Public Overwhelmingly Supports Conservation In Municipal Forest Reserve

By Larry Pynn

The public has spoken. With a loud and clear voice, citizens are calling for ecological values to prevail over logging in North Cowichan’s 5,000-hectare Municipal Forest Reserve.

More than three years after citizens rose up against the advance of clearcutting in the forest reserve — also known as the Six Mountains — the first results of a public consultation process have been released.

And they send a decisive message to council.

Lees & Associates, the consultants hired by the municipality to conduct the public engagement, have released a report that summarizes interviews with 19 stakeholders, 1,145 responses to an on-line survey, and the views of 110 participants at four on-line workshops.

“There was agreement that the MFR is a valued community asset, and many are in favour of an approach to forest management that shifts the primary management focus of the MFR toward the ecological and recreational benefits,” says the Lees & Associates report.

A total of 594 North Cowichan residents and 407 nonresidents, including 101 from Duncan, answered the on-line survey. Non-residents also expressed strong support for ecology, recreation, and viewscapes.

“While a wide diversity of themes and perspectives were shared…most participants felt that ecological values, rather than economic values, should hold the highest priority for the future management of the MFR. Recreational benefits were also highly valued,” the report found.

Logging-related revenue and jobs do not even rank within the top-10 list of what citizens value most about the forest reserve.

The top four considerations cited by North Cowichan residents as being “extremely” or “moderately” important are water quality, water supply protection, recreation, and habitat and ecology.

Continued on page 44

Next in importance: views and visual quality followed by climate change benefits, air quality, mature/old forests, jobs related to tourism and recreation, and cultural/spiritual use of the forests.

Forest reserve revenue to the municipality ranked 12th out of 14 choices, just above forestry jobs.

Other “key takeaways” outlined in the report: — “The importance of protecting and enhancing the ecological benefits of the MFR was a strong theme. Many expressed concern with the health of the forest, and indicated that the ecosystem services provided by the forest outweigh the potential revenue from harvesting.”

— “Many expressed that the MFR is a valued recreational asset and are in favour of forest management that supports hiking, biking, walking, ATVing, and horseback riding. There was also significant support for recreation as it relates to tourism.”

— “Many community members expressed concern about harvesting practices, particularly the impact of clear cutting. Some respondents feel that cut blocks negatively impact views on the mountains, recreational experiences, and the ecological health of the forest.”

— “Some participants are supportive of the current management of the MFR. Of those in favour of harvesting, many are supportive of a shift towards eco-forestry and more sustainable forms of harvesting.”

— “Concern about climate change, and the impacts of wildfires, flooding and extreme weather emerged as a key theme. Many expressed the importance of managing the forest to increase resiliency to climate change.”

— “We also heard a wide range of perspectives on the cultural significance of the MFR. Many noted the importance of the forest for recreation, access to nature, health and well-being as well as education. Some respondents also expressed the importance of consulting the Quw’utsun Nation on the future management of the MFR.”

Shortly after the fall 2018 election, hundreds of citizens attended council to voice their concerns about logging in the forest reserve, and hundreds more attended a forest information session sponsored by Where Do We Stand (wheredowestand.ca) at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre.

In response, Council placed a moratorium on new logging pending the consultation process. First Nations are the subject of a parallel consultation which has been stalled for several months now.

A memorandum of understanding signed between the municipality and First Nations last August is not intended to have any legally binding effect and “does not create any legally enforceable rights or obligations of either of the Parties.” It may be terminated by either Party with 14 days’ notice.

So, what’s the next step in the public consultation?

According to the Lees & Associates report, the UBC Partnership Group (associated with the faculty of forestry) will be developing forest management options to bring to the public in spring of this year.

The public’s wishes as expressed in the first round of consultation should be reflected in those scenarios, along with technical expertise around forest management, ecology, and carbon offset projects.

Also this spring, Lees & Associates will build upon the feedback gathered in the first round of the engagement and focus on identifying the community’s preferred options for forest management.

This will include another online survey, phone survey, and public workshops. Sign up for project updates and information on the next round of engagement at northcowichan. ca/forestry.

The full Lees & Associates report: https://bit.ly/34dkXCX.

Visit sixmountains.ca for more information on the Municipal Forest Reserve.