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Mosaic Forest Management is opening 1,900 kilometres of forest roads and 42,000 hectares near Sooke for weekend recreation until the end of December.
Mosaic Forest Management has launched a pilot project granting public weekend access to roughly 1,900 kilometres of forest roads and about 42,000 hectares of privately managed forest lands near Sooke, British Columbia. The trial runs until the end of December and opens three gates, including Butler Main, Lens Main and Muir Main, that have been closed to the public for more than 20 years.
Weekend Access To Forest Roads
The newly accessible roads will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays. The gates had been shut to public use for over two decades before the pilot began.
Ian Emery, Mosaic's director of outdoor recreation and access, said the company is opening around 1,900 kilometres of road. The measure marks a significant change in how the privately managed forest lands near Sooke can be used by the public.
The pilot follows a public survey conducted by Mosaic last year. Over a two week period, about 6,700 people responded, and Emery said the feedback showed strong interest in greater access to the company's managed forest lands.
Survey Feedback And Recreation Interest
Mosaic is now testing how that access can be expanded while managing the risks that come with increased recreational use. Emery said those concerns include the potential for wildfire and illegal dumping.
At the same time, he said more people in the backcountry could help identify and report unsafe or illegal activity. Emery noted that users are likely to see potentially bad behaviours and report them.
The Four Wheel Drive Association of B.C. says its community has been pushing for greater access to forest lands for years. Colin Stuart, a spokesperson for the association, estimates about 5,000 people in its community could use the newly accessible lands near Sooke.
Stuart said moving in this direction will help Mosaic realize that having more people in the backcountry is beneficial for the company and for users. The association has long advocated for expanded recreational access to private forest lands.
Assessment And Possible Expansion
Mosaic is also considering whether a similar approach could be used elsewhere on Vancouver Island. Emery said there are a couple of areas around Campbell River that the company is looking at.
The company plans to begin assessing the pilot in mid December. The results will help determine whether more forest roads and lands could be opened for recreational use in the future.
The pilot near Sooke covers about 42,000 hectares of privately managed forest lands, alongside the roughly 1,900 kilometres of road now accessible on weekends and holiday Mondays. Access runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on those days until the end of December.
Mosaic's review will weigh the benefits of public access against risks such as wildfire and illegal dumping. The outcome could shape how the company manages recreational access on its other holdings across Vancouver Island.
Mosaic Forest Management Sooke Forest Roads Vancouver Island Campbell River Four Wheel Drive Association Recreational Access
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