By paNOW Staff

Prince Albert FMA changes hands, includes First Nations

Oct 14, 2010 | 5:02 PM

Andrew de Souza

paNOW Staff

Control over the Prince Albert Forest Management Area has been transferred from Domtar and Weyerhaeuser to six businesses and two First Nations.
On Thursday, Minister of Environment Dustin Duncan and Minister of Energy and Resources Bill Boyd came to the Prince Albert Forest Centre to sign an agreement between the provincial government and the 8 shareholders.
The Prince Albert FMA contains about 2 million cubic meters of hard- and softwood lumber.
Minister Boyd said the agreement was an historic achievement for the province because it put First Nations in a direct role.
“This is a very historic agreement,” said Boyd. “It clearly indicates this government’s commitment to work with first nations and metis leaders and of course the forest industry.
“This sends a message to First Nations people across the province that we’re prepared to work with them and prepared to enter agreements with them.”
Montreal Lake First Nation Chief Roger Bird said he hoped the move would bring work and prosperity to the community.
“We’ve always felt that we’ve been left out of all negotiations but I’m thankful today,” said Bird. “It’s going to create an opportunity for our young people, our people in general within the Cree Nation to have an opportunity for employment and create wealth.
“Our people live in poverty and we need to help them get out of it.”
The partners in the agreement include A.C. Forestry, Carrier Forest Products, Edgewood Forest Products, L&M Forest Products, Meadow Lake Mechanical Pulp, Meadow Lake OSB, Montreal Lake Business Ventures and Norask P.A. Forestry. Together they form what is known as Sakaw Askiy Management.
According to Sakaw president Dave Knight, the group will divvy up the land to balance the economic needs of each group and allow for historic trends to remain. Additionally, the group will look to protect grounds sacred to aboriginal groups.
Knight said the agreements initially started out with a lot of arguing, but problems were smoothed out. He says the agreement between the groups now constitutes one of the best systems he’s ever seen.
“It’s a unique construct and its better than anything I’ve ever seen in Canada other absolute ownership by one party,” he said.
Knight said the groups would finalize the lumber distribution in the coming months.
adesouza@rawlco.com