Forests are vitally important to the health and well-being of the Islands Trust Area. Forests sustain freshwater, species habitat, and biodiversity. The majority of the Trust Area falls within the Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone, 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.
What we’re doing:
- Helping you protect forest areas with the Natural Area Protection Tax Exemption Program (NAPTEP), land donations and conservation covenants
- Working with First Nations and conservation groups to monitor nature reserves and conservation covenants
- Asking the Province to change the Private Managed Forest Land Act (PMFL) to allow local trust committees to regulate, but not prohibit, forest activities on PMFL lands
- Asking the Province to enhance the Trust’s jurisdiction over tree cutting to make its jurisdiction equal to that of municipalities
- 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.