Huu-ay-aht Nation protests UBCM's ban on old-growth logging

A Vancouver IslandFirst Nationisat odds with a proposed ban on logging old-growth forests.

Huu-ay-aht Nationchief-councillorRobertDennis says a resolutionmade by the Union of B.C. Municipalities to abolish old growth logging in the province was done without their consultation and thereforetramples on their landrights.

"It's interfering with our rights to manage our land and our territories in accordance with our traditional practices," said Dennis on CBC's All Points West.

"That's not to say that we object to the resolution we object with how it was done," he said.

TheHuu-ay-aht Nationis based out ofPachina Bay near Port Alberni, B.C. The First Nation holds two logging licences in the region, which encase some ofVancouver Island'soldest growingforests.

Dennis says logging old growth trees isn't out of the question but it would only be done withsupport from the First Nation.

"In our case, if our hereditary chiefs decide that they want to harvest some old growth cedar for our own needs, we'll honour and respect that," he said.

"But the decision to harvest or to not harvest our own growth, that remains the decision of our hereditary chiefs and our elected leaders."

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Logging old growth forests has been a contentious issue in British Columbia.

Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club of B.C. and the Ancient Forest Alliance, have lobbied against cutting down the trees some of which have stoodfor 600 years.

But Dennis says any logging doneby theHuu-ay-aht abides by their traditional standards, which put an emphasis on sustainability and maintaining ecological diversity.

"Environmental groups tend to interfere without meaningful consultation with First Nations," he said.

According to the Huu-ay-ahtNation, theirtimber company HFNForestry Limited Partnership is the largest of allHuu-ay-aht businesses and employsa team of thirteen people.

With files from CBC's All Points West

To listen to the full interview, click on the audio labelled:Huu-ay-ahtFirst Nation say UBCM'sproposed ban on old-growth logging violates their rights