MSFM, FIT, Nk’Mip Forestry LLP Osoyoos Indian Band
Eden works as a forester-in-training and technician in the south Okanagan, focusing on sustainable land management, wildfire risk reduction, and responsible development that adheres to syilx standards. Working for a First Nation as a non-Indigenous person has fostered place-based learning and a deep appreciation of traditional ecological knowledge in natural resource management. Eden has worked in silviculture and implementation for 5 years and holds a Masters of Sustainable Forest Management (2025) from the University of British Columbia
Presentation Abstract – co-presented with Peter Flett
Facilitating climate resilience through operational fuel reduction and post-wildfire intervention
Through two grant-funded initiatives, the Osoyoos Indian Band is facilitating climate resilience through fuel reduction and post-wildfire intervention projects that focus on restoring function to altered landscapes.
Locally, a working prescription for up to 100 hectares of reserve land aims to address forest encroachment in Ponderosa-pine and grassland ecosystems. Working with the Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) Program and the First Nations Emergency Services Society (FNESS), Nk’Mip Forestry is developing a series of treatments to reduce fuel loading while managing at-risk desert species and mitigating wildfire risk in the wildland-urban interface.
On a wider scale, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Indigenous-Led Climate Smart Forestry grant is funding the removal of burnt, unproductive forest and supporting the restoration of a more diverse and wildfire-resistant stand. Two 25-hectare sites were chosen to trial post-wildfire restoration on differing ecotypes (IDFdm1 and MSdm1) and to implement prescriptions that feature both ecologically and culturally significant species, while promoting accessibility and opportunity for the OIB community.
Together, these projects showcase how differing methodologies can approach a common goal of enabling climate resilience and encouraging ecological balance in some of BC’s fire-prone forests.