A Guide to Building Relationships and Cultivating Social Licence

BC Community Forest Association has developed an important tool for cultivating social licence.

Innovation in forestry typically suggests using new technologies for forest management or forest products and that enhance economic opportunities. This 2018 document created by the BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) is resource for small tenure holders about innovation in relationships. The guide offers examples of lessons learned and a framework for developing relationship-based approaches which go beyond the legal requirements for small tenures.

The guide was developed for managers of small tenures in BC: community forest agreements, First Nations woodlands licences and woodlot licences, who are working closely with local communities, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, and with provincial, federal, and municipal agencies.

“Developing social licence for forest management activities in your community means investing time, resources, and personal effort. Yet the benefits of durable and strengthened relationships with local Indigenous and non-Indigenous people are worth the investment,” concluded Jennifer Gunter, Executive Director of the BCCFA.

The guide includes two case studies: Collaboration in the wildland urban interface, showcasing the work of a diverse planning group in the Regional District of Central Kootenay and FSC certification: standards for community engagement featuring the Burns Lake Community Forest and their efforts to manage for community values in the post-beetle landscape.

The guide was developed by Susan Mulkey, Carolyn Whittaker, John Cathro and Erik Leslie with technical assistance from the Firelight Group and financial support from the Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.

To download the guide, click here.

For further information, please contact:

Susan Mulkey, Manager, Communication and Extension, BCCFA: (250) 353-1184 smullkey@bccfa.ca