North Vancouver Island communities have collaborated to establish a new community forest, announced Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson while at the BC Community Forest Association's annual general meeting in 100 Mile House.

The North Island community forest has an allowable annual cut of 10,400 cubic metres and covers 2,400 hectares on three separate tracts of land in the Alice Lake, Marble River and Quatse River Areas. The area includes second-growth hemlock and douglas fir, and old-growth cedar, including many stands regenerated after a hurricane in 1908.

The North Island Community Forest Limited Partnership hopes to finalize a forest stewardship plan and start operating this year. The three communities of Port Alice, Port McNeill and Port Hardy were invited to apply for the community forest last year.

Quick Facts:

• Community forest agreements are a form of legal tenure that enable communities to more fully participate in the stewardship of local Crown forest resources.
• Community forests are area-based and give communities exclusive rights to harvest timber, as well as the opportunity to manage and profit from other forest resources such as botanical products, recreation, wildlife, water and scenic viewscapes.
• More than 50 community forests are operating or are in the planning stages in British Columbia.

Learn More:

http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hth/timber-tenures/community/index.htm

http://www.bccfa.ca/

Contact:

Cheekwan Ho
Media Relations
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261