BC Government News Release: Province Seeks Public input on Proposed Clayoquot Sound Conservancies

Details from the BC Government news release:

People are encouraged to have their say on proposed conservancies in the Clayoquot Sound area.

As part of ongoing land-use discussions with the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, forestry operators, communities and the public, the Province and the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations are proposing to establish 77,000 hectares of new conservancies under the Park Act. This is part of long-term planning for the area, which is currently authorized for commercial forestry as part of Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 54, the only TFL in Clayoquot Sound. If approved, this would mean that nearly 60% of the current area of the TFL would be conserved, with 55,000 hectares remaining within forest tenures.

The proposed conservancies would support reconciliation, the conservation of old-growth forests and healthy ecosystems, as well as provide clarity on areas that will continue to be managed for forestry to support timber supply.

Public input on how the land is being used will inform the implementation of the proposed conservancies in collaboration with the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, within whose territories the proposed conservancies are located. Public comment will be received on EngageBC until April 10, 2024.

TFL 54 is located on the west side of Vancouver Island near Ahousaht, Opitsaht, Tofino and Ucluelet. The landscape is made up of mountains, valleys, ocean inlets, lakes, rivers, islands, and forests. It includes two distinct regions, the Estevan Coastal Plain and the Vancouver Island Mountains, which comprise the area known as Clayoquot Sound.

Read the full BC Government news release, here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024FOR0012-000335

Quick Facts:

• Conservancies provide for a wider range of low impact, compatible economic opportunities than Class A parks, which are dedicated to the preservation of their natural environments for the use of the public.
• Commercial logging, mining and hydroelectric power generation, other than local run-of-the-river projects, are prohibited within these conservancies.

Learn More:

To learn more about the Clayoquot Sound area, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/crown-land-water/land-use-planning/regions/west-coast/clayoquot-sound-watershed-plans

To participate in the engagement on this proposed conservation area, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/engagement/clayoquot-sound-conservancies/

Media Contacts

Ministry of Forests
Media Relations
250 896-7359