The BC Ministry of Forests is hosting a series of public engagement events on the Forest Landscape Plan (FLP) Pilot project for the Sunshine Coast Timber Supply Area (TSA).
There are three upcoming events to participate in:
Campbell River – November 30th, 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Thulin Room, Maritime Heritage Centre, 621 Island Highway
Powell River, qathet – December 5th, 5:30pm – 8:00pm
The ARC, 7055 Alberni St
Sechelt – December 6st, 6:00pm – 8:30pm
Foyer – Chatelech Secondary School, 5904 Cowrie St
What’s an FLP?
A Forest Landscape Plan (FLP) is a new forestry planning tool.
FLPs will replace existing Forest Stewardship Plans (FSP). FSPs do not consider or coordinate overlapping values or interests.
FLPs are meant as a tactical planning tool to help ensure partnerships are formed with First Nations, forest licensees, and local communities, and aims to provide more opportunities for input from stakeholders, including the public.
Shifting from FSPs to FLPs is one way the BC Government aims to achieve the long needed paradigm shift in forestry practices, which have led to fall down of the BC Timber supply, and massive degradation of forested ecosystems in BC.
The pilot project is a collaboration between the Homalco Nation, Klahoose First Nation, Shíshálh Nation, Squamish Nation, Tla’amin Nation, and the Ministry of Forests.
The objectives of the Sunshine Coast FLP Pilot are:
- To test the developmental process of the FLP and provide insight for future regulatory requirements
- To develop an FLP that can be applied to all volume-based operators within the Sunshine Coast Timber Supply Area
The three pillars of the public engagement process are described as:
AWARENESS: Build understanding with stakeholders and the public of the Planning Team’s roles and planning activities.
TRUST: Build and maintain trust and confidence in the Planning Team and planning process; and
FEEDBACK: Provide adequate mechanisms and equal opportunities for feedback, seek feedback from the public and stakeholders and, where possible, consider it in decisions.
What’s Next?
Can’t make it to the meeting, but still want to learn about the FLPs and provide feedback? Over the next couple of weeks, the SCCA will post information to help provide context for this FLP pilot project, and what it means. Please stay tuned for more information in the coming days.
Click here to complete the feedback survey – before January 15, 2024
NOTE: The SCCA will draft responses to the survey and share via email and on our website in the coming weeks. The public is welcome to share and use any of our comments in your response.
