Almost 1,000 hectares of coastal forest are under new provincial protection.
The B.C. government announced Friday that it has protected 980.5 hectares of coastal Douglas fir ecosystem in the region.
The 19 parcels include new protected land in Nanoose Bay south of the highway near Bonell Creek, and in Yellow Point near Michael Lake. A parcel in the Linley Valley encompassing Cottle Creak and a parcel near Dolphin Beach in Nanoose Bay saw their protection amended.
“The coastal Douglas fir ecosystem is ranked both globally and provincially as a high priority for preservation, and is home to many endangered plant communities,” noted a government press release.
The province says it consulted with 19 First Nations regarding the expanded forest protection, and also conducted a public process that saw 98 per cent of respondents supportive of the proposal.
The press release notes that “the area of coastal Douglas fir ecosystem protected from logging now totals over 11,000 hectares.” Under the new land-use order, the parcels will be managed with “enhanced stewardship and conservation.”
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