Management of the Bella Coola Community Forest is done in accordance with a set of stewardship and operating principles:
Stewardship Principles
- Forest resources are managed in a manner that assures environmental sustainability.
- Timber resources are managed on a sustainable basis in accordance with optimal capacity of environmental recovery.
- The multitude of forest resources are managed in a collaborative, integrated and respectful manner.
- Bella Coola community is involved in forest development planning and participates in the monitoring of activities.
- First Nation rights and title are recognized and accommodated.
- Operations are conducted in a financially sound and fiscally responsible manner.
- The local community benefits through employment, access to timber and revenue.
- Opportunitiesy to benefit from the community forest is equally open to Nuxalk and non-Nuxalk people.
- Operations are conducted in a safe manner and workers are treated with respect.
- Management is conducted in an open and honest manner with respectful consideration of varying community perspectives.
- External politics do not interfere with decision making.
- Local processing of timber resources is promoted at fair market value for the logs.
- Local log needs are incorporated into timber harvesting plans.
- Logs are processed to achieve the best quality standards possible.
