Since January, around 100 trees from the North Cowichan Municipal Forest Reserve have been poached. The increase in timber theft has forced the municipality of North Cowichan, B.C. to gather and deploy more patrol sites. Some of the trees being taken are Douglas fir and Western red cedars. Officials and Local residents believe the rise in lumber prices is related to the increase in theft.
The reserve is located 70 kilometers from Vancouver Island and is owned by the municipality. The forest is 5,000-hectares and is part of the coastal Douglas fir ecosystem, which is endangered due to logging practices.
Larry Pynn a resident in North Cowichan noticed the missing trees and “immediately thought that this had to be the work of a poacher”. He came to this conclusion because there was poorly cut wood left around the stump as well as ATV tracks.
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