strategy in 2013, as part of the Forest Stewardship Plan process. But when the “Pre-Advertising Notices” for the cut-blocks were posted (unexpectedly) on the BCTS website last November, Hunter said it was obvious that BCTS had ignored public stakeholder recommendations, again.
In a four-page letter to BCTS Timber Sales Manager Don Hudson, Hunter stated his objections, including the fact that First Nations Wildcrafters had not received sufficient information from the site plans – including a cedar inventory – “to be fully informed as a public stakeholder.”
“They make these agreements with public stakeholders, but then, later on, they just ignore anything they’ve agreed to,” Hunter told Ha-Shilth-Sa.
In October 2014, Tseshaht protesters used a roadblock to stop BCTS-contracted harvesting near Sproat Lake, after BCTS failed to provide a promised inventory of cedar, as agreed to under the Forest Stewardship Plan.
“Now they’re acting like it never happened,” Hunter said.
A few months after those protests, BCTS posted another 66 hectares of Sproat Lake timber for sale, just two days before a scheduled meeting with Tseshaht First Nation – again despite the absence of a cedar management plan.
Hunter said the latest disagreement is just more of the same.
“It’s gotten to this whole pattern of stonewalling. We are now asking, ‘What is the purpose of this public stakeholder process?’”
In January, Hunter was visited by BCTS foresters Glenn Piggott and Norm Kempe, for what proved to be a three-hour meeting. There is now some disagreement as to what was actually discussed.
According to Kempe, he, Piggott and Hunter discussed concerns that had been expressed in his letter, and promised to provide a formal response. But in an email to Forests Lands and Natural Resources Ministry District Manager Rhonda Morris, sent three weeks later, Hunter blasted the two foresters for not responding in timely fashion.
In response, Kempe expressed his disappointment that Hunter had dismissed the January meeting as “meaningless,” and promised to provide a written response “before month’s end.”
Ha-Shilth-Sa spoke with Kempe and Hudson on Feb. 12. Kempe, in particular, wanted to address Hunter’s assertion that he and Piggott had shown up with “next year’s cut plan, when this year’s plan had yet to be approved.”
Kempe said BCTS typically produces a management plan with a projected lifespan of five years.
“What we do, on an annual basis, is prepare a forest development plan, with details of road construction and the sequencing of cut-blocks across the landscape,” he explained, adding, “That’s where we display a bit of discretion as to which stakeholders we provide that information.”
Discretion dictated that First Nations Wildcrafters did not receive the information directly. But the information is available (by law) at the BCTS office, Kempe said.
“For those people that are interested, they can come into our office and inquire.” Kempe said the five cut-blocks in question have been on the books for five years, but were not posted until last fall.
Kempe said BCTS is still consulting with stakeholders (most notably including Tseshaht First Nation) to address concerns. As to Hunter, “That loop, I have to close yet.”
Kempe said under the Forest Stewardship Plan, once a plan is approved, it becomes a legal document, and those standards must be met.
“Some stakeholders, like Keith Hunter, view these standards as minimal, and they are always lobbying us to do a little bit more. So some of the dialogue that we have revolves around those kinds of issues.”
Hudson referred to the November letter in question. On Page 2, Hunter noted the assessment did not include the potential effects of climate change or a drought management plan.
“At the end of the day, we apply what you could call a ‘reasonableness test,’” Hudson said. “If the stakeholder has a reasonable concern, we will try and make some adjustments to alleviate those concerns.” It appears, reading between the lines then, that BCTS has the final say as to what concerns are ‘reasonable’ in First Nation territories.
Foresters do not manage climate change at a cut-block level, Hudson said. It does not fall into the category of a reasonable concern.
“Some people don’t like the outcome,” Hudson said. “Most people – the vast majority of people – are satisfied with how we manage the land base.”
On Page 3 of the same letter, Hunter noted that there was no mention of invasive species, for either an inventory or a management plan. Kempe was asked if this was a “reasonable” concern at the cut-block level.
“If you look at our Forest Stewardship Plan, it does have a component for invasive species,” he said. “In this instance, Keith has some experience as an invasive species specialist, and he feels there are some gaps and there could be some improvements made to invasive species measures. That’s the nature of the discussion.”
Kempe went further to say: “[Hunter’s] view is that while these discussions are occurring, that we should hold off on harvesting those cut-blocks.”
When asked, Kempe said he would characterize the argument as a disagreement between parties rather than a lack of appropriate action being taken by a government body. There has been dialogue, but no document.
“We have had the discussions with Keith, but what we haven’t communicated as yet is our final decision on what he is saying,” Kempe said.
Alberni-Pacific Rim MLA Scott Fraser said while he had not studied the details of the BCTS/First Nations Wildcrafters dialogue, he has experienced the sort of “stonewalling” cited by Hunter in his own dealings with the forest ministry.
“First, I will say that the public stakeholder process needs be respected, and those stakeholders need to have their issues listened to and considered in a real way – and they receive a timely response. I will suggest that three months is not a timely response,” Fraser said.
“I have been working directly with the Forest Minister, Steve Thompson, on an issue of job loss and compensation for Steelworkers in Port Alberni, for almost two years now. All we’ve been getting is obfuscation and misdirection and assurances that turn out to be empty. So if that’s a pattern, that’s disturbing. And now that the Legislature has returned for this session, be assured that I will be raising these issues.”
