About

The Cortes Community Forest Cooperative (CCFC) is partners with the Klahoose First Nation in the Cortes Forestry General Partnership (CFGP). The CCFC operates on the traditional territories of the Klahoose, Homalco, Tla’amin and Wei Wai Kum peoples. The General Partnership is outlined in the K4G Agreement, which was the result of decades of community work. Foundational documents can be found here.

Recent history

In August 2013 the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations issued a Community Forest Agreement (CFA) for approximately 3,869 hectares of Crown land on Cortes Island to the Cortes Forestry General Partnership. 

The CFGP is an equal partnership between the Klahoose Forestry No. 2 Limited Partnership and the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative. These two entities are in turn directly responsible to their constituent memberships. 

In early 2014 the CFGP initiated a community based planning process to identify and document the values of the Cortes Island community as they relate to the CFA. Completed in July 2014, the Community Forest Operating Plan (CFOP) expresses the management philosophy by which the CFGP intends to manage the CFA.

The Cortes Island CFA is spread out across the island and encompasses approximately 35% of the land base, including a wide range of ecosystems and forest age classes. Cortes Island is located in the Discovery Islands, and is part of the Sunshine Coast District in the province’s Coast Forest District. 

You can learn more about the history of the CCFC land base here.

Community forests

"A community forest can be described as any forestry operation managed by a local government, community group, First Nation or community-held corporation for the benefit of the entire community. Community forestry involves the three pillars of sustainable development: social, ecological, and economic sustainability. At its core, community forestry is about local control over and enjoyment of the monetary and non-monetary benefits offered by local forest resources."

Visit the BCCFA to learn more.

 

What We've Achieved

  • A strong working relationship between the Klahoose First Nation and the non-aboriginal community on Cortes Island

  • Realization of the 20-year vision of the Cortes Ecoforesty Society

  • With the Klahoose First Nation, securing a community forest tenure from the Ministry of Forests to manage the Crown land on Cortes Island using ecosystem based management (EBM)

  • Broad community support and engagement

  • Co-creating an integrated approach to community forestry, which holds respectful consideration of all interests and values

  • Precedent in our first five years of operation of a sustainable rate of harvest, approximately ten percent of the Mean Annual Increment (MAI), the annual rate of forest growth over the entire tenure

  • Completion of the first five-year plan as a commitment to continue with Ecosystem Based Management and innovative forestry practices