First Nation and Métis community involvement

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Forest Management Plans

How can First Nation and Métis communities get involved in forest management planning?

First Nation and Métis communities in or adjacent to a management unit can participate in the forest management planning process. Each community:

may choose to have a representative on the planning team
can work with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to develop a customized consultation approach
can identify values or important ecological features they want protected
can participate in the development and review of related reports
can review and comment on the FMP while it is being prepared (e.g. Long-term Management Direction, Proposed Operations, Draft FMP)

How are First Nation and Métis communities defined?

A First Nation community means a First Nation community that is in or adjacent to the management unit as determined by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry district manager. A Métis community means a Métis community that is in or adjacent to the management unit as determined by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry district manager.

Based on available information, for each community that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry understands as having established or credibly asserted Aboriginal or treaty rights and that is located in Ontario, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry district manager will consider the following criteria when determining whether a community is a First Nation or Métis community in or adjacent to a management unit:

whether the community’s established or credibly asserted Aboriginal or treaty rights may be adversely impacted by forest operations in the management unit
whether the community has traditional uses that may be affected by forest operations in the management unit
whether the community has a local governance body or reserve in or near the management unit
whether the community has expressed interest in forest management planning or forest operations specific to the management unit

How will my community know that the forest management planning process is starting?

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry district manager will contact your community at least nine months before the start of the planning process for the next FMP. This notice is to let your community know that there are opportunities to be involved in the upcoming forest management planning process. These opportunities are intended to provide for the consideration of rights, interests, and traditional uses in the forest. Your community’s members may also see notices posted in media (e.g. newspapers, digital media such as online news sources, social media) and on the Natural Resources Information Portal.

What are the opportunities for my community to be involved in the planning process?

Participation on the planning team and the local citizens’ committee:

Your community’s leadership will be invited to identify a representative to be a member of the forest management planning team and another member to be on the local citizens’ committee. The representatives, if identified, will have the opportunity to support your community’s involvement in the planning process.

Input to the steering committee:

If there are concerns or disagreements raised by the planning team during the planning process, your community’s representative on the planning team will have the opportunity to help resolve the concern or disagreement by providing their perspectives directly to the steering committee.

Use the standardized consultation approach:

Your community has the opportunity to participate in the public consultation opportunities available and will be contacted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry district manager each time a public information forum is scheduled to determine whether there is an interest in having a First Nation or Métis community information forum. Special notifications, involvement and presentations are available.

Developing a customized consultation approach:

Your community’s leadership will also be invited to discuss the development of a consultation approach that will be effective for your community. The development of a customized consultation approach for your community is optional. If your community decides to proceed without a customized consultation approach, or a customized consultation approach is not agreed upon, your community can participate through the standard consultation process for First Nation and Métis communities.

What is a customized consultation approach and how is it developed?

The customized consultation approach describes how the community wants to be involved in the preparation and implementation of the FMP. If your community agrees to develop a customized consultation approach, it is developed by the community, the plan author and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. The community and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry need to agree to the customized consultation approach. The customized consultation approach can be developed at any time during the preparation and implementation of the FMP. The approach may, among other things, address items such as how:

the community is to be notified during the preparation of the FMP
information is made available to the community to support the community’s review and comment during the preparation of the FMP
the community identifies and provides values information
the community is to be involved in development of prescriptions to protect those values
the community is to be involved in the planning of operations

The customized consultation approach may address all aspects of forest management planning including FMP amendments, contingency plans, FMP extensions, annual work schedules, prescribed burns, aerial herbicide and insecticide programs and/or insect pest management programs.

How are First Nation and Métis communities consulted at each stage of consultation?

Input from First Nation and Métis communities is an important part of the forest management planning process. If your community chooses not to develop a customized consultation approach, your community will be consulted through the standard consultation process for First Nation and Métis communities. This process provides for the same, and more, opportunities to get involved as the public consultation process.

As detailed earlier in this document, the planning process is divided into five stages. At each stage, along with notices posted in media (e.g. newspapers, digital media such as online news sources, social media) and on the Natural Resources Information Portal, notices will be sent to your community and a notice will be placed in local Indigenous media, where available. In addition to the public consultation opportunities, your community will be invited to:

identify First Nation or Métis values
participate in the preparation of the First Nation and Métis Background Information Report
participate in the desired forest and benefits meeting
attend a presentation on the proposed long-term management direction
participate in the planning of forest operations to address identified values
request a special information forum for your community at the Review of Proposed Operations and the Review of the Draft FMP

What are some of the contributions my community can make in the preparation of the forest management plan?

During the preparation of the FMP, your community can participate in the development of several reports. These reports include a:

First Nation and Métis Background Information Report
Report on Protection of Identified First Nation and Métis Values

During the development of these reports, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry will seek the community’s advice on making these documents available to the public.

