Stakeholder Advisory Committee Interviews

Community involvement is an important part of LP's forest management planning. LP established a local Stakeholders Advisory Committee (SAC) in 1994, and it continues to be a valuable and integral part of the LP planning process. The SAC is comprised of individuals from a wide-range of local groups, such as the Cottage Owner’s Association, Manitoba Conservation, Manitoba Trapper’s Association, and the Intermountain Snowmobile Association. Meetings are held several times a year to provide the SAC with an opportunity to review proposals, have input into the AOP, inform members of current forest management activities and challenges, as well as answering specific questions and concerns.

A frequent feature of our newsletters are interviews with SAC members. Below are the questions and answers in their entirety, as portions of the interviews may not have been included in the newsletter for the sake of brevity.

Interview with Duane Whyte of the Stakeholders Advisory Committee
from Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 2

Since 1994, LP Swan Valley Forest Resources Division has worked with a Stakeholders Advisory Committee (SAC). The purpose of this group is to provide a local focus for advice at Strategic, Tactical and Operational levels. The SAC operates under a “terms of reference” and generally meets 8 or 9 times per year. In 1994, the company approached several individuals and groups looking for members and participation for this committee. Currently there are 32 members on this committee made up of representatives from 21 groups or organizations including: Cottage Owners Association, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Duck Mountain Trappers Association, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Intermountain Conservation District, Intermountain Snowmobile Club, Manitoba Conservation, Manitoba Naturalists Society, Manitoba Trappers Association, MB Ag & Food Crown Lands, Mixedwood Forest Society, Midwest Lodge & Outfitters, Mountain Quota Holder’s Association, Northern Association of Community Councils, Parks Canada, Roblin Snowmobile Association, SV Sport Fishing Enhancement, Swan River Snowmobile Club, Swan Valley Snowmobile & ATV Association, and the Universities of Manitoba and Winnipeg.

We would like to highlight various individuals or groups from our SAC. This issue highlights Duane Whyte and the Cottage Owners Association. Duane has been sitting on the SAC since its inception. Duane, a science & biology teacher at the Swan Valley Regional Secondary School, has been teaching for 33 years, raised his family in the Valley, and spends summers at Wellman Lake.

LP: What does the Cottage Owners Association get out of being involved with LP’s Stakeholders Advisory Committee?

Duane Whyte (DW): We get to be involved in the goals and objectives of forest management. We have become more knowledgeable about forestry and involved in and understanding the mitigation of concerns. In other words, we have the opportunity to express our opinions and concerns and have them addressed for things that are important to us as cottage owners. We are now also more aware of the diverse nature of the forest and its users, as well as becoming more appreciative of the other uses.

LP: How has LP benefited from having your representation on the Stakeholders Advisory Committee?

DW: Well, I certainly have an opinion and I speak my mind without reservation. This group provides a forum to be constructively critical about plans, operations and options. It is a way to provide some input into sensitive issues as sometimes we as cottage owners are aware of things that LP may not be aware of. Because of the diverse nature of the members on the SAC, LP receives a lot of information and needs from a wide range of users.

LP: You are a long-time member of the SAC participating since the beginning in 1994. Why?

DW: One of the early reasons I joined was that I was concerned that a large forest company would not take care of the forest and that by being a part of the SAC I could gauge the level of commitment and influence decision making. I have stuck with it over the years because I have enjoyed contributing to the process and I have enjoyed learning about a wide variety of things. I have learned a great deal more about forestry, science and biology. In many cases meetings are almost like an ‘in-service’ day, a tremendous learning experience for me as a teacher. It has also served as a conduit for my students to learn more about the science and biology of forestry, including, fish, wildlife and ecosystems.

LP: Being a member for such a long time what have you seen change over those years?

DW: Lots over the years... I believe LP is now doing a better job at managing the forest. Cutblocks are being managed more from an ecological point of view. There is now more protection for soil, better road decommissioning, more wildlife habitat management and more education for the workers in the bush. The changes in practices are more ecologically oriented. Technology has also changed incredibly... computers, digital aerial photography and GPS. LP has used technology to involve the SAC and others in the forest management business. LP is doing different kinds of research and now are sharing results of that. I feel that there is a greater effort on collecting more detail. There is a great level of interaction with the SAC currently but I would like to see more yet and some kind of mechanism for others to become more conversive and involved.
LP: If you could give one message to the public about forestry, forest practices or LP what would that be?

DW: Get involved! Go to open houses, take part in tours with professionals, read the LP plans about forest operations. I am sure LP’s door is always open to those who want to learn more and become involved and I would encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunities. Don’t be apathetic about the management of the forest.

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An Interview with Terry Neely, President of the Mid West Manitoba Lodges & Outfitters Association, of the Stakeholders Advisory Committee
from Newsletter Volume 2 Issue 2

LP Swan Valley has been working with local & provincial organizations as part of our Stakeholders Advisory Committee (SAC) since 1994. Currently there are 32 members on the SAC representing 21 groups or organizations. Many of the members have been on the group for more than six years. This long-term commitment by these individuals is extremely valuable both for LP and for their own organizations and our SAC members need to be commended for their tremendous efforts.

Terry Neely, President of the Mid West Manitoba Lodges & Outfitters Association (MWLOA), sat down with the Newsletter Editor for some frank discussions about LP, its roll and responsibilities in the forest, the community and the relationship between the MWLOA and its membership.

