Komoks Treaty Information Meeting

Dear Members,

Please find the attached article from Al Hopwood. It is very well written and educational.

Also, the criticism at the end is deserved. Al adds: To clarify. When I said that NIWA should have been addressing treaties earlier, I include myself (for the time that I was actively involved in NIWA) as not recognizing the urgency and importance of the threat of the Komoks treaty.

The problem is, while most of us knew that woodlots are on the table, the government usually replaced offered woodlot areas with other suitable areas, so that the woodlot tenure itself could continue to exist. This seems to have changed and the government tries now to terminate the woodlot licenses for the benefit of treaty settlement. As treaties continue to be settled over time, this means effectively the dismantling of the woodlot licence program.

This also means that all woodlot licensees are affected by the recent development and not just the 3 woodlot licences offered in the Komox treaty.

Suggestions and comments are welcome as usual.