From Castanet:
"The Osoyoos Indian Band is playing a greater role in local forest management by partnering with the Gorman Group.
In a Monday press release, OIB's Nk'Mip Forestry said it formally signed the Tree Farm Licence agreement with Gorman Group through Similkameen Forest Products on July 20.
The area, TFL 59, is east of Oliver. The licence allows for OIB to have a direct role in forest planing and management in the area.
“This partnership will help create more jobs, specific training opportunities, and longer-term revenue for the
Osoyoos Indian Band and our people,” said OIB Chief Clarence Louie, in the press release.
“This agreement gives the OIB a stronger and more involved role in the forest economy within our traditional territory and helps us build the skills and experience needed to take on greater responsibility in the future. Our goal is to make sure more of the economic benefits from forestry in the OIB’s backyard stay in our community.”
Nk'Mip Forestry noted the agreement will allow OIB to operate with cultural values and combine knowledge, experience, priorities, and resources.
“This partnership agreement is an important step in the shared management of Tree Farm Licence 59,” said Norm Druck, Gorman Group south zone woodlands manager, in the press release.
“This specific licence is part of the cultural heartland of the Osoyoos Indian Band and supports traditional food, medicines, jobs, and spiritual well-being.
"The land also provides timber for the Gorman Group’s regional manufacturing facilities. This agreement brings those priorities together and gives the Osoyoos Indian Band a stronger role in how forestry work is planned and carried out.”
Nk'Mip will be proposing harvest areas, wildlife habitat, water quality, forest health, wildfire resilience, pile burning, and environmental monitoring.
Additionally, the OIB company will be carrying out cultural and field assessments ahead of designating harvest sites, working with OIB community members to gather knowledge, concerns, and priorities.
Both OIB and the Gorman Group will be providing employee training, mentorship, and career development.
The newly established Osoyoos Forest Nursery will provide seedlings for the area east of Oliver.
“We have a lot to accomplish,” said Dan Macmaster, OIB forestry manager.
“Both the Osoyoos Indian Band and the Gorman Group will continue working with the Province of British Columbia to explore a long-term tenure model that can provide certainty for both partners to carry out this work well into the future.”
