MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

We are hearing ‘rumblings’ of improvements in the economy of the forest sector, which strongly affect the viability of our communities. 2009 continued to be a difficult economic time and MIFLAG has repeatedly commented on the need to be vigilant to uphold the values put forward through MIFLAG in the efforts towards sustainable forests and sustainable communities. At every meeting the concern about jobs, economic benefits and the viability of the forest industry have been voiced.

Communications between Western Forest Products and the MIFLAG stakeholders and First Nations continues to be strong. Members freely discuss issues of the day and are working diligently at refining old indicators and bringing forward new values important to their respective constituents.

The big challenge for the next 2 years is to implement a new Canadian Standards Association standard. It is called CSA Z809-08 and moves us along the path of ‘continual improvement’. CSA Z809-08 replaces the former CSA Z809-02 standard and “outlines the requirements for a forest manager...to implement the public participation, system requirements, and performance requirements for a Defined Forest Area.” It

has a ‘core’ set of indicators to be measured and allows for continued flexibility in representing ‘local values’ of MIFLAG in the process.

During 2009 MIFLAG held 6 regular meetings, 2 field trips, 2 workshops to review past indicator performance and consider new indicators, 1 public outreach event and a Christmas gathering.

The guest speaker at the Christmas gathering was Norm Facey, V.P of Timberlands. In his presentation, Norm continually referred to the commitment of WFP to maintaining environmental standards as well as forest certification while emphasizing the importance of MIFLAG to that process. The Christmas gathering was a wonderful and warm social event ending with Christmas carols led by Morgan Ostler on the autoharp.

MIFLAG membership was stronger in 2009, with members expressing appreciation for more First Nation involvement and consistent stakeholder representation at the table.

We all look forward to better economic times in the forest sector. I encourage all MIFLAG members to continue your valuable efforts on behalf of your First Nations, your communities, your stakeholder groups and the continual improvement in sustainable forest management on the DFA. Thank you to the MIFLAG members and Western Forest Products for the ongoing efforts that you make to represent the values of your communities and First Nations. The selflessness of our members in their efforts is exemplary. Once again I must say that it is indeed an honour and a privilege to facilitate and chair such a dedicated group of volunteers.

For More Information:

Ronald Frank, R.P.F., MIFLAG Facilitator/Chair. Phone: (250) 338-9717 Fax: (250) 338-5604

E-mail: shelter@island.net

MIFLAG Website: WWW.MIFLAG.ORG

April 30, 2010

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Mid Island Forest Lands Advisory Group (MIFLAG) is an independent body providing organized and regular input to the development, implementation and ongoing improvement of Western Forest Products’ Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) system at Mid Island Forest Operations.

Input comes from a range of First Nation and Stakeholder representatives from the surrounding communities, including Sayward, Campbell River, Comox and Cape Mudge. The Canadians Standards Association Z809 (CSA Z809) forest certification forms the core of MIFLAG’s activities.

The land base on which MIFLAG advises Western Forest Products is called the Defined Forest Area (DFA) and includes 157,500 hectares of Block 2 of Tree Farm Licence 39.

The strength of this process lies in third party auditing of the process to ensure compliance with agreed measurables, which are called Indicators. MIFLAG currently has 39 indicators measuring a range of items from respect for First Nations values, public education and outreach, Stakeholder and First Nations satisfaction with the process, reforestation, and many others. Indicators have been developed to measure continued improvement in Sustainable Forest Management and to ref lect the Community Values expressed by MIFLAG.

Since May 1999 WFP has successfully passed all audits and MIFLAG continues to express our community and First Nations values through this forest certification process.

Mid Island Forest Lands Advisory Group

MEMBERSHIP

2009 saw most MIFLAG members continue on in service with MIFLAG. There were new members who joined in to replace those leaving. We have some members who have been faithful participants with MIFLAG since it’s inception in 1999: Lynn Nash, Member at Large; Richard Glover, Sayward Fish & Game, and Clay Carlson, Education. We were sad to see our Western Forest Products ‘Champion”, Gary Skabeikis, RPF leave Western Forest Products and pleased to bring back Cindy Fife, RPF, who has filled this role in the past. Melissa Quocksister now represents the K’omoks First Nation. Colin Buss replaces Maureen Brinson in representing the Campbell River Chamber of Commerce. We now have a new representative for the Suppliers stakeholder position, Melinda Martin of Western Equipment.

