Kootenay Lake Forest Landscape project invites public input

A partnership between the province of British Columbia and five First Nations is developing a Forest Landscape plan for the 1.2-million-hectare Kootenay Lake Timber Supply Area, and the project is in early planning with public input encouraged.

Officials say a partnership between the province of British Columbia and several First Nations is developing a Kootenay Lake Forest Landscape plan. The initiative covers the 1.2 million-hectare Kootenay Lake Timber Supply Area and is in the early planning stage. The province said the project could bring together Indigenous knowledge systems, Western science and community perspectives to guide forest management in ways that reflect First Nations values and promote long-term sustainability. Public input is being encouraged as partners work to set a process for community and interested-party participation. Key details: - Partners include the province of B.C. and the yaqan nuʔkiy, Shuswap Band, Adams Lake Band, Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw, and Ktunaxa Nation Council Society. - The planning area is the Kootenay Lake Timber Supply Area, covering about 1.2 million hectares. - The current allowable annual cut for the TSA is 550,000 cubic metres. - The TSA lies between the Selkirk and Purcell mountain ranges, north of Glacier National Park and bordering the United States to the south. - The three largest communities in the area are Nelson, Creston and Kaslo. Summary: The initiative could influence how forests are managed across the TSA by integrating Indigenous and scientific approaches. Partners are working to establish a process to enable community and interested-party input, and specific timelines and next steps are undetermined at this time.