The Purpose of
this web site
is to introduce the First People’s Forest Products
Secretariat initiative, stakeholders, goals, objectives and resources
available to those people of Aboriginal ancestry who may be thinking of
starting or expanding a secondary manufacturing, value added, wood
products business. Original information and links to web based sources of
information are provided as a service and are monitored for accuracy and
updates on a regular basis. However, the Community Futures Development
Corporation of Central Interior First Nations accepts no responsibility
for any untoward actions that may come about as a result of a web site
visitor using information contained herein.
The First People’s
Forest Products Secretariat (FP2) initiative
has come about with
support from the CFDC of Central Interior First Nations Board of
Directors, Western Economic Diversification and the Canadian Forest
Service’s First Nations Forestry Program. The concept is to provide a
forum for First Nations Wood Producers to share best practices, identify
product and market development opportunities and collaborate on innovative
marketing strategies. The FP2 Secretariat will become a member driven
resource agency that meets on a regular basis, hosts a ‘virtual mall’,
facilitates eBay sales initiatives, adjudicates product quality control
standards and collaborates on developing a ‘Brand’ for the FP2
Secretariat.
Stakeholders
in the
FP2 Secretariat currently include representatives of Bands with access to
timber and some level of secondary manufacturing capacity such as a
sawmill, dry kiln, planner, router, or other wood product finishing
machines. The range of products currently includes rough ‘beetle pine’
lumber, fir flooring, log homes, ready to assemble recreational cabins and
a line of custom furniture and cabinets. A common element among
stakeholders at this time is the unsecured market for the various lines of
products. Stakeholders will be provided with support for the
establishment and maintenance of a webpage of their own on this web site
and / or linked to this site. Pages are currently under construction
Goals of the First People’s Forest Products (FP2) Secretariat include:
- The formation of an inclusive, representative committee to guide product, market, website mall and ‘Brand’ development;
- The identification and promotion of resources available to potential wood product businesses;
- The identification and access of resources required for the further development of the First People’s Forest Products Secretariat as directed by the committee.
Resources available to First Nations are identified under ‘Links’ in this website and will include:
- Wood product & producer associations;
- Tool & equipment suppliers;
- Public and private service providers;
- Government and Industry marketing initiatives and trade missions;
- Reports & studies related to the industry;
- Potential funding sources and support programs.
We trust you will find the site useful and invite you to contact CFDC of CIFN for further discussions.
© 2005 All Rights Reserved, under no circumstances can any of the text, pictures, or documentation be copied without permission from the webmaster to the designer of the product.