Potential Comox OCP questions - Comox OCP Open House is June 24, but you can ask these questions of the Town via phone, email, letter, or at Council meetings.

There are a lot of issues facing the community as the OCP process continues. Probably not a single one is a yes/no, either/or, zero-sum issue. Planning for our future is complicated! SOFT- CV recognizes that we need affordable housing, sufficient infrastructure, fire management resources, schools, recreational amenities, etc., as well as a healthy tree canopy. If you are interested in advocating for tree protection in Comox, here are a few questions you could ask. Thanks to SCUF - Save Comox Urban Forests for these ideas:

1) Where are the future potential development sites? Keep an eye for which areas are currently treed. Express concern about these.

2) On large undeveloped properties identified for future development, suggest that preliminary ecological and environmental surveys be completed by Registered Professional Biologists (RPBios) prior to determining an area's zoning or potential land use.

3) On deep private properties - Are they  / can they be mandated to be four-plexes?  Can we prioritize NOT cutting trees on these properties?

4) There appears to be a huge disconnect between the current OCP and the Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) and Tree Bylaw. How will the timing coincide between these 3 critical policies? How is Town & Council ensuring there will be trees left to save?

5) On the far side of Torrence (456 & 480 Torrence Rd.), there is a large forested area that's currently in the CVRD, outside of Comox boundaries. Info in italics is from the Town.

The Town of Comox is proposing to extend its boundaries to include:

> ➡️ North ½ of Lot 20, District Lot 186, Plan 449 (PID 001-095-544)

> ➡️ Lot A, District Lot 186, Plan 24247 (PID 002-992-647 – 480 Torrence

Road)

> ➡️ North ½ of the South ½ of Lot 20, District Lot 186, Plan 449 (PID

009-047-671 – 456 Torrence Road)

> If you are an eligible elector and oppose this proposal, submit an Elector Response Form by this Friday,June 6 Find out all the details here: 

https://www.comox.ca/government-bylaws/news-alerts/alternative-approval-process-aap-results-boundary-extension-torrence

Comox is likely to accept, or has already accepted, these Torrence properties as becoming part of Town. Private owners are assumed.

SCUF's thinking is that they can possibly better speak up to save the trees in this area if it is actually part of the Town. Unfortunately time is running out for the public to have its say as a result of the new Alternative Approval Process adopted by the Town of Comox, where lack of interest for a proposal is assumed and interpreted as Public Approval. Is there a plan to annex this area into the Town of Comox?  If annexed - will it be protected??

6) What other opportunities will there be for the public to see the final draft plan? Will the Town of Comox solicit more public feedback? Will the public be able to comment on the final document? Has there been enough communication about this very important process and document?

7) Will the Town of Comox be presenting the final OCP to the public with an opportunity for the public to ask questions and participate in discussion.

Puntledge Forest - Protected Forever!

Well over 600 community donors (including many SOFT-CV members and supporters) contributed to raise the funds to purchase the forest and save it from being logged.

Thanks to a fantastic community response, this biodiverse and beloved forest will never be logged. Read the CV Land Trust's media release here.

The 100-hectare (247-acre) forest is on BC Hydro’s property along the Puntledge River, just below Comox Lake. The Puntledge Forest is a beloved recreational area and a rare local example of a mature, biodiverse forest. Mature forests are extremely important for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and for providing opportunities for people to spend time in nature. The Puntledge Forest supports dozens of species of conservation concern, including an endangered summer run of Chinook salmon. The forest and river are highly valued by the K’ómoks First Nation for fish habitat and cultural values.

Campaign Milestones

The CVLT secured federal funding to purchase 29 hectares of the timber reservation in March 2023, and another 32 hectares in April 2024. Both purchases were funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The third and final phase of the campaign began in June 2024, and required the CVLT to raise $2.4 million dollars in just seven months! They were delighted by the community response, and by the support received from five separate granting agencies and from the former timber rights holder, Manulife Investment Management, and the landowner BC Hydro. Phase three protects the final 37 hectares of the forest from logging, forever.

History of the Site

The Puntledge River is at the heart of the K’omoks First Nation’s traditional territory. It was officially named in 1854 after the PE’ntlatc tribe – one of several tribes now affiliated with the K’omoks First Nation – who lived along it. However the Puntledge Forest has been privately owned since 1884, when most of eastern Vancouver Island was granted to the coal baron Robert Dunsmuir in exchange for building a railway.

Mining operations began on the site in 1902, and a company town was built by 1911. The mining operations continued for 20 years, supported by electricity generated through a dam and associated infrastructure at the outlet of Comox Lake, The abandoned town, surrounding lands and infrastructure were acquired in the 1950’s by a predecessor of BC Hydro. However, the original landowners retained rights to the trees through a Timber Reservation registered on the land title. This means that while BC Hydro owns the land, they do not own the trees. This became clear in 2020 when the then-owner of the Timber Reservation, Manulife Investment Management, began planning for tree harvesting.

Ecological and Recreational Values

The Puntledge Forest was logged during the mining era, making it 100 to 120 years old.

It was allowed to regenerate naturally, which means it has much more biodiversity than a tree plantation. In a century this forest will be considered “old growth.” As a mature forest it already serves many important functions. It includes up to 30 listed species (i.e. of conservation concern), and 22 plant communities that are listed as rare (i.e., endangered or threatened). As a low elevation coastal forest, it also has very high carbon capture and storage potential, making its preservation an important natural climate solution.

