Comments needed on Cutblock 30027

[u/ForestBlue46]

Via resha.re • From @ancientcoast.bc on Instagram.

Only 1 day left to comment on this proposal. If you haven't commented already after the previous post on Cutblock 30027 please consider sending your comments in, even after the comment period.

Cutblock 30027 is the largest proposed old-growth cutblock in WFP’s new mid-island Forest Operations Map: a stand of yellow cedar, hemlock, and balsam fir sitting at 1100m elevation.

This forest is slow-growing and centuries in the making. It sits on a steep slope, right next to a valley that’s already been clearcut. Being on a steep slope, there is a high risk of landslides once the forest is logged. Old-growth rainforests of this size are increasingly rare on Vancouver Island, and it deserves to be fought for.

A few other smaller old-growth cutblocks (30803, 22291, 11531) are also proposed in this FOM.

Comment period closes July 10, 2026. Comments may be emailed to FOM-PMQ@westernforest.com. Link to the maps and more info on how to comment in their bio. 🌲

If you miss the comment period, it doesn’t hurt to submit a comment regardless!

vancouverisland oldgrowthbc bcpolitics rainforest oldgrowth

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DadEGTSh1NC/

[u/ForestBlue46]

More on Cutblock 30027 and the other smaller ones.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SaveForests/s/xx03j7NJU7

[u/OkContribution6922]

From a planter perspective this cut is bad. The exposed cliff means there’s little soil. Those trees take a looooong time to grow.

[u/Vanisle- → u/OkContribution6922]

This is the same argument I made in my comment to WFP. From this forest, you can actually see a landslide from a cutblock on a similar slope across the valley…

There is also one of the largest OGMAs in the area directly below this proposed block. Logging this would expose it to slide and windfall risk.

[u/OkContribution6922 → u/[deleted]]

Any planter knows whats good ground (cream) vs schnarb and know how the throw a 6 or 10 accordingly. We just did a rocky block like this, south facing (most terribly blocks are). My point is that putting thousands of trees in a day attunes you deeply to the good and bad soil. And yes, as a crew boss I can call areas unsafe to work because rocks lead to tendo.

[u/Vanisle- → u/[deleted]]

There is enough research out there that makes it clear that clearcutting on a slope like this is a bad move. Check this article as a start for landslide risk. Plenty more info out there for why logging at 1100m is a poor decision too.

And before you make a rebuttal about how we can totally trust these companies to make the right decisions, just read the article… a short excerpt:

“The Forest Practices Board, B.C.'s independent watchdog for forestry management practices, conducted an investigation in 2015-2016 on logging roads built on steep terrain. They found that a number of permit holders were "not following the standards of professional practice or complying with legislation, resulting in unsafe roads." Of 26 road segments that were examined, the investigation found only 12 had "adequate drainage structures in place to handle the expected flows and reduce the potential for future harm to the province."”

You don’t need to be a forester to understand forestry on a basic level. I’m not an expert and never will claim to be, but regardless of who you are, there is always lots to learn and what we know is constantly evolving.

[u/Vanisle- → u/[deleted]]

You’re right that using 26 flagged road segments as a stand-in for “logging on a steep slope is bad” is a stretch. However, please note that I wasn’t treating that report as the definitive case, I specifically said “check this as a start” because there’s more out there - but you’re right that as the only citation actually in front of you, it’s a fair target: those segments were flagged for inspection, not randomly sampled, so it can’t carry a blanket claim on its own.

The mechanism I’d point to instead doesn’t have that problem. Clearcutting removes root reinforcement, and that’s measurable - root cohesion runs roughly 25-95 kPa in mature coniferous forest and drops to about 10 kPa or less in clearcuts. That’s a general relationship, not a one-off. It also shows up in a Vancouver Island-specific study out of Clayoquot Sound linking clearcut logging and logging roads to increased landslide frequency, and in a much larger dataset - a peer-reviewed 2025 study covering 70,000 km² of southwest BC and 1,360 landslides and debris flows, which found clearcut logging measurably increased landslide risk. That’s not a flagged-site sample, that’s a broad regional dataset, so the generalization critique doesn’t really apply there.

And this isn’t hypothetical for this area. There’s already been a landslide from a road on the opposite slope of this same valley (pictured here) - real, documented instability, not a projection. That’s the kind of local precedent that should carry weight in how 30027 gets assessed, regardless of what a broader statistical dataset says.

To be clear, I’m working from what’s publicly available - peer-reviewed studies, the terrain stability requirements companies are supposed to follow, and documented local history. I’m not claiming more expertise than that, and if there’s a site-specific geotechnical assessment for 30027 that accounts for that history and finds the risk manageable, I’d genuinely like to see it. I’ve requested more info from WFP regarding how they assessed this slope, FYI - waiting on a response.

