Forestry

The Ch-ihl-kway-uhk Forestry Limited Partnership (CFLP) is comprised of seven Ts’elxweyeqw Tribe member First Nation communities and two Pilalt Tribe communities Kwaw Kwaw Apilt and Skwah First Nations, but includes opportunities to work in partnership with other bands. The Ts’elxweyeqw Tribe member communities include: Aitchelitz First Nation, Shxwha:y First Nation, Skowkale First Nation, Squiala First Nation, Tzeachten First Nation, Yakweakwooise First Nation.

CFLP is a First Nation forest licensee that has, through a Forest and Range Agreement with the province of British Columbia, been able to secure two forest tenures, A75807 (Non-Replaceable Forest License) and W0084 (Woodlot License). CFLP manages both tenures on behalf of the Ts’elxweyeqw Tribe.

The Ts’elxweyeqw Tribe , through CFLP, are participating in British Columbia's forest industry, and to date have undergone many steps in forestry planning that will position them to succeed. The process started for Ts’elxweyeqw in March 2004 when, as a united Tribe, signed a Forest and Range Agreement with the British Columbia Government. In June 2004 the Ts’elxweyeqw had a visioning session to decide how they were going to succeed as a new forest company in B.C.’s forest industry, and which avenue they were going to choose. It was decided that the Ts’elxweyeqw would take a business approach, and make economics combined with Ch-ihl-kway-uhk’s First Nation values a driving force behind their decisions. With this approach, Ts’elxweyeqw would pursue a Joint Venture partner. In March 2005 a Joint Venture agreement was signed with Probyn Log. As a First Nations business the Tribe determined that if they were to be successful they needed to build capacity from within. To help provide structure and direction, sub committees were formed for the various business ventures Ts’elxweyeqw was pursuing. To further capacity building within Ts’elxweyeqw pooled the existing talent within its membership. From this search Ts’elxweyeqw found and hired a Forestry Operations Manager, who is both a First Nations Professional Forester and a member of the Ts’elxweyeqw Tribe .

The Ts’elxweyeqw people see CFLP as a First Nations owned and controlled organization that is sustainably managing the natural resources of the Chilliwack River Valley (The Ts’elxweyeqw Traditional Territory) for the benefit of the Ts’elxweyeqw people. The vision and mission of CFLP are to represent the Ts’elxweyeqw Tribe on forestry issues and particularly to explore and facilitate the development of Ts’elxweyeqw First Nations enterprises in the forest sector. There is the potential to develop a viable and profitable First Nations owned and controlled forest sector business, vertically integrated from basic resource through to value added production. This has provided a wide range of benefits, including employment, skills transfer, and resource control through attainment of a Forest Estate, as well as business opportunities and economic development for the Ts’elxweyeqw people.

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