The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) has signed a land stewardship agreement with the B.C. government. The nation says more than 20,000 hectares fall under this land-use agreement, which is intended to help the nation assert its role as stewards of the area. “Sky’s the limit as long as we work together and share,” said Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams, councillor and elected spokesperson, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw. “These have been our lands for thousands of years, and the fact they are now back under our direct control provides a greater sense of security for our people, and a strong optimism for our future.” The province explained that the Land Use Planning Agreement establishes 33 Siiyamin ta Sḵwx̱wú7mesh cultural sites that will recognize areas of historical and cultural importance to prevent harvesting, new roads and tenures. The government says there are six Special Cultural Management Areas (SCMAs), which will be guided by enhanced forest stewardship and cultural management, bringing economic opportunities and increased predictability on the land base for the forestry sector, while protecting important cultural values. According to the province, the agreement outlines 5,081 hectares of old growth that will not be harvested, while enabling harvest opportunity for approximately 9,800 hectares of the Timber Harvesting Land Base that was temporarily deferred during negotiations. “Today is a culmination of years and years and years and years of work,” sand Randene Neill, minister of water, land and resource stewardship. “It’s taken a long time to build that trust and build those relationships and come together to identify the values, not just that the Squamish Nation or the government has, but everybody who lives in this area.” Neill went on to say the agreement is a step in the right direction but more work needs to be done to build trust with First Nations and local governments across the province. She hopes that this agreement with Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw shows that they want all parties involved and at the table when making future decisions.
