Hay River (Oct 09/06) - Territorial residents are looking into the many uses of forest lands in the North - ones that extend beyond the traditional clearcut for timber mentality.

Amy Thompson, an environmental biologist with the Gwich'in Renewable Resource Board in Inuvik, makes a willow basket during a conference in Hay River. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

A conference in Hay River has encouraged people to look for alternative economic opportunities in the forest.

The Oct. 2 to 6 gathering, the first of its kind in the NWT, focused on such resources as berries, mushrooms, birch sap and the natural material which can be used to create baskets and other traditional crafts.

Conference co-ordinator Beatrice Lepine of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) said the conference was designed to help create community-based business opportunities.

"Essentially, we're looking at family or mom-and-pop businesses," she said. "I don't see a great big conglomerate or anything like that."

There were 25 participants at the conference, along with 15 presenters from the NWT and the South.

Participants came from Inuvik, Trout Lake, Yellowknife, Fort Resolution, Fort Smith, Fort Providence, Jean Marie River and Hay River.

Lepine said the conference explored ways to respectfully harvest the resources to realize economic benefits.

Tom Lakusta, the manager of forest resources with ENR, said the department wants to involve communities in developing opportunities.

"We are looking to find entrepreneurs in the communities," he said.

There are already many traditional uses of the forests, Lakusta noted. "Non-timber forest products are extremely important in the North."

Margaret Leishman, an elder from Kakisa, explained some of the traditional culinary and medicinal uses of forest plants to conference participants during a walk through Twin Falls Territorial Park.

One of the conference participants was Amy Thompson, an environmental biologist with the Gwich'in Renewable Resource Board in Inuvik.

Thompson said she will share what she learned at the conference with her region. "I'll probably talk to the communities and give a brief overview of what we did."

One of the things she learned was how to make a willow basket, noting she chose that craft because there are many willows in the Inuvik area.

Chief Karen Felker, of West Point First Nation in Hay River, said the ideas from the conference could be beneficial.

As she was making a birch bark basket at one of the conference's workshops, Felker said, "You don't see many people doing this any more."

She noted such crafts could be created at home and would not require a big investment to start. "You don't have to buy a $300 to $400 tool to do this."