News and Views - Summer 2019 Newsletter
Jeffery Zweig – President and CEO
WELCOME TO MOSAIC FOREST MANAGEMENT’S FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL NEWS UPDATE.
We strive to be a good neighbour and a trusted partner with First Nations, Vancouver Island and other coastal communities. These places are where several thousand people engaged by Mosaic work, live and play.
We are fortunate to have highly committed Mosaic employees and a dedicated group of contractors that take great pride in the work they do and their contributions back to the community.
Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable summer with family and friends,
Jeff
2018 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT HIGHLIGHTS KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND 2019 GOALS
Our 2018 Sustainability Report, covering lands owned by TimberWest, highlights major achievements over the year in four key focus areas: safety, environmental leadership, First Nations partnerships and community support. The report also highlights our commitments for 2019.
View the Sustainability Report summary and full report here.
CAMPGROUND LAUNCH MARKS NEW COLLABORATION TO INCREASE ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES ON PRIVATE FOREST LANDS
Mosaic Forest Management is delivering greater access to private forest lands in the Alberni Valley and surrounding region by adding a 12th public campground to its offerings. The Macktush Campsite is a waterfront location approximately 40 minutes by car from Port Alberni, and offers more than 80 campsites. The upgraded campground is open for reservations and can be booked through Mosaic’s access portal at mosaicforests.com.
BE FIRE SAFE AND SPREAD THE WORD
This summer, we are greatly increasing our efforts in relation to fire prevention, early detection and firefighting. You can read about the extra measures we have taken in our operations to monitor and reduce fire risk and the resources we have deployed to respond in the case of a fire.
PROGRESSIVE ABORIGINAL RELATIONS CERTIFICATION EXPANDED TO ALL MOSAIC-MANAGED LANDS
On June 17, 2019, we were pleased to announce the expansion of our bronze-level Progressive Aboriginal Relations certification to all lands we manage. This certification from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business signals that Mosaic Forest Management is a committed partner with the policies, systems, and resources dedicated to achieving positive outcomes in our indigenous relationships. We also established a fund to advance Indigenous language revitalization. You can find more information here.
CONTRACTOR AWARDS RECOGNIZE LEADERSHIP IN SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
On June 18, Mosaic was proud to recognize 10 of our dedicated contractor companies with awards for outstanding safety and environmental performance. In 2018, Mosaic, including employees and contractors for both TimberWest and Island Timberlands, achieved a safety performance with the lowest average medical incident rate in five years. See the full list of winners and photos from the awards event.
WELCOME TO OUR 2019 SUMMER STUDENTS! You can learn more about Project Learning Tree, including an incredible cross-country tour on wooden bike to raise awareness of green jobs, on their website, www.pltcanada.org.
COWICHAN VALLEY TRAIL EXTENSION THROUGH MOSAIC LANDS.
Learn more about the Cowichan Valley Trail here.
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Read the Mosaic announcement here.
PARTNERSHIP WITH PACIFIC SALMON FOUNDATION PROVIDES EDUCATION, MONITORING AND RESTORATION.
Read the PSF announcement here.
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Read the Mosaic announcement here.
MOSAIC IS A PROUD SUPPORTER OF MARMOT RECOVERY ON VANCOUVER ISLAND. You can watch a video of the release via Chek News here.
SIGNIFICANT DONATION TO SOMENOS CONSERVATION AREA
In April, the Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society and Mosaic hosted a sod-turning event to celebrate the future site of a new viewing tower set to be completed this summer. Mosaic is a major funder of the tower, and also made a significant donation in 2016 of the Somenos lakebed to Ducks Unlimited Canada for the creation of the S-amuna’/Somenos Conservation Area. Learn more about this special place.
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Read the Mosaic announcement here.
NEW ACCESS PORTAL PROVIDES ONE-STOP SOURCE OF ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES
One of the benefits of affiliating management of Island Timberlands and TimberWest lands under Mosaic Forest Management is that we are now able to offer a one-stop source of up-to-date information on access to our private forest lands on Vancouver Island. All gate openings and closures, as well as bookings for available campsites, access agreement applications and fire wood opportunities, can be found here.
PRIVATE MANAGED FOREST PROGRAM REVIEW PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE BEST PRACTICES
The B.C. Government has launched a review of the Private Managed Forest Land Act - the law that governs forest management across 278 private managed forests in B.C., including those operated by families, First Nations and companies such as Mosaic Forest Management. Mosaic views this review as an opportunity to further encourage best practices, while maintaining the flexibility and respect for private ownership that makes the Private Managed Forest Program accessible to large and small landowners alike. We are encouraging those who have an interest in B.C.’s working forests to submit input to this important review. You can find information on how to comment at engage.gov.bc.ca, and read our statement on the review here. Comments must be submitted by July 22, 2019