Indigenous Boreal Lands

In Canada, there are over 2,300 First Nation Reserves with a total area of 3 million hectares, of which 1.4 million hectares are forested (Natural Resources Canada, 2009). Over the past two decades, efforts have been made to include Aboriginal peoples in the planning and assessment process of forest resource management throughout Canada.

These forest resources not only provide sustainable economic opportunities for local people, but they also support communities' cultural values. On the west coast of Canada, several First Nations communities have begun to utilize computer mapping technology to ensure their participation in management of forest resources. With the wealth of late seral forests and sensitive ecosystems coincident with First Nation Reserves and existing Canadian lumber and pulp mills, the need to balance forest management and the protection of ecological values has become more and more apparent. Various stakeholder groups have begin to develop collaborative working relationships to improve forest managmement.