Updated July 2013 Newsletter

Please note the addition of a new item:

Employment Opportunity - Westbank Community Forest General Manager of Forestry

Grant Thompson is retiring as General Manager of the Westbank First Nation's Community Forest. A steady voice of reason and insight, Grant served on the BCCFA board of directors for 6 years. The posting for the manager position closes on July 17th. more information

New BCCFA Board of Directors

President: Don Brown, Logan Lake
Vice-President: Jack McLeman, Alberni Valley
Treasurer: Gord Chipman, Esk'etemc
Secretary: Erik Leslie, Harrop Procter
Members at Large: George Brcko,Wells Gray, John Stace-Smith, Likely Xat'sull

We look forward to working with the new board and thank them for stepping up to the task. They are a small, yet dynamic group, with lots of experience to share. Our bylaws allow for a 9 members board, which means we have 3 vacancies. The board is looking to recruit additional members to fill the vacant seats. Please let us know if you or one of your board members are interested.

Shane Bresette is moving on
Shane has unfortunately resigned from the BCCFA Board. He and his family will be moving from Valemount to Prince George where he will be working with Dunkely Lumber. Shane has been a community forest manager with a bottom line that to get respect, you have to give it. He is a good communicator with a respectful and patient approach to his colleagues and community. He will be missed by his community forest colleagues, yet we wish him the best and look forward to working with him in his new role.

Valemount Community Forest Manager Job Opportunity more information

Reports and Meeting Minutes
Please note that due to the May conference, there were no regular meetings that month. The June Board minutes will be available in next month's newsletter.
Annual President's Report
June Executive Director's Report
July Executive Director's Report
April BCCFA Board
April Joint Working Group
June Joint Working Group

BCCFA Extension Program
Planning has begun for the fall extension tour. Typically the tour involves community based meetings which focus on governance and forest management topics of interest to the community. Recently there has been a great deal of interest expressed for more information on using digital technology in the field and the office. We are exploring an idea to hold some regional meetings where groups of CFs can travel to a central location for a hands-on session. Would you be interested in attending a session in mid to late October? We are also accepting requests for community visits. Let us know

2013 BCCFA Conference Session Summaries
Each year following the annual conference, a report is compiled which includes summaries of each of the sessions along with a collection of photos and acknowledgements. The full report is in the editing and lay out stage. Meanwhile, since a 45-50 page document can be a bit daunting, we will be selecting session summaries for monthly postings in the newsletter.  All conference presentations can be found as a pdf on the BCCFA website.

• Manager's Session - The Manager’s Forum is an opportunity for exchange of information, ideas and dialogue about the questions, issues and concerns of interest to managers of community forests. more information
• Climate Change Adaptation Strategies In this session we heard from community forest managers, forest professionals and ministry staff about the policy, tools and information required to adjust plans and practices to be responsive to the uncertainties of climate change.  more information

BCCFA Website Upgrades Underway
Technology does not stay still for too long and as a result the BCCFA website has undergone a software upgrade. The website is a primary tool for communication about the BCCFA and community forestry in BC and the stats show that it is very effective. For example, our 2013 conference page has had over 46,000 visits since it went up in January. Check out the new look of the home page.

WoodSourceBC.com
Have you checked out the new features on the new and improved WoodSourceBC.com? Have you made a new a posting lately? Go to the website now.  more information

Monashee Community Forest Agreement Signed - At Last
Congratulations to the Village of Lumby and the Splatsin First Nation who have completed the application process and have signed a Community Forest Agreement for an annual harvest of 21,515 m3. The area borders the Village and Silver Star Provincial Park and then goes north to Putman Creek (Trinity Valley). more information

Powell River Community Forest Announces 2012 Dividends of $539,950 more information

The Cheakamus Community Forest is on target more information

Logan Lake Community Forest Hosts Teachers 
A recent tour gave teachers an opportunity to see how a municipality can take charge of the forestry industry in their region and redistribute profits back into the community. more information

Other News

Getting Started with Mobile technology - - More from Andy Muma
Check out this guide for setting up and using an Ipad for office and field work more information

Small Sawmills Persevere While the Majors Close:
Evaluating Resilience and Desirable Timber Allocation in British Columbia more information

Lessons From Abroad for Community Forests
Researchers at the Forests and Communities in Transition (FACT) Lab at UBC pass on lessons learned from community forest experiments in Mexico and The Gambia.more information

ABCFP Responds to the Forest Practices Board Bulletin on Professional Reliance in BC Forests more information