Wawa Municipal Council's pursuing a chance to keep an eye on local forest management.
Council's approved a resolution accepting the Missinaibi Sustainable Forest Licence shareholder agreement, which would see Wawa granted a seat on the SFL's board of directors, which will oversee management of the combined Martel and Magpie forests.
Mayor Ron Rody emphasizes that this is a drastic change from the past, as municipalities previously didn't have a way to participate in the management of the forests, though he notes Wawa has chosen to simply be observers.
Deputy Mayor Pat Tait's been chosen as Wawa's representative - noted for his background in the forestry industry - while CAO/Treasurer Maury O'Neill's been selected as an alternate.
This comes just a week after Chapleau Town Council similarly passed a resolution indicating they'd like an "observer" seat on the board, with Mayor Michael Levesque also highlighting potential benefit.
In addition to Wawa and Chapleau, Dubreuilville also plans to join the board, which also has representatives from local First Nations and industry.