The Puntledge River is one of the most significant salmon producing rivers in the Strait of Georgia (Salish Sea). On average it is the second largest producer of Chinook, coho and pink salmon, and fourth largest producer for chum salmon. It has two Chinook runs: a fall run and a smaller, endangered and genetically distinct summer run. It also has a winter and summer run of Steelhead, and resident trout including Cutthroat, which is a listed species in BC. The Forest connects to the Comox Lake Bluffs Ecological Reserve to the south and Nymph Falls Regional Park to the North, providing a biodiversity corridor along the Puntledge River.

The trails in the park are maintained by BC Hydro, and are a beloved destination for the community. This stretch of the Puntledge River is also a popular destination for swimmers and paddlers.

September 14, 2023 The Power of Forests!

Hello Forest Protectors and Nature Lovers,

The Power of Forests project is bringing together grassroots organizations, concerned BC residents, Indigenous Peoples, and scientists to push for a new BC Forest Act.  The new Act is intended to ensure that forest management on public lands focuses on the interests of communities and nature rather than on extraction interests.   Under this new legislation, the primary objective of forest management will be to maintain the ecological integrity of forest ecosystems.

The New Forest Act details will be presented at the six live events listed below.  The full proposal will be on our website on September 8, 2024.

Local speakers, Indigenous People, and scientists will also present relevant regional information regarding the costs of the current system and the urgent need for new legislation.  

Three Key Priorities of the New Forest Act

The new Forest Act provides a system that:

1.       protects and restores natural ecosystem integrity and resilience

2.       gives Indigenous Peoples and BC residents a say in what happens in the forest ecosystems that affect them

3.       builds stable community-based jobs and local economies that strengthen the larger BC economy

Some features of the new Forest Act:

·       Elimination of industrial forest tenures and professional reliance.

·       A government structure that decentralizes decision-making around logical groupings of BC communities and Indigenous Nations through Community Forest Boards.

·       A publicly-accountable government ministry, The Ministry of Ecological Integrity, jointly managed by the BC government and Indigenous Nations, to administer the legislation.

·       An independent, non-partisan Office of the Forester General that reports to the legislature and the public on forest management.

·        Local Ranger Stations are reinstituted for monitoring and compliance.

There is a lot more to the proposal!  So, if you don’t see what you think should be included, tune in for the details by registering for an event, signing up for the newsletter, following us on Facebook, or joining the Facebook group.

Natural ecosystems function fully and flawlessly without industrialized activities on them. Fully functioning natural ecosystems ensure our survival and are the source of what we value. Halting the loss and degradation of primary forests and restoring forest landscapes helps enhance climate change mitigation and disaster protection. It also drives sustainable economic growth and supports livelihoods.

This is the power of forests.

The Events 

Pre-registration is required.  Register:  www.boundaryforest.org/pof

Presentations will be recorded and shared on Youtube, social media, and Vancouver Island community Rogers Cable channels.  Zoom Livestream registration is available through the link above for the Vancouver and Kelowna events.

Nanaimo, September 14, 2024, 12-4:30, Beban Park Social Centre, 2300 Bowen Rd, Nanaimo

1. Geraldine Manson, Snuneymuxw Traditional Knowledge Keeper

2. Dave Weaver, Beaufort Watershed Stewards

3. Daniel Arbour, Director, Comox Valley Regional District

4. Paul Manly, Nanaimo City Councillor

…………………………….

South Cowichan, Sept 17, 7-8:30pm, Mill Bay Community Hall

1. Shawnigan Basin Society

..........................................

Vancouver, Sept 21, 2024, 12-4:30, The Nest, UBC Vancouver, Rm 2306/2309, 6133 University Blvd, Vancouver

1. hiwus Calvin Craigan, Hereditary Chief, Sechelt First Nation

2. Ross Muirhead, Elphinstone Logging Focus

3. Dr. Younes Alila, UBC Forest Hydrology

.....................

Prince George, September 28, 2024, 12-4:30, Canfor Theatre, 3333 University Way Prince George BC

1.       Michelle Connolly, Conservation North

2.       Herb Hammond, Forest Ecologist

............................

Nelson, October 5, 12-3pm, The Adventure Hotel, 616 Vernon St, Nelson, BC

1. Joe Karthein, Save What's Left

2. Dr. Rachel Holt

……………..

Kelowna, October 12, 12-3:30, UBC Okanagan ASC 140, Kelowna, BC

1.       Dawn Morrison, Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty

2.       Joe Karthein, Save What's Left

Community groups involved:

Beaufort Watershed Stewards, Union Bay

Yellow Point Ecological Society, Ladysmith

Save Our Forests Team – Comox Valley

Shawnigan Basin Society, Mill Bay

Elphinstone Logging Focus, Sechelt

Conservation North, Prince George

Interior Watershed Task Force – interior BC region

Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance, Peachland

Horsefly River Roundtable, Horsefly

Joe Rich Forestry, Trails, and Watershed, Kelowna

Silver Hills Watershed Watch, Lumby

Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society, Grand Forks

Save What’s Left, Nelson

The situation is urgent for BC's forests!  We need all hands on deck.  Come on out to an event or give your support in any way you can:  share, donate, discuss.

All the best,

Jennifer Houghton