BC Timber Sales - Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples

In 2018, BC Timber Sales (BCTS) adopted an additional overarching principle to guide our operations: reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. The BCTS Business Plan (PDF, 4.6MB) elaborates upon our commitment to all three of our guiding principles.

Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples is integral to BC Timber Sales’ (BCTS) long-term success.  BCTS supports the government’s commitment to true, lasting reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia; this includes the implementation of the 2022-2027 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act) Action Plan and the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (PDF, 300KB)).

As with other government agencies, BCTS is following the province’s Draft Principles that Guide the Province of British Columbia’s Relationship with Indigenous Peoples (PDF, 136KB).

BCTS' three overarching principles to guide operations include Principle 2 - Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. To support Principle 2, each of the 12 business areas have staff dedicated to building partnerships and relationships with First Nations.

In supporting government’s reconciliation efforts, BCTS is also committed to the Ministry of Forests' objective to “strengthen partnerships and increase engagement with Indigenous Peoples in the management of B.C.’s natural resources”.  This will be achieved by:

• Exploring opportunities to promote partnerships with First Nations in the work of the Ministry
• Increasing First Nations participation in the natural resource economy 
• Increasing the confidence of First Nations in BCTS’ stewardship of natural resources including continued work on the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge