Upcoming Northern Ontario Sustainable Communities Partnership conference in Thunder Bay
COMMUNITY FORESTS
A TENURE REFORM OPTION FOR COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY IN NORTHERN ONTARIO
WED-THURS, MARCH 4-5, 2009
PRINCE ARTHUR HOTEL, THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO
Who we are: The Northern Ontario Sustainable Communities Partnership is an inclusive ad hoc group that came together in a proactive initiative in November 2006 in response to the forest industry crisis in northern Ontario. Participants are a range of individuals and organizations, including northern municipalities, nongovernmental organizations, academics and Aboriginal organizations. NOSCP sees the current crisis in the industry as an opportunity to re-evaluate the structure of the current forest sector in Ontario and to focus on solutions to achieve long-term sustainability for forest ecosystems and communities in Northern Ontario.
Objectives: The workshop seeks to 1) inform participants about how access to public forest resources and the forest tenure system affect community and ecosystem sustainability; 2) create a productive dialogue with key stakeholders and Aboriginal peoples from throughout northern Ontario about how to create a new and improved forest-based community development paradigm that provides communities with enhanced participation and control over how their forest lands are managed; and 3) develop a vision for an improved tenure system in Ontario that leads to increased community and ecosystem sustainability, building on the principles of NOSCP’s Community Forest Charter. (See http://www.gcf-on.ca/Default.aspx?alias=www.gcfon.ca/noscp for Charter and list of endorsers.)
Registration Fee: $100 with a sliding scale for students and low wage earners. Lunches included. The First Nations Forestry Program is assisting with travel costs for First Nation members.
Intended Participants: A broad spectrum from Northern Ontario who are affected by and have influence on the forest sector (municipalities, economic development organizations, adjustment committee members, First Nation and Metis representatives, government (MNR, MNDM, CFS), elected representatives, forest industry, NGOs, unions, citizens groups focused on community development, academics, students, and the general public). Community forestry scholars and practitioners from other jurisdictions will be invited to provide expertise about the community forest approach.
Program Format: A combination of presentations, panels with Question-and-Answer, and interactive sessions to discuss how to implement NOSCP’s Community Forest Charter.
Early Sponsors: Canadian Energy and Paperworkers Union, Environment North, First Nations Forestry Program, Geraldton Community Forest. We welcome additional sponsors.
For Further Information: Lynn Palmer, catlynpalm@hotmail.com, (807)345-2475 or Peggy Smith, pasmith@lakeheadu.ca, (807)346-4704 or 343-8672.
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New thinking needed to solve forestry woes
Given that more than 10,000 forestry jobs have been lost across Northern Ontario, maybe (Albert) Einstein's wise counsel that, "we can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them" will finally be heard.
The Northern Ontario Sustainable Communities Partnership (NOSCP) wants to use a different kind of thinking to address the problem; one that redirects the resources of the forests to the long term "economic and social development of the people of the region," a core principle of our Community Forest Charter drafted in 2007.
Consequently, NOSCP has organized a workshop on "Community Forests: A Tenure Reform Option for Community Sustainability in Northern Ontario" on March 4-5 in Thunder Bay.
Our purpose is to inform communities and stakeholders about how the existing forest tenure system affects sustainability; gather key Northern Ontarians together to discuss how new community- based community forest tenures can be created; and ultimately, to develop a Northern Ontarian vision and action plan for an improved tenure system that leads to increased sustainability.
This is a serious effort to empower Northern Ontarians. It is being supported financially and in-kind by (in alphabetical order): Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, EcoSuperior, Environment North, First Nations Forestry Program, Forest Renewal Coop, Geraldton Community Forest, Keewaytinook Okimakinak, Matawa Tribal Council, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, Office of Aboriginal Initiatives (Lakehead University), Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Thunder Bay Ventures.
So on March 4-5 we invite the public to join the gathering of "great spirits" in Thunder Bay to help build some real hope for the future (for details, see http://www.gcf-on.ca/noscp).
Mark Robson, Peggy Smith, Co-Chairs Northern Ontario Sustainable Communities Partnership