Background December 3, 1997 Under the Jobs and Timber Accord, the government committed to design a community forest tenure and to pilot community forests. The purpose of this is to increase the direct participation of communities and First Nations in the management of local forests and to create sustainable jobs. In British Columbia, community forestry can be loosely defined as community involvement in local forest lands for community benefits. It is a means of maintaining forest-related community lifestyles and values, while providing jobs and revenue that contribute to community stability. A "community" is often described by its geographical location—village, unincorporated town, municipality, regional district—and the entire range of interests represented by the people who live there. Many communities have expressed a desire for more control over harvesting and forest management operations to address the following objectives:
The Community Forests advisory committee established by the Minister of Forests will develop tenure models and recommend selection criteria and communities for testing the pilot tenures, as well as a process to monitor and evaluate the outcomes. The committee is made up of representatives from communities, First Nations, academia, industry and environmental groups. For More Information Contact
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