Just west of Shawnigan Lake on the steep hillsides of the Koksilah River is an ancient forest with trees close to 1,000 years old. Accessible to the public, this little-known local treasure is just a 30-40 minute walk from Renfrew Road on private land owned by Mosaic Forest Management.

Despite much pressure from local environmental stewards, so far, Mosaic has only agreed to make a few small, fragmented sections of these ancient trees part of a vague "carbon sequestering system." Mosaic has not provided any information to the public about what this designation actually means, but we do know that it does not guarantee the long-term protection of this ancient forest.

Furthermore, Mosaic is on the verge of logging the area immediately adjacent to this ancient forest. Not only will this disrupt the fragile ecosystem of these old-growth trees, but without the physical buffer of the natural forest, they will soon be susceptible to the ill-effects of proximal logging including damage by wind, soil erosion, and mudslides. What this means is that even if Mosaic preserves a small area designated for the ancient forest, but logs all around it, these old-growth trees will be unlikely to survive in a deforested area.

This petition seeks to make it clear to Mosaic as well as our local and provincial governments that the community would like to protect this endangered area. We are requesting that the Koksilah River Ancient Forest, as well as critical "buffer zones" around it, are permanently protected from logging. This can be achieved by transitioning the area into parkland, or transferring it into a land trust, or making it part of a carbon credit system. There are many options available that will ensure that this rare ancient forest survives for future generations to appreciate, but the first step is to convince Mosaic and our governments that this is a place worth saving.

The Koksilah River Ancient Forest is currently open to the public on weekends if you would like to visit these ancient giants and see, first hand, why this cause is so important. Wayfinding in the area is difficult, so make sure you have a guide who has been there before, or at least clear directions from them (note: there is no cell service in the area). Hopefully, once this grove is protected, public access and signage can improve so that more people can enjoy this awe-inspiring forest.