First Nations Forestry Council

10/02/2026

In Adams Lake, forestry revenues built a new pit house where Elders and children gather and helped build a new health centre. Now the community is replanting cut blocks with its own traditional plants and medicines, caring for "the plants, the animals in the entire cycle of life."

Adams Lake is showing what it looks like when a Nation’s values guide how forests are cared for and forestry benefits are invested back into the community. Bring your Nation’s values and priorities to the 2026 BC First Nations Forestry Forum. Share what matters to your community and help shape the future of First Nations forestry.

Learn more & register: https://forestrycouncil.ca/2026-bc-first-nations-forestry-forum/

09/30/2026

Truth is not a single day.

Today we honour Survivors of residential and day schools, the children who never came home, and the families and communities who continue to carry these impacts.

Our CEO Lennard Joe (Suxʷsxʷwels) shares his own story in this month's newsletter: his cousins leaving for residential school, his parents' years at Kamloops and St. George's, and why the land matters to our healing.

"Through all of this, we have not lost our way. We continue to carry the teachings and laws passed down to us and our responsibilities to the land, the water and the resources that sustain us."

Read Lennard's full message: https://mailchi.mp/forestrycouncil.ca/august_2026_newsletter_nfn-19883812

09/23/2026

This week, September 21 to 25, is National Truth and Reconciliation Week. We invite you to honour Survivors of residential schools and the children who never came home, and to stand with the families and communities who continue to carry these impacts. Take time this week to listen to Survivors' voices, learn the history, and join free programs led by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Reconciliation looks different for each person, but through listening, learning and action, we all share in building a future grounded in truth.

Learn: NCTR's free daily Lunch and Learns
https://trw-svr.nctr.ca/lunch-and-learns/
Watch: Picking Up the Pieces: The Making of the Witness Blanket
https://humanrights.ca/story/picking-pieces-making-witness-blanket
Read: The TRC's 94 Calls to Action
https://nctr.ca/about/truth-and-reconciliation-commission-of-canada-calls-to-action/
Listen: Woven Spirit Podcast, Indian Residential School Survivors Society
https://www.irsss.ca/woven-spirit-podcast

09/16/2026

🎓 Welcome back to school! 🌲

We’re celebrating Indigenous students pursuing education and careers in forestry and the many pathways they are creating for themselves and their communities.

The Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program (IFSP) supports First Nations students pursuing post-secondary education in forestry and related fields, helping reduce financial barriers while encouraging students to build meaningful careers in BC’s forest sector.

These students bring knowledge, perspective, and a strong connection to their communities. They represent the future of Indigenous leadership in forestry.

We’re proud to support their journeys and grateful to the partners who help make these opportunities possible.

Interested in supporting the next generation of Indigenous forestry professionals? We’d love to connect.

Learn more: ForestryCouncil.ca/Workforce
Become a Partner: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DDJZXFL

09/10/2026

We're hiring a Workforce Development Coordinator to join our team! 🌲

If you're passionate about supporting students, building connections, and helping the next generation find their path in forestry, this could be the role for you.

From connecting with students and coordinating work placements to supporting events, school outreach, mentorship, and career opportunities, you'll help create meaningful experiences for First Nations youth and students across BC.

View the full job posting and apply here:https://forestrycouncil.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Workforce-Coordinator-Position-Profile.pdf

08/11/2026

Special request - please share!

FNESS is looking to connect with Wildfire Fighting contractors.

Must have current s100/s185 training (this year), or valid equivalent training, and their own PPE.

Please send your information to: [email protected]

08/10/2026

FESBC has expanded its Fibre Utilization Funding Program, allowing eligible applicants to receive funding to recover biomass from active and approved Timber Sale Licences.

We encourage First Nations working in this space to explore the updated eligibility and funding available. See the post below for application details!

Important Announcement: The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) is pleased to advise that eligible applicants can now apply to the Fibre Utilization Funding Program to receive funding to recover biomass from active and approved Timber Sale Licences issued prior to July 31, 2026.

Organizations that are new to the program, or that do not currently have FESBC Fibre Utilization funding, are encouraged to review the 2026-27 Fibre Utilization Funding Program Guide and apply. Current Fibre Utilization funding recipients may also be able to amend their existing projects to include eligible Timber Sale Licenses.

Download the Program Guide here:https://fesbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/FESBC-Fibre-Utilization-Funding-Program-Guide-2026-27.pdf

For questions about eligibility or to discuss your project, please contact the FESBC Operations Manager for your region: https://fesbc.ca/contact-us/

08/06/2026

Our thoughts are with the Okanagan Indian Band, their members, families, and Elders as they respond to the Bradley Creek Wildfire.

