SPECIAL REPORT: CONNECTING BC FORESTRY’S INDIGENOUS PAST TO ITS INDIGENOUS FUTURE

About Project

Amplify Consulting Inc., based in Kamloops, British Columbia, is a boutique agency specializing in stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, and public relations. In September 2025, they successfully launched "The Special Report 2025: Connecting BC. Forestry's Indigenous Past to its Indigenous Future." The 32-page report was a collaboration between the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), an organization established to advance environmental and resource stewardship of British Columbia's forests, and the BC First Nations Forestry Council (FNFC), a non-profit organization which supports and provides services to First Nations in their efforts to increase their participation and leadership within British Columbia's Forest sector. This report featured 10 Indigenous-led Forestry initiatives and was endorsed by British Columbia's Minister of Forests, Ravi Parmar.

The goal of the Special Report was to share information that spotlighted the high standards of forest management in British Columbia, Canada, led by First Nations. It underscored how Indigenous leadership grounded in Indigenous Knowledge Systems focuses on community-driven decision-making for the benefit of future generations, emphasizing local guidance as a key to achieving better outcomes for healthier, more resilient forests and communities. Therefore, it was essential that the report be released before Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.

The Amplify Consulting team played a comprehensive role in the project. They assisted with developing the concept for the report, crafting compelling narratives that highlighted the unique individuals involved in the featured community projects, and planning the strategic rollout. Amplify also took the lead on the public relations and media strategy to effectively reach a broad audience, including forestry professionals, policymakers, community leaders, and other partners.

The primary challenge of this strategic communication was to ensure partner and community representation in outreach efforts. This was managed by creating a unified communications strategy that included developing a workback schedule and Gantt chart with sufficient padding and oversight, and an abundance of touchpoint meetings to ensure the team and its partners remained on "the same page," and on time. The technical language used in Forestry was another hurdle. The Amplify team's solution was to create messaging that simplified this jargon into relatable stories emphasizing the social, economic, and environmental benefits of forestry projects to reach a non-forestry audience. Another major challenge was determining how to effectively share the messaging for the greatest impact and visibility. As a result, media materials were created tailored for local, regional, provincial, and national media outlets.

Amplify is very proud of its contribution to this work and its support for initiatives that elevate community voices, creating a lasting impact in British Columbia. The physical report and media campaign effectively served as a guide for Indigenous-led forest management and stewardship in British Columbia, Canada, and functioned as a resource that others can replicate. Additionally, it promoted a more inclusive and effective approach by highlighting the importance of Indigenous leadership and addressing community needs.