Customer
Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN)
Problem
Lack of guidance and enforcement mechanisms on Indigenous reserve lands. No existence of “Weed Acts”, varying and insufficient monitoring programs.
Solution
Seed 2 Leaf Environmental conducted community engagement for the process of developing a template for invasive species specific documents.
Problem:
First Nation’s across Canada have been given increasingly more authority to manage their own lands while remaining under federal oversight through the administration of the Indian Act and associated reserve land policy. Canada has committed numerous times to the control of invasive species including a Invasive Species Strategy, and commitments under The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) 15.8 aims to prevent and reduce the impact of invasive alien species (IAS) on land and water ecosystems.
However, Little to no support has been given to a vast majority of Indigenous communities to address these goals or execute the federal government’s strategy on Indigenous lands. Provincial systems for early detection and rapid response are well established while Indigenous communities have been left with little guidance or support.
Solution:
Seed 2 Leaf Environmental Consulting Inc. conducted an initial survey to measure the existing knowledge within communities. This was followed by community engagement sessions to gain a better understanding of community desires for propagation of culturally significant species and response to invasive species.
Conclusion:
Work is on-going through the 2025 season and we expect to have a valuable resource for Indigenous communities to use as a first step in addressing IAS and restoring lands to culturally appropriate landscapes.