Northern BC has been my home for about 15 years, living first in Burns Lake, and then in Prince George since 1996. I completed my forestry degree here at UNBC in 2001, and have held a variety of positions and contracts related to natural resource management. My first experience with Tl'azt'enne began with a research project in 2003 on Criteria and Indicators of Forest Co-management.

I started with CURA in April 2004 as a research coordinator, beginning my graduate studies a few months later. In sharing these two positions, I have learned so much from Tl'azt'enne. I am grateful for the time and effort they have offered, and their dedication for making sure I get things right!

My thesis involves developing a method for involving First Nations in forest management decision-making. It focuses on the 'monitoring & evaluation' stage of forest management planning, where we can reflect on the progress made so far. Through a process which involved working with local people to generate information, we were able to create a list of "measures of success", which can be used to identify the strengths and weaknesses in co-management. This assessment can be used not only to inform management decisions, but to facilitate communication and demonstrate accountability. From the community perspective, many people would prefer to use this system for improving co-management and celebrating its successes, rather than being critical of the partnership.

I have had the opportunity to give some presentations on this research at conferences, in the community, and to UNBC classes. Posters I have presented are available on the IP Stream page. I have also written articles for the CURA Newsletters (under my maiden name, Sarah Parsons) and hope to publish academic articles in the months ahead.

I am begining a new position (November 2006) where I hope to be able to apply some of these ideas in cases beyond the John Prince Research Forest. Thanks again to the whole CURA team and my participants who have been instrumental in my research and my learning experience.

Thesis:

Quinn, S. E. 2007. Locally Defined Measures of Successful Forest Co-management: A Case Study of Tl'azt'en Nation and the John Prince Research Forest. Unpublished Master's Thesis, Natural Resources and Environmental Studies. University of Northern BC, Prince George, BC. pdf