Historic Sustainable Forest License signed in Kenora

An historic, shareholder-managed sustainable forest license agreement was signed in Kenora, Ontario yesterday by Weyerhaeuser Canada president Anne Giardini, Ontario Forestry Minister Michael Gravelle, and Wabaseemoong (Whitedog) Independent Nations Chief Eric Fisher.

A new cooperative venture, Miitigoog Limited Partnership, will be led by its new President, Chief Eric Fisher. Through this venture, the First Nations will manage the 1.2 million-hectare Kenora Forest with their industry partners.

Miitigoog Limited Partnership members:

• Wabaseemoong (Whitedog) Independent Nations


• Dalles First Nations


• Whitefish Bay First Nations


• Weyerhaeuser Canada


• Kenora Forest Products


• Wincrief Forestry Products


• Kenora Independent Loggers

The licence was held by Weyerhaeuser, who officially signed it over to the Miitigoog cooperative at an official ceremony Thursday in Kenora. Another cooperative, Miisun, will look after the monitoring, planning and enforcement aspects.

While the signing comes as good news to a community that's lost more than $60 million in salaries in the recent downturn, the soft American housing markets continue to dampen sales for Weyerhaeuser's iLevel plant, where layoffs were recently announced, as well as Kenora Forest Products, where a restart continues to be delayed.

Source:

Weyerhaeuser, First Nations sign forestry agreement (Kenora Miner & News)