British Columbia香蕉视频直播檚 independent forest-practices watchdog says there香蕉视频直播檚 a risk that a coastal island won香蕉视频直播檛 have enough old-growth trees in the future due to inadequate monitoring of harvesting.

The Forest Practices Board says it began looking into old-growth forests on Quadra Island, a 310-square-kilometre Island off Campbell River, after receiving a complaint from an environmental group.

The board says it looked into the situation and found licensees 香蕉视频直播渄id not comply with some aspect of forestry legislation香蕉视频直播� and more government oversight is needed 香蕉视频直播渢o identify and conserve old forests.香蕉视频直播�

Board chair Keith Atkinson says in a release that the review found 香蕉视频直播渘o one is responsible for monitoring or ensuring that Quadra Island香蕉视频直播檚 old forests are conserved, or that enough mature forests are protected from logging.香蕉视频直播�

The review concludes that old-growth management must be improved to ensure enough old growth is present on the island in the future.

According to the board, Quadra Island has very little forest older than 250 years due to harvesting and a number of natural disturbances, but there is an abundance of trees 80-to-120-years old that need to be 香蕉视频直播渟et aside to develop into old forest.香蕉视频直播�

The protection is needed, the board says, in order for Quadra Island to meet provincial targets for the amount of old forest and biodiversity in B.C.

香蕉视频直播淚t is up to the provincial government to understand what old-forest values exist in the Quadra landscape unit and ensure that forest licensees香蕉视频直播� plans include measurable or verifiable commitments to manage them,香蕉视频直播� Atkinson says.

The board香蕉视频直播檚 review on Quadra Island found one of the licensees, TimberWest Forest Corp., 香蕉视频直播渄oes not have an effective strategy香蕉视频直播� to make sure enough mature forest in its licence area survives to become old forest.

香蕉视频直播淭he report includes a recommendation that TimberWest amend its forest stewardship plan to include a strategy for the recruitment of old forest that describes how it will ensure the full target amount of old forest is achieved,香蕉视频直播� Atkinson says in the statement.

Mosaic Forest Management, which manages forest planning, operations and product sales for TimberWest, says it is 香蕉视频直播渃ommitted to sustainable forest stewardship香蕉视频直播� in response to the board香蕉视频直播檚 findings.

香蕉视频直播淔or decades, TimberWest has not harvested old forest on Quadra Island, and has no plans to do so,香蕉视频直播� a statement from Mosaic says. 香蕉视频直播淚n Mosaic香蕉视频直播檚 view the establishment of old growth management areas cannot be finalized without continued collaboration with First Nations and the provincial government.香蕉视频直播�

The original complaint to the Forest Practices Board was lodged by the Discovery Islands Forest Conservation Project, which told the board that old-growth remnants on Quadra Island are 香蕉视频直播渁t-risk of being harvested.香蕉视频直播�

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