First Nations

Symmetree collaborates with the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation (Burrard Band) and the Huu-ay-aht First Nations (Bamfield), to help them understand forestry issues and conduct well-informed and meaningful dialogue with the other resource stakeholders and licencees in the area as they work toward becoming a partner with local licencees in resource stewardship and management in their traditional territory.

Currently Symmetree is working with Ecotrust Canada to prescribe partial-cutting prescriptions and manage both the private and public parcels. As well Symmetree and Ecotrust are assisting the Tsleil-Watuth to become certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Symmetree worked with Huu-ay-aht First Nation and Weyerhaeuser Company Limited from March 1998 to July 2003 facilitating their monthly forestry business meetings dealing with forestry operational issues ensuring Huu-ay-aht First Nation and Weyerhaeuser met all economic and cultural commitments. During this time Symmetree helped the Huu-ay-aht gain a reputation as a progressive forest management Nation by assisting them with:

I. An Interim Measures Agreement for Forest Management.

II. Partnerships with WCL, Hayes.

III. The formation of a Huu-ay-aht Logging Company.

A Vision Paper embracing Sustainable Forest Management.
Securing short term access to forest resource stewardship opportunities in HFN territory.

For an example of a stewardship project Symmetree was involved in see http://www.huuayaht.ca/healing/index.html

In 2002-2003 Symmetree helped the Tsleil-Waututh develop a long-term sustainable forest management plan for their private land in the Indian River Valley, and recently helped them develop a management plan for a woodlot near Norton Lake.

In 2002 Symmetree conducted a study of commercial thinning opportunities in the Indian River Valley to provide the Tsleil-Waututh Nation with strategic planning information regarding estimates of timing and potential harvestable commercial thinning volumes, and values available over the next 20-50 years. Estimates of costs and harvest difficulty were made and recommendations were included to develop a strategy to prepare for thinning opportunities over the next ten years.

In 2000 Symmetree assisted the Tsleil-Waututh with purchasing from the Provinicial Government approximately 300 ha of land in and around their ancestral home near the mouth of the Indian River. Symmetree was able to make a case for valuation of the property using income flows over time, assuming sustainable forest management, rather than the standard practice of total valuation of current assets, which often encourages rapid exploitation. This was the first time that the Provincial Lands Branch had valued forest land in this way and it reduced the purchase price to less than half of the original offering.

In 1996 Symmetree conducted riparian ecosystem assessments for the Nisgaa Tribal Council in the Nass River Valley System.

Integrating knowledge, experience and common sense.