The new Burns Lake Community Forest (BLCF) executive was selected at the last Comfor Management Services Ltd. (CMSL) board meeting on April 25, 2013.
Wesley Sam was named president, with Jim McCormack and Rosanne Murray named vice president and secretary, respectively.
The full board is Susan Schienbein, representing the Village of Burns Lake, Jim McCormack and Rosanne Murray, representing the public, and Wesley Sam, Jeff Brown, and Robert Dennis, representing three First Nations (Burns Lake Band, Office of the Wet’suwet’en, and Wet’suwet’en First Nation).
Each board position carries with it a monthly honorarium of $250. The president receives and additional $250 per month. The one-year terms are advertised annually, with First Nations and the Village of Burns Lake taking four of the six available seats, and two board positions reserved for members of the public.
Ron Zayac, current interim CMSL manager, said that he expects final decisions regarding restructuring to be completed this summer with the transition to a new general manager.
“The proposed changes will realistically take six to 12 months to implement,” said Zayac.
“In the meantime, we will continue to be good stewards of the forest license.”