Cheakamus Community Forest open house scheduled for November 25

Whistler community members are invited to the Cheakamus Community Forest open house on Wednesday, November 25 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Whistler Public Library (4329 Main Street) in the Community Room.

This is an opportunity for the community forest partnership to share 2016 harvesting plans with the public and to collect feedback.

In addition, the open house will focus on sharing:

• Old Growth Management Areas approved by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations this summer. These areas protect old growth from harvesting.
• Proposed Ecosystem Based Management Reserves—further areas of protection determined by the CCF through discussions with various stakeholders this year, which will be off-limits to commercial harvesting. This is a voluntary initiative by the CCF to protect more of the forest than is required through provincial regulations.
• Special Management Zones—First Nations’ cultural areas and areas identified by commercial recreation tenure holders as particularly important to their operations. These areas will require additional discussion with the First Nation or commercial recreation operator if harvesting is proposed.

The Cheakamus Community Forest enables Whistler and its partners, the Lil’wat and Squamish First Nations, to have direct control over harvesting in the area around Whistler, and is one of over 50 community-managed forests in British Columbia. The Cheakamus Community Forest is managed by the partners for views, watershed protection, habitat, recreation and cultural values.

Find more information at cheakamuscommunityforest.com.

About the Cheakamus Community Forest

The Cheakamus Community Forest encompasses more than 30,000 hectares of land surrounding Whistler. It was established in April 2009 when the Lil’wat and Squamish First Nations and the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) jointly signed a 25-year tenure with the B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range. These three equal partners oversee the management and operation of the forest under the auspices of the Cheakamus Community Forest Society, an independent not-for-profit organization. 

Community forests are different from other tenures because they are managed by the community, for the benefit of the community. The Cheakamus Community Forest actively works with local stakeholders to develop forest harvesting and management plans that benefit the larger community, such as protecting viewsheds, cultural assets, and important habitats.