Candidate Questions and Responses
30 September 2026
In 2023, the results of an extensive public consultation process costing taxpayers about $300,000 showed 76 per cent on-line support for conservation management of the Municipal Forest Reserve, while a statistically valid phone survey of local residents showed 67 per cent support.
While acknowledging that the MNC is engaged in discussions with the Quw’utsun Nation on a co-management framework, if elected, will you respect the results of this consultation process and work towards a conservation-based future for the forest reserve and not return to logging?
Responses:
Valerie Russell (Council)
Yes. I believe the results of the extensive public consultation must be respected. Both the online consultation and the statistically valid telephone survey showed strong public support for a conservation-based future for the Municipal Forest Reserve, and I share that preference.
The Municipal Forest Reserve is an extraordinary asset for North Cowichan. At more than 5,000 hectares, it represents approximately one-quarter of North Cowichan's land base. It contains areas of the rare and highly threatened Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone, along with other important and sensitive forest ecosystems.
These forests provide wildlife habitat and support biodiversity, protect soils and water quality, help protect our watersheds, improve air quality, and capture and store carbon. They also provide places for people to walk, hike, cycle and spend time in nature, contributing to both physical and mental well-being. Mature forests and sensitive ecosystems take generations to develop and cannot simply be replaced once they are lost.
For these reasons, I support a conservation-based future for the Municipal Forest Reserve rather than a return to commercial logging.
At the same time, North Cowichan is engaged in a co-management process with the Quw’utsun Nation, and I believe we must participate in that process in good faith. I do not want to prejudge its outcome before hearing what is proposed.
If that process ultimately recommends some form of harvesting, I would want to understand exactly what kind of harvesting is being proposed, its purpose and scale, and its ecological consequences. There is an important distinction between commercial logging and forest management activities that may be necessary for ecological restoration, wildfire risk reduction, public safety or forest health.
I would weigh any proposal carefully against the strong public mandate for conservation, the findings of the co-management process, and the long-term ecological and community value of the forest.
My starting point is clear: these forests are worth far more to our community than simply the value of the timber they contain. I want to see the Municipal Forest Reserve protected and managed responsibly so that it remains a healthy forest for generations to come.
Joyce Behnsen (Council)
Thank you for the question. Forestry built BC.
As 5th generation in the Cowichan Valley ~
I believe Well Managed Forests including some logging are as a renewable resource a benefit to our region. North Cowichan has done an amazing job of planting new trees in the thousands over the years to renew our Forests. This is sustainable Forestry.
Trees are cut down to provide space for Communities to grow. Schools, hospitals, homes, businesses, local government offices all sit where trees once were.
I don't know about yours but our home is built from wood, not concrete, bricks, mud or grass.
I believe we all need to be practical about what our Municipal Forests can provide including jobs and revenue to support the essential Needs of our Communities.
Well Planned is the Key to protecting our Forests, working with the Quw'tsun Nation as partners.
Rob Douglas (Mayor)
When North Cowichan undertook public consultation on the future of the Municipal Forest Reserve, residents were clear that they wanted to see a stronger focus on conservation. As Mayor, I will respect those results. That means not returning to commercial harvesting. I do expect there will continue to be wildfire mitigation activities as we adapt to increasing wildfire risk and a changing climate.
Christopher Justice (Council)
While we continue working toward a co-management partnership with Quw’utsun Nation, I absolutely respect and support the community’s conservation vision for the forest reserve, developed through extensive public engagement. I would not support logging beyond the limited, targeted tree removal contemplated in the Active Conservation scenario, where it is undertaken specifically to restore or enhance forest ecosystems or reduce wildfire risk.
