Wilderness Committee Supports Proposed BC Government Protection for Highly Endangered Coastal Douglas-fir Ecosystem
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Wilderness Committee is praising the government for proposed protection of key endangered Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystems, and wants the process to go further and include all the parcels of Crown Land on the east side of Vancouver Island.
The Integrated Land Management Bureau has initiated a Land Use Order process for five parcels of Crown land.
“Only 110 hectares of oldgrowth Coastal Douglas-fir (CDFmm) have been protected in the province of BC,” said Annette Tanner, spokesperson for the Wilderness Committee. “This forest type represents the most biologically diverse ecosystem in British Columbia. The rare plants and endangered animal species that depend on these last fragments of Mediterranean-style coastal forests exist nowhere else in Canada.”
The exclusion of a significant number of forested wetlands identified as Sensitive Ecosystem Sites on a parcel of Crown land located in Nanoose, referred to by residents as the Nanoose Endangered Wetlands and Wildlife Sanctuary (NEWWS), has raised concerns that many other unique pieces of endangered Crown Land parcels have been left out of the initiative. “The government needs to complete an inventory of all public land within the Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem and include these lands in the CDFmm Crown Land Use Initiative, and do the same for all Crown land within the E & N lands,” said Tanner.
“Protection should cover the parcels between Bowser and Nanaimo, and go further to cover all the rare and endangered CDFmm parcels from Bowser to Sooke as well as Crown land within the E & N land," Tanner continued. "Roughly 2% of this ecosystem has been protected for wildlife protection, drinking water, access to recreation and carbon sinks. The rest of the province has approximately 12% protection of other ecosystems,” Tanner said.
Public comment on the proposal closes on February 15.
“We will be asking the public to tell our government how strongly they feel about protecting all of these irreplaceable gems,” said Tanner. “Public comment for this proposal must be received before the February 15 deadline, so we’re encouraging people to send an email right away.” A contact form is available on the Wilderness Committee website.
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For more information please contact Annette Tanner 250 752-6585 or cell 259 240-7470
Click here for backgrounder.
“Only 110 hectares of oldgrowth Coastal Douglas-fir (CDFmm) have been protected in the province of BC,” said Annette Tanner, spokesperson for the Wilderness Committee. “This forest type represents the most biologically diverse ecosystem in British Columbia. The rare plants and endangered animal species that depend on these last fragments of Mediterranean-style coastal forests exist nowhere else in Canada.”
The exclusion of a significant number of forested wetlands identified as Sensitive Ecosystem Sites on a parcel of Crown land located in Nanoose, referred to by residents as the Nanoose Endangered Wetlands and Wildlife Sanctuary (NEWWS), has raised concerns that many other unique pieces of endangered Crown Land parcels have been left out of the initiative. “The government needs to complete an inventory of all public land within the Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem and include these lands in the CDFmm Crown Land Use Initiative, and do the same for all Crown land within the E & N lands,” said Tanner.
“Protection should cover the parcels between Bowser and Nanaimo, and go further to cover all the rare and endangered CDFmm parcels from Bowser to Sooke as well as Crown land within the E & N land," Tanner continued. "Roughly 2% of this ecosystem has been protected for wildlife protection, drinking water, access to recreation and carbon sinks. The rest of the province has approximately 12% protection of other ecosystems,” Tanner said.
Public comment on the proposal closes on February 15.
“We will be asking the public to tell our government how strongly they feel about protecting all of these irreplaceable gems,” said Tanner. “Public comment for this proposal must be received before the February 15 deadline, so we’re encouraging people to send an email right away.” A contact form is available on the Wilderness Committee website.
-30-
For more information please contact Annette Tanner 250 752-6585 or cell 259 240-7470
Click here for backgrounder.
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