Category Archives: Forests

Summer 2024 Activities with FOCI

The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) have just published their summer activities program for 2024.

“We’re really delighted to be launching our 2024 Summer Events Program. We’ve got eight really fabulous events running in July and August. Everything from a low tide walk in Manson’s Lagoon, which we call ‘Gumbooting in the Lagoon’, through to a kayak tour of Hague and Gunflint Lakes.  We’ve also got a tour of Blue Jay Farm, a herbal tea workshop, and an early morning seashore walk in front of Hollyhock. So lots of really exciting events coming up,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of FOCI.

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Cortes Forestry General Partnership Public Meeting Covers Wildfire Prevention and the Five-Year Plan

The Cortes Forestry General Partnership (CFGP) held a public meeting on Thursday, May 30, 2024. CFGP is an equal partnership between the Klahoose First Nation and the Cortes Community Forest Co-operative and manages operations in the Community Forest, comprised of much of the island’s Crown forests. 

The main theme of the meeting was wildfire prevention. Fire Chief Eli McKenty offered an opening presentation on ways the Community Forest and Cortes Island Fire Department are collaborating to reduce fire risks. 

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B.C. misses the mark with old growth update, critics claim

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The B.C. government continues to move at a glacial pace to meet an overdue promise to transform the logging industry and protect endangered old growth forests and ecosystems, say B.C. conservation groups. 

On Monday, the province issued its latest progress report on transforming forestry practices to preserve ancient forests and vital ecosystems and meet 14 calls to action from the old-growth strategic review (OGSR) completed in spring of 2020. 

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The NDP’s recent revamping of forest legislation returns stewardship of BC forests to the government and provides powerful new tools for the public to make a difference

Originally published by the Discovery Islands Forest Conservation Project.

By David Broadland

The “unduly clauses” are gone. The public must now be notified about proposed logging before a cutting permit is issued and the public gets to voice their concern about every proposed cutblock. Now it is mandatory for a district manager to refuse to issue a cutting permit if doing so would “compromise” a government objective. Now is the time for citizens to act.

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Cortes Community Forest Five-Year Plan Update: Tour of the Green Mountain Cut Block 

On a recent, crisp, spring morning, eleven Cortes Islanders joined Mark Lombard, Operations Manager for the Cortes Forestry General Partnership, for a tour and conversation about the future of the Green Mountain area of the Community Forest. CFGP is an equal partnership between the Klahoose First Nation and the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative (CCFC). This tour was part of community consultation around the development of the CFGP’s new five-year plan. Operations in this area are expected to occur in the later part of the next five-year period.

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