Derek Masselink (Council)
I would respect the results of the consultation process and work towards a conservation-based forest management approach for our Municipal Forest Reserve in partnership with the Quw'utsun Nation. The value our forested areas provide while standing and intact (ecosystem health, watershed protection, carbon sequestration, and protection of the highly endangered Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem, etc.) is greater than the relatively small and speculative value that would be generated if logged. A conservation-based approach does involve management activities like thinning, firesmart and even selecting cutting, but these would be done for the long term health and safety of our forest areas. Having recently reviewed the Providence Farm's Forest Management Plan, which also recommended an ecosystem conservation approach (now being implemented), I believe there is an opportunity to collectively manage the endangered Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystems within our Valley in a manner that has real effect - supporting provincial goals to increase the amount of intact and functioning areas of this ecosystem type and potentially influencing neighbouring private forest landowners.
Brian Chambers (Council)
In 2023, two-thirds of residents chose conservation. Three years later, there is still no plan, and the forest is in limbo. The forestry program lost about $2.4 million between 2020 and 2025, and the carbon credit revenue the conservation options relied on has not materialized.
This should have moved faster. We cannot keep talking forever.
Why has it taken so long? Residents have had partial updates but no clear explanation and no new schedule. The talks are happening outside public view, no draft framework has been published, and the original deadline has passed. As someone outside Council, I cannot honestly tell you how I would vote on a plan none of us has seen.
What I can promise is full transparency and firm deadlines. If this project is stalled, residents deserve to know why. Any agreement affecting municipal land should go to residents before it is adopted, and Council must stay answerable for the outcome. As far as I can tell, residents have said "conservation."
Chris Wilkinson (Mayor)
Yes. The clear results of the public engagement & consultation must be respected. As importantly, the memorandum of understanding to establish a co-management framework with our First Nations neighbours must also be respected. Any future decisions regarding the Municipal Forest Reserve will align with the co-management framework. I see this opportunity as more than preserving our forests and ecosystems; I see it as an opportunity to strengthen our relationships with the Quw'utsun Nation and build further potential partnerships that could model how other communities can collaborate for the benefit of everyone.
Don Allingham (Council)
YES......I would respect the results of the consultation process ....We need to protect our water sheds as well as wildlife habitat and our sensitive ecosystem.
Krystal Adams (Council)
We need to bring the public's voice back to the table especially on issues as large as these. So yes, I would absolutely respect those voices. When we ask residents to take the time to participate in a significant public process, we have a responsibility to listen carefully to what they tell us and to make sure that participation has meaning and value. These forests are part of what makes North Cowichan a special place to live. They protect habitat and biodiversity, while contributing to the health and resilience of our ecosystems. They are not just beautiful, they are essential. So, I want to be clear about where I stand. I do not support a return to commercial logging in the Municipal Forest Reserve. Some will argue the revenue, but it is minimal when you actually look at the numbers, some of which have been grossly inflated in public conversation as of late. Their true natural value far outpaces the financial potential. I believe we should move forward with a conservation-based approach and responsible, long-term stewardship. At the same time, I recognize that the Quw’utsun Nation has a deep and enduring relationship with these lands. The co-management discussions are important, and I believe they need to continue respectfully and in good faith. I do not see those commitments as being at odds with one another. There is an opportunity to bring together conservation, Quw’utsun knowledge and stewardship, forest health, wildfire risk reduction, watershed protection, and responsible public use in a way that serves the land and the community as a whole over the long term. Let's be leaders for the next generation.
Chris Istace (Council)
I am Committed to the Pause in the MFR for a new forest management policy and a First Nation co-stewardship model to equally meet the strong community support for reconciliation and environmental stewardship. We have heard clearly and consistently from the community that the cultural, ecological and recreational values of North Cowichan’s six community municipal forests holds higher value than a resumption of commercial logging.
Mike Caljouw (Council)
I walk in or hike in our forest reserve almost every day. I love the nature of North Cowichan. It is my belief that we need to wait until we have an MOU with Cowichan Tribes, and after that we can move forward. Also, that we can, with Tribes, sequester some carbon from our MFR through fire-smarting in our community. Fire smarting in our community should be a priority for everyone in North Cowichan. We saw that with the Westley Ridge fire. If we have a devastating fire in our MFR there will be no forest to save, and we could lose many homes. This is why I supported the Hiring of a Wildfire specialist and the creation of a wildfire plan. Paid from our CAEP fund.