Osoyoos Indian Band formalizes management role in 46,000-hectare forest tenure
Representatives of the Osoyoos Indian Band, Nk’Mip Forestry and Gorman Group gather for the signing of a partnership agreement covering management of Tree Farm Licence 59.
In front are Gorman Group CEO Ashlee Cribb, OIB Chief Clarence Louie and Gorman Group board chair Nick Arkle.
Photo: Osoyoos Indian Band/Nk’Mip Fores
The Osoyoos Indian Band has formalized a partnership with Gorman Group that gives its forestry company a direct role in planning and managing Tree Farm Licence 59, a 46,000-hectare forest tenure east of Oliver.
The licence lies within OIB traditional territory and has an allowable annual cut of 57,106 cubic metres, according to current provincial tenure records. Similkameen Forest Products Ltd. is listed as the TFL 59 licensee.
Under the agreement, OIB-owned Nk’Mip Forestry LLP will work with Gorman Group, through Similkameen Forest Products, on management of the licence. Nk’Mip will lead planning of proposed harvesting areas in partnership with the licensee, while a joint Planning and Management Committee will guide operating plans, stewardship priorities and implementation of the agreement.
Nk’Mip’s role includes forest-development planning, cultural assessments, early field reviews, environmental monitoring, pile burning and liaison with OIB community members. Planning will consider culturally significant sites and traditional-use areas alongside wildlife habitat, water quality, forest health and wildfire resilience.
OIB Chief Clarence Louie said the agreement is intended to create jobs, training opportunities and longer-term revenue for the community while increasing the band’s role in the forest economy within its traditional territory.
The agreement also includes training, mentorship and career-development opportunities for OIB youth and community members. Nk’Mip Forestry said the work is expected to create opportunities for community members to gain experience through cultural assessments, fieldwork and monitoring.
The partnership could also create opportunities for the recently opened Osoyoos Forest Nursery to grow seedlings for reforestation within TFL 59 and nearby operating areas.
Partnership continues earlier OIB role
OIB involvement in management of TFL 59 predates the current agreement and the transfer of the licence to Similkameen Forest Products.
In March 2025, Nk’Mip Forestry described OIB as having a co-leadership role with then-licensee Weyerhaeuser in management of the same tenure. That arrangement included development of cutblocks and other land-management activities while incorporating OIB knowledge and priorities into forest planning.
Nk’Mip Forestry said at the time that TFL 59 includes wildlife habitat, areas used for gathering plants and berries, and culturally significant sites. Management work also included wildfire-risk reduction, protection of water resources, habitat enhancement and rehabilitation of areas affected by the 2021 wildfires.
The corporate transition took place in stages. Gorman Group completed its purchase of Weyerhaeuser’s Princeton sawmill in September 2025, while the associated B.C. timber-tenure transfers still required provincial approval.
The province approved the tenure transfer on March 19, 2026. The transferred assets included TFL 59 and, collectively, represented about 682,000 cubic metres of annual fibre across several tenures.
Weyerhaeuser had announced the broader transaction at a purchase price of approximately $120 million CAD in cash, including the Princeton mill, B.C. timber-licence assets and working capital, subject to adjustments.
OIB and Gorman formally signed the TFL 59 management agreement on July 20, 2026, establishing a framework for continuing and expanding OIB participation following the transfer to the new licensee.
Nk’Mip Forestry has described OIB as a full partner in management of the licence, but the agreement does not make the band the TFL 59 licensee. Provincial records list Similkameen Forest Products Ltd. as the licensee.
OIB and Gorman have also said they intend to continue working with the provincial government to explore a longer-term tenure model.
The agreement brings OIB cultural, stewardship and economic priorities directly into the planning process for a forest tenure that also supplies timber to Gorman Group’s regional manufacturing operations.
The Osoyoos Indian Band has formalized a partnership with Gorman Group that gives its forestry company a direct role in planning and managing Tree Farm Licence 59, a 46,000-hectare forest tenure east of Oliver.