September 2014 Newsletter

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Message Regarding Funding for Wildfire Hazard Reduction - Take this message to your local elected officials now!!!
The Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative (SWPI) is a suite of funding programs administered by UBCM and managed through the Provincial Fuel Management Working Group. Since 2004, the initiative has supported communities to mitigate risk from wildfire in the wildland urban interface. Due to current governmental fiscal constraints, funding for  for the Strategic Wildfire Protection Initiative have been significantly reduced and only $500,000 was provided to the initiative this year, leaving approximately $1.2 M total funding remaining for allocation to communities. Applications are being accepted only for new or updated Community Wildfire Protection Plans for high and extreme risk communities  (Deadline is Oct.3, 2014). Funding for prescriptions and operational fuel treatments are on hold. At this point there is no indication from the provincial government of when funding for treatments will be reinstated or at what level.

Community forests have been champions of reducing wildfire risks and threats and the funding through the SWPI has been instrumental for the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans, prescriptions and treatments. The UBCM Convention will be held in Whistler Sept. 22-24. We recommend that all community forest organizations urge their local elected representatives to communicate the importance of the program to Minister Thomson, members of cabinet and other MLAs present at the convention.

Tsilhqot’in Nation v British Columbia Supreme Court Ruling - More Information
Following up on the announcement in the July BCCFA Newsletter of the Supreme Court Ruling (SCC) the BCCFA has additional information to pass on to Community Forest Agreement Holders on how to proceed with local First Nation relationships and management permits.

• The BC Government has not yet provided a formal response to the SCC decision. The Ministry of Aboriginal Relations & Reconciliation and First Nations Relations Branch in the Ministry of Forest Lands and Natural Resource Operations are working together to develop guiding documents and answers to questions. FLNRO’s goal is business as usual, but government will have to put decisions and approvals through a new lens as per the SCC decision.
• Advice to Community Forest Agreement holders at this stage is to carry on with business as usual. However, it is more important than ever to work with the First Nations within whose territory the CFA is located. 
• CFA holders should continue to work closely with their district staff. 

New BCCFA Service
BCCFA member  and non-member organizations can now benefit from more in-depth extension support, tailored to their needs on a fee for service basis. The new service offers the skills of Susan Mulkey and her expertise gained through 18 years of dedication to the success of community forest organizations. Susan is available to help community forests navigate the strategic planning process in an engaging and focused way. Drawing on the best practices in the Guidebook II, Susan can help you develop needed policies to bring focus to your organization and align expectations and priorities. With her insight and coaching Susan can help with problem solving and with tricky issues such as clarification of respective roles and communication between your board and paid staff, how to make the most of volunteer time and efforts and effective community engagement.

The BCCFA currently offers free extension services to members and prospective members through 2 avenues:

1. The core operations budget which includes a limited allocation for our Manager of Extension and Communications to provide extension services by phone and email;
2. and our UBC Extension program which offers “In community” sessions that average 3 hours per session. This service is delivered primarily to member organizations. 

The new service will jump-start effective governance and support the changes and structure that is needed for your organization to go forward with clarity and confidence.  For more information contact Susan or call 250 353 2866

Celebrate Forestry with National Forest Week 
The BCCFA is encouraging CFAs to host events (not just in the formal week but through the year!) and to get them on the list of events in the province. We know that many community  are doing this as part of their core mandate .This is an opportunity to promote the work you are doing. BC National Forest Week Coalition is maintaining a list of all the local events that are being planned across the province this year. To see what is happening across the province, go to this link This is a great way to let folks know what is happening their communities. If you want your events to be posted on this table, please provide the following information to Michel.Vallee@viu.ca .
Your Town
Date and Time of the event 
name of the Event
Description of the event
Address of the event
Lead Organization

Ecora - New BCCFA Supplier Member 
The BCCFA would like to welcome Ecora to our organization.  Ecora has worked with a number of community forests to provide enhanced knowledge of the land base and viable AAC and along with insight to other  important values. Ecora is a civil and structural engineering, natural resource and environmental consulting company that is committed to creating and delivering quality products to our valued clients.Their 40  staffs includes civil and structural engineers, professional biologists and foresters, GIS analysts, urban and resource planners, environmental and engineering technicians, systems analysts and administrators/data entry clerks.plus numerous associates and subcontractors that enable Ecora to deliver a full suite of services. Ecora is headquartered in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, with main offices in Penticton and Kelowna, with additional staff in Prince George, Burns Lake, Williams Lake, Vancouver, Victoria, Nelson and Trail. More information about Ecora   

Reports and Meeting Minutes
For members only. Interested in the news that the BCCFA circulates to our members? Check out the list of benefits of associate and supplier membership. more information
 

Other News

2014 SISCO Fall Field Tour
Dealing with Complexity – Managing For Diversity Williams Lake BC,   September 9 – 11, 2014
This year’s Fall Field Tour features ongoing Ministry of Forest,  and UBC (Alex Fraser Research Forest) harvesting and silviculture research, –  2 ½ days of relevant, retrospective silviculture focusing on ecology and management of complex forest stands ranging from wet-belt ICH, to transition SBS, to dry-belt IDF more information 

The Federation of BC Woodlot Associations’ 27th and the Woodlot Product Development Council’s 17th Annual General Meetings and Conference
September 18 - 21, 2014  at Golden’s historic Civic Centre more information

Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology
Solving Wicked Problems - Using Human Dimensions to Inform Natural Resource Management
Sept 30 - Oct 1, 2014  ~  Kimberley Conference Centre, Kimberley BC more information

July Update from Minister Thomson more information

Western Silvicultural Contractors’ Association - Rumour Mill RoundUpDate August 2014 more information

Wood Waste to Rural Heat August 2014 Newsletter more information