Forest protection
More old growth management areas (OGMAs) will be established throughout the province.
In a press release, the government announced it will create another 567 OGMAs located within five different landscape units of the Sunshine Coast Resource District, covering 18,421 hectares. The units involve 134,993 hectares of Crown forest land, and the new management areas represent 13.6 per cent of that land base.
The five landscape units include:
• Homfray Landscape Unit: 2,802 hectares on the east side of Homfray Channel and the southeast side of Toba Inlet, north of Powell River.
• Jervis Landscape Unit: 4,503 hectares on the east and north sides of Jervis Inlet, between Powell River and Sechelt.
• Quatam Landscape Unit: 2,971 hectares on the north side of Pryce Channel and the east side of Toba Inlet.
• Salmon Inlet Landscape Unit: 4,933 hectares on the north and south sides of Salmon Inlet, near Sechelt.
• Southgate Landscape Unit: 3,212 hectares northeast of Bute Inlet and southwest of Chilko Lake.
OGMAs are established to protect biological diversity of old growth forests. They are excluded from commercial timber harvesting, allowing the natural plant ecosystems, habitat for wildlife, and cultural values to be protected.
There are 49,000 OGMAs throughout the province. Maps and ministerial orders relating to the landscape units can be viewed online.
