Province, ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation reach milestone in forest stewardship agreement

Oct. 3, 2025

ALERT BAY – ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation and the Province are one step closer to a joint decision-making agreement that will support predictable harvesting, job creation and sustainable forestry operations on the north Island.

“The best way to move fibre is by working together and that is what we are accomplishing with the ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “I am optimistic that this draft agreement will create good-paying jobs and help us in our efforts to provide stability and certainty for our coastal forestry sector, as we deal with Donald Trump’s attack on our forestry sector.”

ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation and the Province have developed a first-of-its-kind draft Section 7 joint decision-making agreement for the forestry sector under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act) and Forest Range and Practices Act. The agreement will support the joint establishment of forest landscape plans (FLPs) and joint approval of associated forest operations plans (FOPs) within Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 37, currently held by Western Forest Products. The draft agreement will be shared with neighbouring First Nations, industry, local governments, stakeholders and the public to provide input from Friday, Oct. 3, 2025 until Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025.

“This agreement is a step toward reconciliation by recognizing ʼNa̱mǥis jurisdiction in our territory and ensuring forestry management reflects our stewardship values, while contributing to economic stability in the region,” said Chief Victor Isaac, ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation. “The agreement sets out that we will be jointly establishing the forest landscape plan and approving the forest operations plan for TFL 37 that overlaps our territory. By making those decisions jointly, we will ensure these plans reflect ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation’s commitment to ecosystem health, transparency and economic sustainability.”

The draft agreement was developed under Section 7 of the Declaration Act and allows for B.C. and an Indigenous governing body to exercise joint decision-making. The agreement applies to the portion of TFL 37 that overlaps ʼNa̱mǥis territory and applies to key FLP and FOP decisions under the Forest and Range Practices Act.

“In collaboration with ʼNa̱mǥis, Western was proud to deliver the first-ever draft forest landscape plan and forest operating plan to the chief forester this August,” said Steven Hofer, president and CEO, Western Forest Products Inc. “This landmark achievement lays the foundation for potential long-term investment, job creation and economic resilience on northern Vancouver Island. We look forward to working with ʼNa̱mǥis and the Province to finalize an agreement that unlocks sustainable growth and increases operational predictability and economic stability in a way that builds confidence in the future of our forestry sector.”

FLPs are a new approach to forest planning in B.C. Developed in collaboration with First Nations, forest licensees and local stakeholders, FLPs establish clear direction for managing old-growth forests, biodiversity, climate resilience, watershed health, wildfire risk and sustainable timber-harvesting opportunities.

“A joint decision-making agreement between ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation and B.C. will create economic sustainability and certainty for everyone in the forestry industry,” said Spencer Chandra Herbert, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. “These types of agreements address the legacy of colonialism and allow government to work closely with Nations on decisions that affect them.”

The Section 7 agreement negotiations are part of the Province’s commitment to reconciliation. When completed, a Section 7 agreement helps ensure transparency, stability and predictability for the forestry sector through consensus on where and how future harvest activities would occur.

Learn More:

To provide input on the draft agreement, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/engagement/namgis-b-c-section-7-agreement/

More information about the draft agreement will be provided here: https://planninginpartnership.ca/p/669ea43a8e30fb003991ae6d/project-details

For information about Section 7 agreements, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/indigenous-people/new-relationship/united-nations-declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples/making-decisions-together

To know more about ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation, visit: https://namgis.bc.ca/

Separate from Section 7 work, public engagement for the Tree Farm Licence 37 forest landscape planning pilot project was completed in 2024, and a summary of the engagement and more information can be found here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/managing-our-forest-resources/forest-landscape-plans/tfl-37-forest-landscape-planning-pilot-project

A backgrounder follows.

Contacts:

Ministry of Forests
Media Relations
250 380-8491ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation
Media Relations
Kelly.Speck@namgis.bc.ca
250 974-7179

BACKGROUNDER

What to know about the agreement, forest landscape plans

• Section 7 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act enables the Province and Indigenous governing bodies to enter into agreements in relation to statutory decision-making authorities.
• Resulting agreements will set out the processes for joint or consent-based decision-making, including dispute resolution, while clarifying roles and responsibilities of the Province and the Indigenous governing body.
• The draft agreement has been developed in accordance with the Forest Statutes Amendment Act (2021), which introduced amendments to the Forest and Range Practices Act to enable the implementation of Section 7 Declaration Act agreements related to forest landscape plans.
• Fifteen forest landscape plans are underway representing 42% of the area expected to have FLPs in the Province.
• While working government-to-government with First Nations, each FLP will define an approach to supporting meaningful engagement with local communities, forest licensees and other interested parties to inform the development of the FLP, including understanding local values.

Contacts:

Ministry of Forests
Media Relations
250 380-8491ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation
Media Relations
Kelly.Speck@namgis.bc.ca
250 974-7179

 

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