Historic Memorandum of Understanding Signed Between AV Group NB and Wolastoqey First Nations

AV Group NB, part of the pulp and fiber business of Aditya Birla Group, and six Wolastoqey First Nations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that outlines a path forward towards mutually beneficial forest management and economic development opportunities, Canadian Forest Industries has reported (3-20-23).

The parties have agreed to pursue a greater collaborative approach to forest management and explore alternative forest tenure models that will incorporate meaningful input into the decision-making process.

AV Group NB will explore ways in which Wolastoqey First Nation participation in governance, application of Indigenous knowledge protection of values, and sustainability can be brought to bear on management decisions in a spirit of joint responsibility and mutual benefit.

One of the first deliverables from the MOU, which went into effect February 16th, will be the creation of a mutual guiding principles document for developing a forest co-management model. The MOU also includes the transfer of a parcel of land that will be determined by feedback from the Wolastoqiyik.