A group of people, who are concerned about the municipal forest in North Cowichan, are hoping to have a date with the mayor and council to talk about the asset on December 19th.

Initially, the group thought they would be able to meet with council this Monday night, but that’s been changed.

Icel Dobell said they want to ask the council to stop logging our community forest until there’s been some public consultation and professional opinions considered.

She said the public meeting with the council is the result of a meeting the group had ten days ago at the Municipal office.

“We met with some senior staff members who were really forthright and gave us all the information we needed and definitely agreed we are at a crossroads. This is not the way it was 12 years ago, ten years ago, 5 years ago, things are changing fast. They are aware of how fast things are changing, climate change, social change, economic change.”

Dobell said the municipal forest covers about 25 per cent of the publicly owned land in North Cowichan.

She said the municipal allowable cut per year is 2 per cent and that means in 25 years, half the trees in our forests will be cut down.

She said Mount Prevost has borne the brunt of logging but it’s coming to other mountains if something isn’t done to stop it.

Dobell says the concerned citizens have a website and to learn more about the municipal forests you can go to wheredowestand.ca.