BCWF Strategic Initiatives Update

[Opinionated Ol Phart]

BCWF will be filing reports like this first one on a regular basis.. it will help answer the question "What is the Fed doing for me ?"

Subject: Strategic Initiatives Update


Hi Everyone,

Welcome to the first of what will become a weekly BCWF Board Update email. These emails will keep you up to date with information on important issues, upcoming meetings, etc.

Meeting with the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC)
· George Wilson, Rod Wiebe, Al Martin, and Cheryl Johnson recently met with UBCIC Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and Vice President Bob Chamberlin to discuss our relationship and how we can better work together on behalf of conservation in B.C.
· At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that BCWF and UBCIC will work together on a number of initiatives including: developing a protocol for the conservation of fish wildlife and their habitats, piloting a First Nations cultural component of the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Program, and having a BCWF representative attend the UBCIC AGM in February 2015 to speak to delegates about fish and wildlife conservation issues.
Wildlife Allocation
· Recent meetings were held with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) regarding the ongoing issue of wildlife allocation. BCWF has made its position on the matter clear, and FLNRO has committed to making a final decision on changes to allocation policy no later than the end of September.

Roundtable on the Environment and Economy
· BCWF participated in a recent meeting of the Roundtable on the Environment and Economy. We raised a number of important issues during the meeting including the Mount Polley disaster and its potential fallout as well as our proposal for establishing a Natural Resource Practices Board to guide resource extraction in B.C.

Discussions with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Regarding Prawn Allocation
· Discussions regarding the allocation on prawns have been opened up with DFO. The talks are a follow-up to a recent meeting with federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea.

Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. (FFSBC)
· FFSBC has indicated that they are interested in consulting with BCWF on several new licensing products they would like to examine and propose.

Deloitte / Strategic Planning
· Meetings were held recently with consulting firm Deloitte, and the strategic planning process continues to move forward.

[Surrey Boy]

First Nations Cultural Component? I'm wary. Are they offering any compromise on access issues?

That said, thanks for your efforts and I appreciate that political compromise is frustrating for everyone.

[fowl language]

it was my belief that the talks did address access issues. I do not know what was said but some of it is on one of the weekly news letters...fowl

[biggyun68]

I do not think either side is looking for compromise.
That being said we need to initiate the dialogue that will build the respect to accommodate each others interests.
Everybody looses when we are in conflict even the first nations folks.

[Mountain Hunter]

BCWF will be filing reports like this first one on a regular basis.. it will help answer the question "What is the Fed doing for me ?"

Subject: Strategic Initiatives Update


Hi Everyone,

Welcome to the first of what will become a weekly BCWF Board Update email. These emails will keep you up to date with information on important issues, upcoming meetings, etc.

Meeting with the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC)
· George Wilson, Rod Wiebe, Al Martin, and Cheryl Johnson recently met with UBCIC Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and Vice President Bob Chamberlin to discuss our relationship and how we can better work together on behalf of conservation in B.C.
· At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that BCWF and UBCIC will work together on a number of initiatives including: developing a protocol for the conservation of fish wildlife and their habitats, piloting a First Nations cultural component of the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Program, and having a BCWF representative attend the UBCIC AGM in February 2015 to speak to delegates about fish and wildlife conservation issues.
Wildlife Allocation
· Recent meetings were held with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) regarding the ongoing issue of wildlife allocation. BCWF has made its position on the matter clear, and FLNRO has committed to making a final decision on changes to allocation policy no later than the end of September.

Roundtable on the Environment and Economy
· BCWF participated in a recent meeting of the Roundtable on the Environment and Economy. We raised a number of important issues during the meeting including the Mount Polley disaster and its potential fallout as well as our proposal for establishing a Natural Resource Practices Board to guide resource extraction in B.C.

Discussions with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Regarding Prawn Allocation
· Discussions regarding the allocation on prawns have been opened up with DFO. The talks are a follow-up to a recent meeting with federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea.

Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. (FFSBC)
· FFSBC has indicated that they are interested in consulting with BCWF on several new licensing products they would like to examine and propose.

Deloitte / Strategic Planning
· Meetings were held recently with consulting firm Deloitte, and the strategic planning process continues to move forward.

Some observations on this post.

1. Where are we to check out these weekly e-mails keeping us abreast of the on-goings of the "up to date with information on important issues, upcoming meetings, etc."? I do receive e-mails, aside from Hunt BC, regularly from BCWF but mostly to subscribe to the Conservation Lottery and fundraising efforts, ATV registration, and selling of wildlife prints, etc? The last post from a BCWF spokesperson (Old Phart) was in September...no weekly posts on here? Last post on BCWF website regarding strategic initiatives is from April 22....

2. Above noted topics provide a point of discussion but some have no action taken by BCWF other than being noted? Example - "BCWF has made its position on the matter clear, and FLNRO has committed to making a final decision on changes to allocation policy no later than the end of September". What position by the BCWF has been made clear? No further information or link is provided for more information...at least on Hunt BC, am I missing something?

3. I haven't seen any proposals posted on here regarding proceedings from follow up talks regarding prawn allocation? Maybe these are on the BCWF website? But it seems that these follow up e-mails (posts) were to continue on here, the Hunt BC web forum? Not seen any... Yes, there is info on BCWF website regarding Mount Polley and by the old phart on here, which is great, thanks! But other follow ups are lakcing on this site.

4. The position on " piloting a First Nations cultural component of the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Program" has been taken into a completely different direction. One person mentions that this initiative concerns them regarding access issues, which doesn't necessarily reflect the message in the original post (including FN values in CORE program), followed by a BCWF rep (BCWF in their signature line) contradicts their own statement by stating that no one is looking for compromise, but we all suffer with poor communication....WTF - the original intent was to include FN in recognzing their values in the CORE program, but we all switch to the access issue....

Sure, we all have concerns reagarding equality to the wildlife resource but the thread quickly changes to access management with FN versus BCWF members....rather than the intent of the original post.

I sure would like to see these updates being weekly as suggested not just randomly, and follow ups from previous meetings, important issues as suggested. Otherwise just put a BCWF page for regions to post their AGMs and quit wasting our time hoping to reading relevant posts from "BCWF directors" or whatever....

[303savage]

First Nations cultural component of the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Program,
They have to define cultural first.
I don't think native culture included cars and pick-ups, firearms, flashlights, forestry roads or nylon nets.

[Goose]

Thanks for that update, much appreciated
Cheers