For Líl̓wat Forestry Ventures Ltd. (LFV), a leading forestry management corporation within the Líl̓wat Nation in Mount Currie, B.C., healthy forests are not measured only in cubic metres of timber, the most common term for harvested wood volume. Instead, they are measured by the richness of cultural values and resources, and by how well the land and community are protected.

In general terms, disturbance sounds like destruction. But in Líl̓wat territory, disturbance has long been part of renewal.

“Some berries, like soapberry, need fire to grow and survive; they grow better after cultural burning,” shared Jordon Gabriel, Manager of Community & Culture, LFV. “Soapberry plants have male and female forms, and fire helps create the open conditions they need to regenerate and produce fruit. Huckleberries, too, respond to disturbance. Fire is one of the methods that our Nation has been using for hundreds of years.”

LFV continues to apply that understanding to its forest management work today. Beyond leading cultural burns throughout the territory to reduce the intensity of potential wildfires and to allow plants to grow, fuel treatments and selective harvesting are also key to ensuring the Nation preserves important resources. The work done here isn’t about just cutting trees; it’s about creating the right openings in the forest canopy or upper layer so light can reach the forest floor, because many culturally and ecologically important plants depend on those conditions to thrive.

“Pine mushrooms, for example, prefer a more open canopy. If it’s too dense, they disappear,” noted Gabriel. “Wild ginger and other understory plants respond differently depending on light, soil, and moisture conditions.”

Before any activity is carried out, detailed ecological surveys are conducted. LFV works closely with Chartwell Resource Group, whose team gathers plant data across proposed treatment areas and compiles comprehensive reports that assess how different species will respond, which may increase, and which require protection.

“The teams collect all information about the plants out there before any tree is cut or any burning is planned. They prepare a report for the Nation, and they send me a portion of that report so I can review it and determine which plant species are included and how they will respond to the harvesting,” Gabriel added.

The work is informed by more than technical forestry data. LFV has documented roughly 300 plant species identified by the Nation’s Elders for food, teas, and medicines. Part of this information is collected by reading and listening to Elders’ interviews, as well as working directly with them to help identify the plants that LFV needs to manage for. That knowledge has been shared with trusted partners like Chartwell, ensuring that management decisions respect cultural values.

These treatments and holistic approaches to forest management have not only helped better protect homes from wildfire but also restored the ecological relationships that keep fires better controlled and moving along the ground, which in turn helps plants grow.

For instance, after fuel treatments forested areas near residential areas that are more spaced out and open, there has been a decrease of bear sightings during the day.

“With less dense cover, bears have fewer places to hide around the community. They shifted their activity patterns, reducing daytime interactions with people as well as road and highway traffic,” shared Gabriel.

At the same time, opening the canopy allowed different shrubs to flourish and deer began returning to browse on the new growth.

“When plant diversity and food sources increase, the wildlife responds.”

While projects must sustain themselves financially, success for LFV goes beyond economics. Timber that has value and can be sold helps pay for additional fuel treatments and ecological restoration. Non-merchantable trees, especially fire-resistant conifers and deciduous species, or trees that are smaller in diameter are often left standing where possible to maintain resilience and forest structure.

But as it’s been shown, real success shows up in other ways, including an increased abundance of berries and medicinal plants, pine mushrooms returning to treated areas, and a reduction in fire hazards that help better protect the community from wildfires.

“When community members can gather traditional foods and medicines in healthy supply, and wildlife thrives alongside them, that’s when forest management is working,” said Gabriel.

At its heart, LFV’s work reflects a simple but powerful understanding: forests are living systems. When forest management supports a variety of important outcomes – ecological, cultural, and economic, the results extend far beyond the trees.