Dave Weaver

A survey by a private forest management company on Vancouver Island shows thousands of outdoor enthusiasts want better access to forest land — but an alliance of wilderness advocates is also raising concerns about environmental accountability. Mosaic Forest Management, which oversees roughly 550,000 hectares of privately owned forest land between Victoria, Sooke and Campbell River, reports that the survey received over 7,600 responses and the feedback was clear: open the gates. …Steve Mjaaland, Mosaic’s manager of forest protection, says the company would like to enhance recreational access, but gate closures are often necessary for safety and to prevent wildfires. “It’s a working forest. There are a lot of high-risk hazards, especially hauling on the roads, which would probably be the biggest risk with traffic,” he said. …Jenn Holland, who chairs the Vancouver Island Private Managed Forest Land Action Alliance says, “It’s not just access for recreation, but it’s access for accountability that’s missing.”