Saturday, 15 September 2001
Tree Farm earns certification in British Columbia
lisaak Forest Resources recently became the first FSC-certified Tree Farm License holder in British Columbia. The certification covers 215,000 acres (87,000 hectares) of coastal temperate rainforest in Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver Island.
Tree Farm Licenses (TFL’s), which exist only in British Columbia, are 25-year contractual agreements between the provincial government and a licensee, granting companies exclusive management of the timber resource on a specified area of crown land. TFL’s are the largest form of area-based tenure in British Columbia. Iisaak is now one of the largest certified forest operations in all of Canada. The company is a joint venture of Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations Development Corporation, which holds 51% of the company’s shares, and Weyerhaeuser, which holds 49% of the shares. Iisaak’s business strategy contains plans to further develop the markets for certified wood, undervalued species, and non-timber forest products. The Nuu-chah-nulth philosophy of Hishuk-ish ts’awalk: respecting the limits of what is extracted from the land, and the interconnectedness of all things, guide the company in the management of TFL 57. Iisaak has finalized a relationship based on support and encouragement with Greenpeace, Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club of BC, and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee.“FSC certification supports Iisaak’s business approach and promotes the development of responsible forestry in British Columbia," notes Eric Schroff, Iisaak General Manager.