The 2.5-metre-wide tree's removal was the final step in a several month operation by poachers to steal it, said Torrance Coste, a campaigner with the Wilderness Committee. In an article in the Times Colonist, Costa said he reported the theft to the RCMP and BC Parks service. They responded that there was little chance the thieves could be found, he said.

 

Poachers cut through fourth-fifths of the tree a year ago and left it to stand, said Costa. Park staff later had the damaged tree cut down before it could become a hazard. It was supposed to lay on the ground and rot, returning its nutrients to the soil, but poachers made off with the rest of the wood over the course of a few months, he said.

 

Tree poaching from provincial parks happens annually, but the impact is low, said Environment Minister Terry Lake at a press scrum before the legislature earlier today.

 

"There are people, whether it's for copper wire or beautiful trees, who will go to great risks to steal from the public," said Lake, adding provincial parks and conservatories cover 14 per cent of the province.

 

"It's simply impossible to police all of these things at the same 

level."

 

Currently, the province has 97 full-time and part-time rangers and 164 other personnel with ranger capabilities to police provincial parks, said Lake.

 

That number is roughly half of what it was two decades ago, according to ministry figures. And the force is stretched thin, Costa said. He added that the rangers currently police the province's roughly 1,000 provincial parks, meaning only one to two full-time rangers for Southern Vancouver Island.

 

Earlier today, the provincial government announced it would expand BC Parks budget by 27 per cent -- or $3 million -- to improve park infrastructure. The money will go towards expanding campgrounds, potable water systems, bathrooms and other facilities that will entice more visitors and stimulate economic growth.

 

The release, however, did not appear to include additional funding for policing. A spokesperson for the ministry did not respond to a request for clarification by deadline.