Forest Protection

Forests are vitally important to the health and well-being of the Islands Trust Area.

Taking care of our forests for generations to come is a core value of the work we do because:

  • Forests sustain freshwater, species habitat, and biodiversity.
  • The majority of the Trust Area falls within the Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone, which is an ecologically significant and threatened temperate forest.

Islands Trust is here to work with you to ensure the preservation and protection of forests for generations to come.

a forest trail in green grass between trees on the side of an island with the ocean water behind

What we’re doing:

  • Helping protect with Natural Area Protection Tax Exemption Program (NAPTEP), land donations and covenants
  • Working with First Nations and conservation groups to monitor nature reserves and conservation covenants
  • Asking the Province to work with us to update agreements about provincially managed lands
  • Working with science and cultural knowledge holders to understand how climate change could impact sensitive forest areas
  • Enforcing bylaws and development permit area regulations where they are in place

Local Priorities

All local trust committees and Bowen Island Municipality have official community plan policies addressing forest protection and may also have forest protection projects underway. Learn about these on their respective webpages.

Resources

Forest Conservation Checklist

VIEW (PDF 434 KB)

Climate Projections for Islands Trust Area Report, 2020

VIEW (PDF 4687 KB)

Contiguous Forest Mapping in the Islands Trust Area Report, 2020

VIEW (PDF 1543 KB)

Contiguous Forest Mapping in the Islands Trust Area Map Book

VIEW (PDF 147106 KB)

Protecting the Coastal Douglas-Fir Zone & Associated Ecosystems Toolkit

VIEW (PDF 2997 KB)

Carbon and Biodiversity Mapping and Assessment for the Islands Trust Area

VIEW (PDF 910 KB)

A Place in the Islands

VIEW (PDF 3123 KB)

Sensitive Ecosystem/Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping Updates And Disturbance Mapping In the Islands Trust Area, 2017

VIEW (PDF 764 KB)

Howe Sound Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping

VIEW (PDF 22065 KB)

Forest Fact Sheets, 2020

Ballenas-Winchelsea Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 1873 KB)

Bowen Coastal Western Hemlock Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 570 KB)

Denman Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 1993 KB)

Gabriola Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 1950 KB)

Galiano Coastal Douglas-Fir Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 1959 KB)

Gambier Coastal Western Hemlock Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 592 KB)

Hornby Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 1957 KB)

Lasqueti Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 2016 KB)

Mayne Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 2106 KB)

North Pender Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 1966 KB)

Salt Spring Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 2506 KB)

Saturna Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 1989 KB)

South Pender Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 1915 KB)

Thetis Island Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests Fact Sheet

VIEW (PDF 1980 KB)