Ottawa Asked To Standardize Native Forestry Deals

Ottawa Asked To Standardize Native Forestry Deals

Tuesday, August 23, 2005 at 13:32

 

 

A national forestry official is calling on the federal government to establish guidelines on how it wants Aboriginal forestry agreements created across the country.

 

The Canadian Institute of Forestry is holding its national conference in Prince Albert this week.

 

One of today’s speakers is Harry Bombay, a First Nations man from Ontario and a member of the National Aboriginal Forestry Association.

 

He says the country is awash in a sea of different agreements for First Nations in how they do their logging.

 

Bombay notes some provinces like British Columbia work without treaties, setting up forest management policies as best they can.

 

He says others like Manitoba take a wait and see approach to pretty much everything.

 

As for Saskatchewan, Bombay has noticed the provincial government has been making sure logging happens near Aboriginal communities and involves those communities.

 

According to Bombay, this approach is considered leading-edge and he thinks it and others that work should be brought to the national stage.

 

Ultimately, he feels a national approach is needed for Aboriginal forestry, and says the current method of having each province work on its own policy is short-sighted.