Osoyoos Indian Band and Vaagen Fibre Canada Working Together to Restore BC Areas Devastated by 2021 NK’Mip Creek Wildfire

The Nk’Mip Creek wildfire of 2021 will not soon be forgotten by British Columbia residents in the area. However, it has yielded a unique partnership between the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) and Vaagen Fibre Canada, a forestry company, according to local reporting by the Times Chronicle (4-6-23). The effort is being heralded for its innovation and holistic approach to restoration.

Peter Flett, a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) employed by both Vaagen and the OIB in their forestry venture, told the Times Chronicle that the project should be praised for its prioritization of cultural values, historic uses of the land, and ecological recovery.

An estimated 20,000 hectares of forests were burned in the months-long wildfire, and because it also impacted the OIB’s traditional territory, “there was motivation to act quickly to give the land a better opportunity to recover,” Flett explained.

According to the report, Flett says he appreciates the fact that Vaagen has a strong connection in the area with the OIB and were therefore able to take steps to “make sure all the values and interests are taken into account before any action happens out there on the land.”

All phases of planning, operations, and restoration have provided full-time, part time, and contract employment to OIB members, the Nk’Mip Forestry crew, and local contractors. “The restoration in this area is going to take many years. What we are focusing on right now is trying to revegetate the areas, and that can be planting trees, planting shrubs, and just trying to stabilize the soil out there,” Flett added.