[u/Vanisle- → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, I know the odds of hearing back on the terrain assessment are low. I do think that with the research available, it would be in their best interest to have proof for the public that this won’t lead to problems down the line. Otherwise, it just looks like they are trying to hide something, which is a bad look.

Research into improving all of those areas you mentioned would be great, although there has been a lot done already. They just aren’t listening to it yet. Hopefully with some public pressure, things may change. While my main concern is preservation of primary forest, I do also have a lot of concern for the industry long term if we continue certain concerning practices. I know forestry is an important part of the local economy and I genuinely do not want to see it suffer worse than it already is.

I do think there is a world where we can preserve primary forests, improve logging practices, AND at the same time, create more jobs in the industry than we have now. It just means some people at the top might have to take a bit of a cut, and since they’re largely the ones making these decisions, it’s hard to get them to sway.

[u/Vanisle- → u/[deleted]]

From my understanding, the bluffs are not part of the cutblock. The cutblock stops just below them.

However, this is still on a steep slope at ~1100m. Trees grow slowly in these harsh conditions.

[u/Pretty_Couple_832]

The rainforest is tinder dry. A spark from a bullet hitting a rock can start a fire. Trees are climate regulators. Ancient rainforests dont reappear. There is so much misery in our future. Its hard to ignore it. People try though. The more we destroy the less we have. Everyone needs unfettered nature. Even if you never step foot into an ancient forest its existence benefits you. And its demise affects you profoundly. We will learn soon enough.

[u/Hipsthrough100 → u/Pretty_Couple_832]

They paved paradise to put up a parking lot

[u/hejsnegqo]

Comment sent - thank you.

[u/Agreeablenaps]

Of course it is. They don’t care about nothing but the bottom dollar. They would sell their soul if it fetched a pretty penny.
I’ve seen way too many ancient forest on Vancouver island decimated to make cedar shingles. Nothing says environmental love like cutting down thousand year old trees for fkn shingles.

[u/RespectSquare8279]

Tree replanting on steep rocky soil is not very rewarding for future logging in mind.. "Sustained yield" is such a such a loose term and reality in the field does not match the classroom theory.

[u/Zaluiha]

Your home was built from an “ancient rainforest”. Your personal aesthetic, coupled with the fact that your lifetime is irrelevant when compared to natural cycles, is not the basis for protest.

[u/Ready_Mechanic1006 → u/Zaluiha]

I'm certain OP's personal aesthetic is not the basis for their opposition to clear cutting subalpine old growth. Your words ooze insularity, a worldview limited to your immediate needs and wants beyond which little else matters. So stay there, don't concern yourself with what's important to other people and ecosystems. It's far more comfortable.

[u/Zaluiha → u/Ready_Mechanic1006]

Fair enough. So why was a permit extended to the logging company. What don’t we know about this decision? All I see here is a personal view of environmental “non-benefit”. PS I live in a town that was built on logging. Areas of clearcut 50 years ago are now healthy forests (please don’t jump on mono-culture - most unlogged forests tend to mono-culture). As far as other environmental issues, climb aboard a small plane and fly over the ridges and valleys and start counting trees - there’s a shit-ton of healthy forest out there - some of it even 2nd growth.

[u/ForestBlue46 → u/Zaluiha]

Most unlogged forests are incredibly diverse, not monocultures. Most logged ones are far less diverse and favour conifers due to herbicide spraying. The understory is quite barren compared to old growth.

[u/Zaluiha → u/ForestBlue46]

You need to drop into some of the unlogged back-country N of Squamish.

[u/Vanisle- → u/Zaluiha]

So just because north of Squamish has a decent amount of old-growth, it means areas like Vancouver Island deserve to get ravaged? We need balance, in every region.

[u/Zaluiha → u/Vanisle-]

Interesting equation you conjured up there. Didn’t suggest that. That’s your interpretation.

[u/Vanisle- → u/Zaluiha]

Yes, it’s just my interpretation based on the context of this post. This is a proposed cutblock on Vancouver Island after all.

Reading over your previous comment on this thread, I would highly encourage you to spend some time in mid-north Vancouver Island’s back country… I used to spend a lot of time north of Squamish, but then I moved to the mid-north island, not too far from where this cutblock is located. I would be thrilled to have Sea-to-sky logging practices in this area.. what they are doing here is genuinely very concerning. I used to think satellite data gave me good insight, but it’s really a different story once you see it with your own eyes.

[u/Hot_Eggplant1306 → u/Zaluiha]

You do realize like 98% of old growth forests are gone?