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22 July 2004
 The GTO is negotiating a Short-Term Forestry Agreement (SFTA) with the BC Ministry of Forests. A significant part of the draft SFTA deals with forest stewardship and planning. This section is an important part of the draft document because it outlines a process where the Simgigyet and the government of B.C. can coordinate efforts in creating sustainable resource extraction activities in the watersheds. The process to create sustainable watershed plans are specific examples of negotiations at work. It is the natural outcome of the years of work that went into the Delgamuukw land title action and is one starting point on the road to ownership, jurisdiction and self-government.
Gitsegukla is the first watershed to test the planning process. As a pilot project, the steps to create a sustainable plan for the Gitsegukla watershed will be fined-tuned as work progresses. That is what is meant by calling the terms of reference for the draft process a “living document.” Lessons learned from this pilot project will assist in developing a planning template for other Gitxsan watersheds. This is the hard work of putting into practice what the Supreme Court of Canada meant when they talked about consultation and accommodation.
The overall management principle in the draft terms of reference is for the planning team to undertake a process to “seek a sustainable resource-based management framework and principles that protect the Gitxsan Gwalyeinsxw (Gitxsan inheritance), meet the interests of all parties, and can be practically implemented locally.”
The proposed planning team consists of Simogyet representing each Wilp in the Gitsegukla watershed, a watershed facilitator (Rod Sampere), a Ministry of Forests coordinator, a Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management coordinator and other provincial ministry representatives as required. The planning team will be supported by a technical team.
The watershed facilitator will meet with the Gitsegukla Huwilp to develop a document outlining Gitxsan interests. The interests document will be based on Huwilp information, such as Wilp profiles (each House group taking stock of its own make up), as well as on the collection of biophysical resource information like forest age and species. An ecosystem network map will be developed to support an integrated approach to planning.
A management direction for the Gitsegukla watershed will be developed from the information collected. A cost-benefit analysis of resource development will take place using social, environmental and economic considerations. The final management plan will be negotiated to reach a consensus decision between planning team members. The draft process includes the province signing off on the plan once the Gitxsan, government agencies and forest licensees have reached consensus, with input from the Kispiox LRMP monitoring committee.
The Gitsegukla Huwilp, along with government agencies, will implement and monitor the final watershed management plan.
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