In 1997, the Pikangikum First Nation created the White Feather Forest Initiative, a community-driven development plan covering approximately 1.3 million hectares. The Initiative gives the community responsibility for forest management planning, developing forestry opportunities, creating non-timber forest products businesses and promoting tourism in protected areas.

Over the past three years, Pikangikum and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources have established a cooperative Strategic Action Planning process that complements the Community-Based Land-Use Planning process.

In addition to land-use planning, the White Feather initiative involves feasibility assessments, collection of biophysical and indigenous knowledge data, and building infrastructure, capacity and communications. There are also cooperative community-led research relationships with non-Aboriginal scientists, research institutions, the environmental community and the forest industry. The initiative emphasizes new and ancestral livelihood opportunities, particularly for young people.

On the international front, the federal government has encouraged Aboriginal participation in multilateral forest negotiations, including the United Nations Forum on Forests, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Earth Summit. At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development held in South Africa, Canada presented 21 different case studies by Canadian Aboriginal authors. The participation of Aboriginal peoples in international forest dialogue will increase as the world's forest nations incorporate indigenous values, principles and perspectives into their forest management and planning processes.

Tanizul Timber Limited, owned by the Tl'azt'en First Nation, manages a Tree Farm License in British Columbia; In Saskatchewan, Norsask Forest Products, owned by the Meadow Lake Tribal Council, is the largest First Nation-owned forest products company. It is also a joint venture partner in Mistik Management, which holds a Forest Management Licence Agreement; In Quebec the Waswanipi Cree First Nation owns a timber harvesting and road construction company and has a majority ownership in Nabakatuk Corporation, a joint venture with Domtar. In 1997 the Waswanipi Model Forest became the only Aboriginal-led forest in the Canadian Model Forest Program.

Privately owned forests, which comprise about six percent of Canada's forestland, are another important component of the national forest mosaic. There are two main types: industrial forests, large and often owned by forest companies; and non-industrial forests (or woodlots), smaller and mainly owned by private individuals, often farmers. There are about 425 000 private forests in this country, most of them in eastern Canada.

Woodlots are an important source of raw material for the forest industry, and the income from pulpwood, sawlogs and other forest products helps ensure economic stability for many rural communities.

In addition to economic benefits, private forests make important ecological and aesthetic contributions to the rural landscape. In the deciduous forest region, for example, private forests provide a home for many unique plant and animal species. In some places, woodlots are all that is left of the original forest ecosystem. Private woodlots also provide a range of other non-timber products and uses, including maple syrup, recreational opportunities and watershed protection.

In the future, private forests may need to fill the gap as more public lands are set aside for conservation or other purposes. Clearly, if private forests are to continue providing ecological, social and economic benefits, significant changes are needed:

A commitment by woodlot owners and their organizations to practice sustainable forest management; Government recognition of the timber and non-timber benefits that woodlots provide to Canadians; and Public outreach by governments and woodlot organizations to give Canada's mainly urban population more information about the benefits woodlots provide.