Having recently been welcomed to the Okanagan for our 2026 BC First Nations Forestry Conference, we hold deep gratitude for the lands and communities that hosted us. During this difficult time, we stand with OKIB and everyone working to keep people, homes, and community safe.

Please follow the Okanagan Indian Band’s official channels for the latest updates and supports.

Community Update: ESS Reception Centre information for (tomorrow) August for 05, 2026:

Update as of 8:30pm, Aug. 4, 2026

OKIB Reception centre will be located at the Fairfield Hotel, 5300 Anderson Way

The reception will open at 10:00am. Upon arrival please check-in with the Meet & Greet volunteers who are wearing orange vests and are located in the Lobby.

The Meet & Greet volunteers will collect your name and contact information, and will ask you how much notice you will need to return to the reception centre.

You will then be contacted to return to the reception centre to meet with a volunteer to process your ESS supports when a Registration and Referrals Volunteer is available.

A space for band members to gather and visit is available at the Prestige Vernon Hotel, 4411 32nd St. across from London Drugs.

When referrals are set to expire here is the process:

If you received an e-transfer for all of your ESS supports you will you receive a phone call to the phone number you gave on your registration.

The ESS Volunteer will be confirming that your current supports are adequate and if so, your supports will be extended to August 12th and you will receive an e-transfer to cover shelter and food.

If you received any ESS supports with a pink referral form for a hotel or groceries, you will need to attend the reception centre at the Fairfield Inn to extend your supports August 12, 2026

If there are any changes to your current ESS supports you will need to return to the OKIB ESS Reception Centre at the Fairfield Hotel.

Further updates will be shared through the Okanagan Indian Band's official communication channels as more information becomes available. https://www.okib.ca/

The City of Vernon - Local Government continues to actively support response efforts related to the Bradley Creek Wildfire and providing support to those who have been affected.

Key information:

➡️ Emergency Support Services (ESS) are available online (ess.gov.bc.ca) and by phone (1-800-387-4258) for eligible evacuees. Assistance can be accessed without visiting the Reception Centre.

➡️ ESS Reception Centre 📍 Kal Tire Place, 3445 43 Avenue 🕘 Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

08/01/2026

A veteran Tahltan wildfire fighter’s solution for the current BC wildfire crisis.

Photo: Chad Thomas, centre, out in the field “If we want change, and we want to get there as a country, we have to start working together.” When I spoke with veteran Indigenous wildland firefighter Chad Thomas this week, he had just returned home to his community of Tahltan First Nation after we...

07/28/2026

As wildfires continue to affect communities across British Columbia, our thoughts are with the Pelltiq't and everyone impacted by the fires affecting the Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band and the surrounding Clinton area.

We recognize the uncertainty these events bring to community, firefighters, emergency personnel, volunteers, and everyone working together to protect people, homes, and the land.

If you are in or near the affected area, continue to monitor EmergencyMapBC and official channels for the latest Evacuation Orders and Alerts. Conditions can change rapidly, and timely information is essential to keeping yourself and your loved ones safe.

If you are under an Evacuation Order, follow the direction of emergency officials, register with Emergency Support Services (ESS) for short-term assistance, and continue monitoring trusted local information through the below links:

• EmergencyInfoBC – Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band evacuation information (https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/wildfire-whispering-pines-clinton-indian-band-evacuation-information/)
• EmergencyMapBC – Current evacuation orders and alerts (https://governmentofbc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=950b4eec577a4dc5b298a61adab41c06)
• Emergency Support Services (ESS) – Assistance for people displaced by emergencies (https://ess.gov.bc.ca/)
• BC Wildfire Service – Current wildfire information and incident updates (https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/dashboard)
• DriveBC – Road closures and travel conditions (https://www.drivebc.ca/?pan=-123.82438532692748%2C53.926987800999996&zoom=5)
• BC Air Quality Health Index – Current smoke and air quality conditions (https://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/bcairquality/data/aqhi-table.html)
• First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) – Health, wellness, and mental health supports for First Nations communities during emergencies (https://fnha.ca/services-and-support/access-and-support/climate-emergencies/wildfire-response/)
• First Nations’ Emergency Services Society (FNESS) – Emergency-management and wildfire resources for First Nations in B.C. (https://www.fness.bc.ca/resources/library/)

Wildfires affect more than landscapes, they impact families, cultural values, livelihoods, and the health of communities. While the immediate priority is everyone's safety, recovery will take time. The BC First Nations Forestry Council remains committed to supporting First Nations as communities move from emergency response to long-term stewardship, restoration, and resilience.

Please stay safe, take care of one another, and thank you to everyone working tirelessly to protect communities across British Columbia.