Status-quo logging ranks lowest in terms of protection of viewscapes, sensitive ecosystems, habitat connectivity and wilderness recreation in North Cowichan’s Municipal Forest Reserve, UBC forestry experts report.

In a presentation to council, the UBC Partnership Group laid out four potential scenarios for future management of the 5,000-hectare forest reserve — status quo, reduced harvest, active conservation and passive conservation.

UBC noted that the forest reserve is part of the “imperilled” coastal Douglas-fir forest in the Georgia Basin. Half of this forest has been converted to human use. More than 80 percent is privately owned, and more than 153 species are at risk.

The status-quo scenario is based on logging about 17,500 cubic metres of timber per year, which compares with 7,400 cubic metres under reduced harvest.

Active conservation would allow the annual harvest of 1,300 cubic metres for purposes such as restoring/enhancing ecosystem conditions that promote biodiversity, while passive conservation would have no logging.

The public will soon be asked to weigh in on the four options in the final phase of a consultation process.

Both harvesting scenarios fare poorly compared with the two conservation scenarios in terms of social and ecological indicators, including protection of viewscapes, sensitive ecosystems, wilderness recreation values, as well as habitat connectivity and fire risk, and ability to produce old forests.

From an economic standpoint over a 30-year period, revenues from carbon credits for letting the forest stand would exceed those of the logging scenarios. UBC calculated a five percent annual increase in carbon prices, reflecting the positive outlook for this sector.