Capital News: Okanagan Nation Alliance worried about proposed working forest plan

Thursday, September 17, 2026
By: Ty Lim
Capital News

Read the original article here.

The Syilx Okanagan Nation said it is concerned the province’s planned Working Forest Landscape Model may undermine environmental protection and Indigenous title and rights.

In a press release from the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) issued Sept. 16, the coalition of Syilx First Nations said the working forest model “raises fundamental questions about how the health of the land is valued and who determines its future.

“Forests are more than a timber supply – they are interconnected living systems that sustain water, wildlife, foods, medicines, biodiversity, cultural practices and Syilx responsibilities to the land,” the ONA release reads.

“Prioritizing commercial timber production through long-term land-use designations could have significant implications for Syilx Aboriginal title and rights, governance, stewardship responsibilities, cultural use, conservation priorities and future land use decisions.”

B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar announced the plans for the working forest model back in August 2026. According to Parmar, the model will reduce permit complexity and wait times for lumber companies by creating a zone-based system.

There would be three zones within the system including: a conservation or protection zone that emphasizes habitat protection, a multiple-use zone focused on long-term ecosystem function but allowing different types of uses, and a working forest zone prioritizing harvesting.

“The working forest landscape model allows us to be able to build a working forest for working people that ensures that we can address the challenges the sector is facing,” Parmar said during a press conference in August announcing the new forestry plans.

The ONA said one of its primary concerns is that the creation of working forest zones will have timber harvesting as the “dominant objective” and could limit opportunities to protect and restore the environment.

It also said there are “significant unanswered questions” on how the model would establish boundaries and how the zones would be respected legally or through policy.

The ONA also said these land management decisions should be made with the involvement of Indigenous title holders “whose territories are being affected.”

“Certainty for the forest industry cannot come at the expense of the land, water, wildlife or future generations. A modern approach to forestry must recognize Indigenous title and jurisdiction and ensure ecosystem health is not secondary to timber supply. The Syilx Forestry Principles & Standards set our expectations for forestry within Syilx Okanagan Territory. Provincial zoning will not replace our laws, responsibilities, standards or role in making decisions about our lands and resources,” said Chief Clarence Louie, Tribal Chairman of the ONA.

According to the B.C. government, the decisions on where to apply the zones are being held in conjunction with First Nations, local governments and the forestry industry. The province said it will announce the zones for a pilot of the working forest model in the fall.

– With files from Mark Page.