Forest Management Based on Local Values: An Example of Forest Co-management in British Colombia

In 1999, the Tl’azt’en Nation, a First Nation in central British Columbia in Canada, and the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) together founded the John Prince Research Forest (JPRF). The Tl’azt’en Nation numbers approximately 1,500 persons, about half of whom live in four villages within the group’s traditional territory. They speak an Athapaskan-family language, Dakelh (also known as Carrier). Their traditional territory covers some 6,500 square kilometers in north-central British Columbia. Historically hunters, gatherers and fishers, Tl’azt’enne continue to pursue their traditional activities on their land base, as well as work in the forest industry and other local activities. Unemployment is high, as Tl’azt’enne no longer control the resources on their traditional territory. They are pursuing treaty negotiations to regain their rights to this territory.

The University of Northern British Columbia was founded in 1990, and opened in 1994. From the beginning, it had wanted to establish a research forest to support the training of students in its Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, and to provide a site for long-term research into sustainable forestry practices for its faculty and graduate students. In 1994, the British Columbia Ministry of Forests identified 13,000 ha of “unallocated Crown forest land” that it would be willing to allocate for this purpose. The land was within the traditional territory of the Tl’azt’en Nation. The university and the Tl’azt’en Nation entered into talks around cooperating on the management of this forest base. In 1999, the provincial Ministry of Forests allocated this land as a research forest to be co-managed by the University and the Tl’azt’en Nation.