LP: Terry, you have been on the LP Stakeholders Committee since 1996/97, what do you hope to accomplish ?

Terry Neely (TN): As a businessman, as all outfitters are, I am most concerned with bettering the image of outfitters and guides. Part of this includes ensuring the long-term viability of hunting areas, access and sustainability of the animals. I hope that by being part of the SAC we (the outfitters association) can be involved in helping to direct the planning and implementation of operations. Specifically where our members have their interests and concerns about hunting pressure, access and timing of harvest operations.

LP: I must admit that I am a little uninformed about your association. Can you give me a little background on it ?

TN: The Mid West Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association was formed in the early 1990’s and currently has 25 members. Each member pays a small membership fee and we hold meetings quarterly. Additionally we are a ‘regional’ group of the large organization “Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association” (http://www.mloa.com/). Our mandate is primarily one of education and it serves a lobby function. Our purpose is to better the image of guiding and outfitting with the public and other groups. We spend a lot of time liaising with various provincial agencies on a variety of things. The “Mid West” group covers what is known as the Parkland Region and there are about 70 outfitters in the region.

LP: Are all guides and outfitters required to be part of the regional or provincial Associations ?

TN: No member ship is voluntary, there are no provincial regulations or legislation that requires guides, outfitters or lodges to belong to the association. However I believe that it would be beneficial if membership were mandatory because the association could exert good guiding practices and standards on all outfitters. We as an association would be able to have a greater influence on education, regulation and standards of practices and ethics.

LP: Terry, can you explain what species your membership primarily relies on, how the hunting tags are allocated and who are your main clients ?

TN: Primarily our non-resident clients come to hunt black bear and whitetail deer. The majority of our clients are American hunters. In the Swan Valley area the majority of hunters are from the states of Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and other states on the eastern seaboard. We are also seeing an increase in hunters from Germany in the past few years.

A number of years ago each Outfitter had received their allocation of tags based on historical data and hunter declarations. Manitoba Conservation (MC) then allocated these tags to ‘regional areas’ and then set a number of tags available for each outfitter. These values are kept private between MC and the outfitter and are reviewed every 5 years. Each year the outfitter must submit hunter declarations. Along with this each bear taken during the hunt outfitters must also include samples of teeth, and reproductive tracts of females. MC has used this information over many years to develop a huge database and ensure sustainability of the resources. In many ways, Manitoba is far ahead compared with other provinces in collection and analysis of bear information.

LP: How many tags are allocated to Mid West members ?

TN: For non-resident hunters there are about 1850 black bear tags and about 1650 whitetail deer tags provincially. Our hunting region (Mid West) holds 27% (506) of the black bear allocation and members of the Mid West Lodge & Outfitters Association account for about 70% (354) of the tags within this region, or almost 20% provincially. For the whitetails our region has almost 44% of the tags (723). One also has to remember that each hunter is not always successful and therefore not all tags get filled. Success rates vary from year to year and range between 55 and 75%.

LP: What about the economics, how much money do non-resident hunters contribute into the economy and what component of outfitters income does this represent ?

TN: Interestingly enough more than half of the Mid West Association members rely on outfitting for 100% of their annual income, while others have alternative sources of income like farming, logging or other types of employment. There is a significant economic contribution to the regional economy. A 1997 study, commissioned by the Mid West Manitoba Lodge & Outfitter Association, found that more than 4 million dollars was generated in regional economic activity directly related to this industry and that a further $975,000 was paid in taxes to the province and the municipalities. Approximately 48% of the total revenue generated was from bear hunting and the majority of that can be sourced to the spring bear hunt. In terms of outfitter expenses approximately 75-80% is directly attributed to bear hunting, this includes purchasing supplies and equipment, and employment (more than 40 direct jobs).

LP: Terry, what are the sources of conflict between logging and outfitting ?

TN: Generally I hear three complaints, the majority I hear from our membership (and non-member outfitters) is that LP does not do enough to protect trails that outfitters have in place. The second, also road/trail related, is that LP closes the trails and roads too well. Now I understand that on road closures that LP has to follow Manitoba Conservation directives and regulations. The third complaint is that there is not enough notice for work being conducted in the hunting areas that each outfitter runs. For example, many times our guys find out about harvesting or road building activities when they are happening. By that time it is too late.

LP: How can LP and the association help each other to resolve these issues ?

TN: To date LP has been pretty good at coming to our Association meeting when asked to explain something or show some maps or to get information for our members. Additionally, you have the Annual Operating Plan Open Houses, usually in January. These maps show the current years plan plus 2 years of future blocks, so in theory everyone should have lots of time to comment and suggest changes. But lets be honest we don’t usually get all our members out to our meetings nor does LP get a lot of interest in the open houses for whatever reasons. LP has shown it has worked well with members in the past to work through harvest timing, and are helpful at working through the details. LP needs to take a more proactive roll in contacting each individual outfitter with a map of their areas and have them place trails, baits, areas of concern and any comments the outfitter has on this map, and then the LP Planners can work with and around these concerns.

LP: What message would you like to leave our readership with Terry ?

TN: A couple of things, first we sometimes suffer from many misconceptions about our industry but as outfitters we are also businesspeople. We are concerned about our resources and a need to provide for sustainable hunting levels, and we do provide economic stimulus into the regional economies. The second is that we as a group need to work closer with LP and other users in solving problems, mitigating concerns and incorporating details. We can make a difference if all interest groups involved take the time and the opportunities when they arise to get involved.