First Nations Forestry Program seeking applicants

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On April 2, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) Robert Nault, and Minister of Natural Resources Canada (NRC) Herb Dhaliwal jointly announced that the First Nation Forestry Program (FNFP) will be extended for another year. The government of Canada will this year put up $4.5 million to support the initiative, $360,500 of which will go to First Nations forestry projects in Saskatchewan.

Mike Newman, who co-ordinates the program provincially from the Canadian Forest Service's Prince Albert office, is glad to have the new funding in place, and is now beginning the difficult process of deciding how the limited funds available will be allocated.

"We're putting out the call for proposals, and asking that they come back in by May 24,"explained Newman. "Then a committee will review the proposals, do a screening, and for the projects that meet the selection criteria, we'll ask them to come in on June 5 and 6 to make a verbal presentation."

The FNFP goal is to act as a facilitator in helping Aboriginal people get more involved in the various opportunities available to them in the forestry industry. This broad goal means that a wide range of initiatives can be supported under the program's mandate.

"We have assisted people in training for tree planting, for stand tending and thinning, for skitter and truck driver operation. We've done management plans, inventories, traditional land use studies, how to run sawmills. Basically, it's anything forestry related," said Newman.

"Usually we support around 20 projects a year. They range in funding from about $10,000 to $50,000, that's the usual," explained Newman. Demand for FNFP funding, he went on to note, is generally much higher. "We'll probably get about 50 applications. Requests come in for around $2 million in total, and we've only got $360,000, so we have to pare the projects down. We make sure that they meet the criteria, and we look at projects that have other supporters, so we're not the sole funder. This year we will only fund up to 80 per cent of the project, so applicants need to get 20 per cent from other, non-government sources.

"A good proposal is a project that is directly related to our objectives, that has another partner involved in it, that the applicants themselves have put some funding into, and that can be easily linked to the forest. We don't want to support something that's going to operate for the period of our funding, and then as soon as our money runs out, the thing shuts down, everyone gets in their trucks and drives away, and that's it. We want to see something that's part of a continuing operation.

"I'm not saying the guy starting out isn't going to get anything," Newman assured, "but he has to have a good business plan and support from the community, so we know we're not going to just throw money at him. The potential has to be there of turning it into a business with long-term benefits to the First Nations."

A commitment to its goals and an eye for a project's long-term potential has helped the FNFP become a popular and much-lauded program. Canada wide, the program has assisted more than 350 communities and 4,700 First Nations workers gain experience in forestry management. Its achievements have not gone unnoticed-a 2001 parliamentary report cited is as one of the 12 outstanding programs offered by the federal government.

Any individual or group interested in learning more or applying for funding is encouraged to contact the Canadian Forest Service in Prince Albert.

"We're sending letters out to all the First Nations that have applied before, but they can also give our office a call and talk to Carol Mardell. Her number is (306) 953-8548," said Newman. "They will then get a letter that gives basic information on how to apply for the project. Applications have to be returned to our office by May 24."

Additional information on the FNFP is also available on the program's Web site, at www.fnfp.gc.ca.