A Look Inside a Special Forestry Report

The release of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) and BC First Nations Forestry Council (FNFC) Special Report in advance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this past fall highlighted excellence in forest stewardship in British Columbia, one that places Indigenous leadership, community knowledge, and on-the-ground impact at the centre of forest management.

Our team was honoured to support this project from concept to completion. Our role focused on working in collaboration with FESBC and FNFC to shape the narrative of the Special Report to elevate community voices and to lead the communications and media strategy to ensure the report reached audiences across the province, from practitioners and policymakers to community leaders and partners.

Forest Management, Through the Lens of Indigenous Leaders

The report showcased projects led by First Nations and communities, demonstrating how local leadership results in stronger outcomes for forests, people, and future generations.

As Jason Fisher, Registered Professional Forester and Executive Director of FESBC, shared: “Forest management is best practiced close to the land. By empowering First Nations and communities to develop and execute projects that they know to be meaningful and effective, we are maximizing our impact as an organization. I hope that by highlighting the projects we have, we are showing the benefits of centering Indigenous people, communities, and organizations in forest management conversations and decision

making.”

This perspective is shared throughout the report, reinforcing the value of Indigenous knowledge systems and community-based decision-making in addressing forest health, wildfire resilience, and ecological restoration, with generations in mind.

Amplifying Impact Through Strategic Communications

Beyond the report itself, our team worked closely with FESBC and FNFC to design and implement a coordinated press and communications rollout, which included:

• Crafting clear, accessible messaging that translated technical forestry terminology and work into human-centered stories

• Developing media materials and stories tailored to local, regional, and provincial media outlets

• Supporting outreach to ensure partners and communities saw themselves reflected in the work

As Ken Day, Board Chair for FESBC, noted: “I have read the report cover to cover - it is a good piece and really drives home the community impacts of the work we are doing. Thanks for sharing this!”

Looking Ahead

This report is more than a snapshot of completed projects. It’s a roadmap for how forest stewardship can be done in British Columbia. By centering Indigenous leadership and community priorities, FESBC and the FNFC are helping build a more inclusive and effective approach to managing our forests here in beautiful British Columbia.

We’re proud to have played a role in helping bring this work to light and to continue supporting initiatives that amplify community voices and create lasting impact across the province.

Special Shout Outs

Big thanks to Valeria, of our team, who led the development of the report, Kimberlee, who led the project management work, and Amy, for her support in research and database development. Also, to the entire team at FESBC and FNFC for helping curate and nominate the stories that made the report – it was hard to narrow it down to a top 10! Big thanks to Sandra, who took all of the words, details, and photos and created another signature report. To the Government Communications and Public Engagement team for liaising with the Minister for quotes and information. We can’t forget Mail Works, who led the printing, processing, and sending out of the report, strategically managing postal strikes and getting the report delivered. And last, but not least, to the people who do the hard work on the ground – without them, there are no stories to tell, and the future of forestry in our province would be even more greatly impacted.