ACTIVE MEMBERS

OBSERVER STATUS

Chief John Smith Tlowitsis First Nation John Andres Ministry of Forests

Rod Naknakim Hamatla Treaty Society STANDING MEMBERS

Bill Harrison*/Morgan Ostler

Seniors’ Representative Gary Skabeikis, R.P.F*/ Cindy Fife R.P.F

Operations Forester responsible for the Public Advisory process at WFP Mid Island Operation

Lynn Nash Community Member at Large Tony Clark, R.P.F Area Engineer, WFP, Mid Island Operation

Melissa Quocksister K’omok’s First Nation Ken Mackenzie, R.P.F Operations Manager, WFP, Mid Island Operation

Rick Wangler United Steelworkers Local 1-363 Michel deBellefeuille, R.P.F

Corporate Certification Coordinator

Maureen Brinson*/Colin Buss

Chamber of Commerce Martin Buchanan, R.F.T* Land Use Forester

Richard Glover Sayward Fish and Game Club ALTERNATES

Morgan Ostler City of Campbell River Mary Storry Regional District of Strathcona

Kelly Arkell Forest Contractors to Western Bill West-Sells Sayward Fish and Game Club

Melinda Martin Suppliers to Western Colleen Evans Chamber of Commerce

Sandra Barnes C.R. Environmental Committee Julie Sigurdson

Clay Carlson Timberline Secondary School Education

Gerald Whalley Regional District of Strathcona Nicole Flohr Recording Secretary / Administrative

Barry Nash*/Rosemary Croteau

Village of Sayward Ronald Frank, R.P.F Facilitator / Chair

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO MIFLAG

C.R. Environmental Com-mittee

*(Indicates MIFLAG members who left MIFLAG during 2009)

April 30, 2010 MIFLAG MEMBERS SPEAK

MIFLAG works by consensus but our members have their own viewpoints and specific key values, which they represent to the MIFLAG table. Looking back at 2009 this is what a few or our members had to say:

Sayward Fish and Game: Events that took place in the Sayward area; we visited Santa Maria recreation trail site, had a viewing of the fish hatchery, looked at new fish habitat at Big Tree 300 that is doing well, and we also learned that alder is now allowed in the planted forest areas so it is no longer being sprayed with pesticide, which is good.

Campbell River Chamber of Commerce: I became a member of MIFLAG in November 2009. I am a director with the Campbell River and District Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber’s Board of Directors is interested in gaining a greater understanding of the intricacies of MIFLAG and, when appropriate, advocating on behalf of Western Forest Products and the forest industry at large, with local or provincial issues that impact the company or industry. Currently, the Chamber is considering putting forward a resolution to modify the existing B.C Chamber’s policy on the coastal forest industry. I look forward to being involved with MIFLAG and being a part of the well-informed discussions that occur. I appreciate the opportunity to provide the Chamber with greater knowledge of the significant responsibilities of Western Forest Products.

Campbell River Chamber of Commerce: As a long standing member of the MIFLAG table who is not employed in the Forest industry it has been a steep learning curve. Our defined forest area plays an extremely important role in our community. Sustainability is what keeps myself and others at the table. The focus is not just the impact our forest practices have on our economy (Forest industry and related business) but values and respects community empire on the social and ecological concerns.

City of Campbell River and our Campbell River Seniors: As members representing a broad spectrum of the community our MIFLAG is consistently concerned about the high recreational values the public upholds on the DFA lands. WFP staff respect those concerns and work effectively with MIFLAG on protection, enhancement and new development of recreation sites. This process is a vital function to us as advisors to WFP.

K’omoks First Nation: Since 2009 I have been participating in the MIFLAG when I can. I think this is a valuable experience for me as a young person emerging into K’omoks First Nation leadership. I also think it is important for other First Nation representatives to participate so that we all know what is going on in our forests. Every forest, park and woodlot on Vancouver is within a traditional territory of a First Nation.

Member At Large: After many years on the MIFLAG for Western Forest Products certification process, just as I am beginning to understand the whole sustainable forestry process, many of our Indicators require major re-thinking, especially in view of the Economic Recession in which we find ourselves. The whole way we do harvesting/planting/stewardship of the resource bears re-thinking as mills go down, workers re-train into other fields because the jobs are no longer there, profits for the companies disappear and forest-dependant communities lose their industrial tax base. The constant we understand is that forest harvesting must continue to be done in a safe, sensitive and least-damaging manner to the ecosystem while developing new processes and systems that will employ people and bring abundance to communities.