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Public asked for input on proposed Great Bear Rainforest conservation area

British Columbians are invited to share feedback on a proposal to add a new Special Forest Management Area (SFMA) supporting regenerative forestry and conservation in the Great Bear Rainforest.

The proposed area consists of 7,865 hectares of forested land that would transition from commercial harvesting to being prioritized for conservation and regenerative forestry. The SFMA designation is specific to the Great Bear Rainforest and restricts commercial forestry operations. If approved, this area will be the ninth SFMA within the Great Bear Rainforest.

Public comment will be accepted until April 5, and will allow the province and Kwiakah First Nation to consider public input into decisions and implementation. It will also provide insight into how the land is being used by the public.

The province is working with Kwiakah First Nation, which seeks an active role in the long-term management of the area. The plan is to practise regenerative forestry, which the First Nation defines as non-commercial forestry intended to bring the forest back to its pre-industrial state. Any lost harvesting revenue is intended to be counteracted through the generation of carbon credits and regenerative forestry jobs.