Forests Minister Acknowledges Excellence in Community Forestry

May 31, 2018

Burns Lake –  The Lower North Thompson Community Forest Society (LNTCFS) was given the Robin Hood Memorial Award for Excellence in Community Forestry by Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. Mike Francis, Manager accepted the award on behalf of the community forest. The award was presented last week during the 2018 BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) Conference hosted by the Burns Lake, Chinook and Cheslatta Community Forests.

In announcing the winner, Minister Donaldson said, “The 2018 winner, who was runner-up last year, is the Lower North Thompson Community Forest Society, near Barriere. They were chosen based on, among other things, economic diversification efforts, youth employment and training, significant community contributions and partnering and engagement with Simcpw First Nation.”

The LNTCFS represents the communities of McLure, Chu Chua, Little Fort, Agate Bay and Barriere. Since it was established in 2007, the community forest has created numerous benefits for the communities, including grants to not for profit organizations, scholarships and bursaries for graduating students. They are actively attracting the value-added industry to the area by supplying a steady supply of fibre, and are creating new, sustainable job opportunities. They recently purchased land and have set up a small value added mill, where community members are employed through a federal Job Creation Program.

“The LNTCFS stands out as a leader in creating local economic development, employment and educational opportunities in the area. They are extraordinarily creative and innovative in how they make the most of the community forest and the revenues it generates”, said BCCFA Executive Director Jennifer Gunter.

The $10,000 grant honours Robin Hood, a long-time president of the BCCFA and champion of community forests. Established in 2016, the award is given annually to the community forest that best exemplifies innovation and leadership in land management, efforts to build and maintain social licence, and initiatives that provide community benefit. This year, there were eight solid candidates, with four standouts. Those receiving honourable mention include, Burns Lake, Logan Lake and Creston Community Forests.

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Contact:                 Susan Mulkey

BCCFA, Manager of Communication and Extension

250 353 1477

smulkey@bccfa.ca

For more information on the Lower North Thompson Community Forest Society https://lntcfs.org/contact. Forest Operations Manager: LNTCFSociety@telus.net

For more information on the BC Community Forest Association visit: www.bccfa.ca