What is the First Nation and Métis Background Information Report?

The First Nation and Métis Background Information Report documents your community’s values and traditional ecological knowledge. The community is invited to participate in preparing the First Nation and Métis Background Information Report. This report will include a:

summary of how your community uses natural resources on the management unit for domestic purposes (e.g. hunting, fishing, trapping, harvesting of wood, and gathering)
summary of your community’s concerns related to forest management
summary of your community’s involvement in the preparation of the report
First Nation and Métis values map

What is the Report on the Protection of Identified First Nation and Métis Values?

The Report on the Protection of First Nation and Métis Values documents how values identified in the First Nation and Métis Background Information Report have been addressed in the planning of forest operations. This report includes:

a summary of proposed areas where harvest, renewal and tending will occur
a discussion of proposed road locations of interest to your community
the most current version of the values map(s) and the First Nation and Métis values map
a discussion of proposed operational prescriptions for specific areas of concern associated with your community’s values
a discussion of how your community’s values will be protected
a comment sheet with the names of your community contact person and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry contact person

What additional consultation opportunities are there for communities in the Far North?

For management units that are located in the Far North (e.g. Whitefeather Forest), elders from the communities within the management unit can provide guidance related to forest management planning. This may include providing advice, communicating with community members, and building community consensus. Elders can also be part of a steering group which will communicate with the planning team.

If your community is within the management unit for which a plan is being prepared, your community will have an opportunity to build community consensus before formal consultation opportunities occur with communities adjacent to the management unit.

There is also an opportunity for community elders, trappers, and other community members to be involved in monitoring forest operations. This will support gathering and recording your community’s Indigenous knowledge to inform forest management planning or other future plans.

Contingency plans

How will my community be involved in the preparation or implementation of a contingency plan?

If your community has agreed to a customized consultation approach that contains provisions for contingency plans, the agreed upon approach to consultation will apply.

If your community decides to proceed without a customized consultation approach for the contingency plan, your community can participate through the standard consultation process for First Nation and Métis communities. The standard consultation process for First Nation and Métis communities includes all the opportunities that are included in the public consultation opportunities, plus additional opportunities.

When either a short-term or longer-term contingency plan is being prepared, notices will be sent to your community and a notice will be placed in local Indigenous media where available. Additional notices may be posted in media (e.g. newspapers, digital media such as online news sources, social media) and on the Natural Resources Information Portal.

Your community can also request a special information forum.

Forest Management Plan maintenance and implementation

How will my community be involved in forest management plan maintenance and implementation?

If your community developed a customized consultation approach that contains provisions for FMP amendments, FMP extensions, annual work schedules, prescribed burns, aerial herbicide and insecticide programs, or insect pest management programs, then that approach will apply to involvement on these matters.

If your community is using the standard consultation approach, the provisions for public consultation will apply with any modifications that are specific for your community.

The following questions and answers build on the standard consultation provisions.

What opportunity is there for my community to get involved in forest management plan amendments?

For minor amendments, your community will be invited to review and comment on the amendment and any updates to the Report on Protection of Identified First Nation and Métis Values.

For major amendments, your community will be invited to review and comment on the amendment and any updates to the Report on Protection of Identified First Nation and Métis Values and request a special information forum for your community.

For amendments to the long-term management direction, your community will be invited to participate in the planning of forest operations for the amendment to ensure your values are addressed. Your community will also be able to review and comment on the amendment and any updates to the Report on Protection of Identified First Nation and Métis Values. Your community can also request an information forum to learn more.

How will my community be involved in forest management plan extensions?

For long-term FMP extensions, your community will be asked to review and provide comments to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry regional resources manager to consider when deciding whether the FMP extension should proceed.

For long-term FMP extensions your community can request a special information forum as part of the consultation process.

How will my community be involved in annual work schedules?

For annual work schedules, your community will be provided a copy of the annual work schedule and invited to a meeting to discuss the annual work schedule. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the operations and provide the opportunity for your community to identify any updated values that are important to your community and that may be affected by the forest operations. Your community will have 60 days to review and comment on the annual work schedule. If your community identifies new values, then they can also review and comment on the updated Report on the Protection of Identified First Nation and Métis Values.

How will my community know where and when specific prescribed burns and aerial insecticide programs are to occur?

Your community will be provided maps that identify the location of the operations associated with a prescribed burn or aerial herbicide and insecticide program.

How will my community be involved in insect pest management programs?

When an insect pest management program is being prepared, your community will be invited to participate on the planning team, and to review and comment on the program and the specific project proposals for the aerial insecticide programs. Your community can also request a special information forum.