Forest preservation

Protecting a range of biologically and ecologically diverse ecosystems across the land base is an important management strategy that provides valuable areas for scientific studies, recreational and tourism opportunities, and meeting cultural and spiritual needs. In British Columbia, 13.8 per cent of the land base is designated as a protected area, which translates into 5.7 million hectares or 10 per cent of BC's forests. This is one of the highest percentages of protected land base in Canada, contributing to the country's more than 40 million hectares of parks and protected areas. Canada, in turn, has more protected forest than any other country in the world.

Removing areas of land from active resource extraction and intense management assures that ecosystems are preserved and maintains the province's biological and cultural heritage. Provided the forests remain healthy and don't become a major source of greenhouse gases, the objective of protecting viable, representative examples of the province's natural diversity, while maintaining a network of working forests where sustainable practices allow a healthy forest industry to co-exist, is laudable.

Of note is the fact that BC has roughly the same amount of forested area as it did before European settlement and only two per cent of the province's land has been permanently converted to uses such as farming, ranching and urban development.