Last week's invitation by the Wilderness Committee to Ministers Barry Penner, Pat Bell, George Abbott, several local elected representatives and community groups to get a first hand look at a Nanoose Bay forest, has sparked interest from the general public to tour the rare and endangered forested wetland referred to as DL 33.“The Nanoose First Nations who have applied for a logging permit for this rare and sensitive ecosystem are receiving huge resistance from the community and local governments who want to see this diverse ecosystem, home to many red and blue listed species, including a herd of elk, protected and preserved,” notes Annette Tanner, Wilderness Committee, Mid Island organizer of the tour on Saturday.

“Local governments as well as the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) have unanimously voted to protect this piece of Crown Land that provides the water source for Nanoose and Bonnell creeks, and the many wetlands which in turn provide clean, safe drinking water for the public and a healthy resource of salmon. The many forested wetlands in DL 33 also serve as flood control for the community.”

The public is invited to meet for the tour at 11:00 am Saturday, July 10, in Nanoose Bay, (north of Nanaimo ) at the Petrocan station (2345 Island Hwy E ) on the corner of the Inland Island Highway and Northwest Bay Road.

The recent Forest Practices Board has also denounced the proposal, as “….”The Province did not abide by its commitment to defer issuing new forest tenures until its stewardship strategy was in place,” said board chair Al Gorley. “ As part of its stewardship strategy for the coastal Douglas fir (CDF) ecosystem, the Province identified 1,600 hectares of Crown owned forest for potential protection. However, the Ministry of Forests and Range issued the tenure for DL 33 before the proposed protection order was approved, on the basis that it did not include DL 33. The ministry has not yet issued a permit to begin logging. "

"Because of the interest from the public, there will be weekly tours scheduled every Saturday at 11:00 am until we finally achieve the protection that this rare gem deserves, so that our children will have a place to take their children to see what the east coast of Vancouver Island once looked like," adds Tanner.

For more information please contact:

Annette Tanner, 250 752-6585 - cell 250 240-7470