FAQs

The ‘Namgis First Nation is partnering with the B.C. government to modernize land use planning in the Nimpkish Valley. This project will take several years to complete. It will allow ‘Namgis to share recommendations with the Province on how our resources and lands should be managed for future generations.

We are optimistic about this opportunity to work with B.C. in this collaborative way. It will be a big step towards ‘Namgis exercising our inherent rights over our territories.

The plan will cover most lands and aquatic habitats in the Nimpkish Valley.  The area is approximately 166,000 hectares in size. 

The Gwa’ni land use plan will guide what can happen on lands, rivers, lakes, watersheds, and forests in the planning area. The plan will also detail areas that will be protected, and how.

A simple way of thinking about a land use plan is zoning – the plan will tell people, communities, and industries how to manage and protect resources and activities such as:

• Forests
• Rivers, lakes, watersheds
• Fish and wildlife
• Caves/karst
• Medicine and bark harvesting
• Important cultural sites
• Tourism
• Recreation
• Mining
• Forestry

Land-use planning takes several years to complete. There are five steps in the B.C. land-use planning process and the Gwa’ni project is entering the second step. The five steps are called:

1. Pre-planning
2. Plan initiation
3. Plan development
4. Plan evaluation and approval
5. Implementation and monitoring

Participating in this process is a step towards restoring our voice and authority over long-term decisions made on behalf of our lands and territories.

During the comprehensive community planning process, members expressed the importance of developing a territorial plan and ensuring that ‘Namgis is making decisions about how land is used within our territory. This collaboration with the B.C. government is one of the ways we are fulfilling those priorities.

We are hopeful that this new partnership with the Province will give us a strong voice to determine how lands, rivers, lakes, watersheds, and forests in the Gwa’ni project area can be used and protected.

Please register to this website to receive updates and information about the Gwa’ni project. Through this website, you can make your voice heard by participating in several engagement activities that we will post as the project moves forward. We are also going to host different events and meetings in the coming months about the land-use plan.