British Columbia91裸聊视频檚 independent forest-practices watchdog says there91裸聊视频檚 a risk that a coastal island won91裸聊视频檛 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 91裸聊视频渄id not comply with some aspect of forestry legislation91裸聊视频� and more government oversight is needed 91裸聊视频渢o identify and conserve old forests.91裸聊视频�

Board chair Keith Atkinson says in a release that the review found 91裸聊视频渘o one is responsible for monitoring or ensuring that Quadra Island91裸聊视频檚 old forests are conserved, or that enough mature forests are protected from logging.91裸聊视频�

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 91裸聊视频渟et aside to develop into old forest.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淚t is up to the provincial government to understand what old-forest values exist in the Quadra landscape unit and ensure that forest licensees91裸聊视频� plans include measurable or verifiable commitments to manage them,91裸聊视频� Atkinson says.

The board91裸聊视频檚 review on Quadra Island found one of the licensees, TimberWest Forest Corp., 91裸聊视频渄oes not have an effective strategy91裸聊视频� to make sure enough mature forest in its licence area survives to become old forest.

91裸聊视频淭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,91裸聊视频� Atkinson says in the statement.

Mosaic Forest Management, which manages forest planning, operations and product sales for TimberWest, says it is 91裸聊视频渃ommitted to sustainable forest stewardship91裸聊视频� in response to the board91裸聊视频檚 findings.

91裸聊视频淔or decades, TimberWest has not harvested old forest on Quadra Island, and has no plans to do so,91裸聊视频� a statement from Mosaic says. 91裸聊视频淚n Mosaic91裸聊视频檚 view the establishment of old growth management areas cannot be finalized without continued collaboration with First Nations and the provincial government.91裸聊视频�

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 91裸聊视频渁t-risk of being harvested.91裸聊视频�

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