Forestry experts and officials say reports of people sneaking into public forests to illegally saw down firs, cedars and maples are rising
Recent prices for B.C. softwood lumber reached $1,600 for 1,000 board feet compared with about $300 a year ago.“It’s an economic motive for sure,” said Matt Austin, a B.C. Forests Ministry assistant deputy minister. “These trees can be pretty valuable.”
“These big trees, they’re providers of a whole variety of ecosystem benefits in terms of the stability of the banks and riparian areas, the habitat for wildlife, including cavity nesting birds that need these larger trees.” In January, municipal forester Shaun Mason said he started to investigate reports of dozens of fir trees being cut down inside North Cowichan’s 5,000-hectare municipal forest reserve on southern Vancouver Island.“I’d say from the end of January to early February, there’s one particular area where we noticed a significant increase in timber cutting and obvious theft because there is no authorized cutting in that area,” he said.
The B.C. tree poaching issue has captured the interest of Prof. Terry Sunderland, a tropical forestry expert at the University of B.C. “There’s been instances of individual maple trees being targeted, particularly the older ones, which have obviously really nice grain and that nice hardwood finish,” he said.Austin said the large firs and cedars have many uses and can command high prices.“What I have heard is that there are certain potential unique uses for these trees,” he said.
The penalties under the Forest and Range Practices Act for being found guilty of damaging or destroying Crown timber include fines of up to $1 million, three years in prison or both, Austin said.