Domestic Land Use

The Haida Gwaii and North and Central-Mid Coast Projects are two sub-projects of the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project. The HG Project area covers approximately 1 million hectares and the NCC project covers about 4 million. All are Improved Forest Management Projects that resulted from changes in land use management in the area. The North and Central Mid-Coast area is home to coastal wolves, grizzly bears, black bears and spirit bears (white black bears endemic to the region), and many different species of salmon. HG, however, does not have grizzly bears or spirit bears (they do have black bears). It has led to a reduction of 85% of harvesting in the Great Bear Rainforest.

The project is located on Quadra Island, in the South Coast region of British Columbia. For nearly 20 years, BC Parks was in negotiations with the private landowners to purchase a 417.9 hectare (ha) area. In 2014, the project area was finally purchased by BC Parks, with carbon finance providing the final funds required for purchase. As a result, the project area is protected from all future logging and residential development. Conservation ensures the continued protection of several special features identified in the area. These include remnant Coastal Western Hemlock Western Very Dry Maritime (CWHxm2) second-growth forests, unique water and land-based recreation values, connectivity between two existing parks, and important cultural values.

The Denman Island Avoided Conversion of Forestlands Project encompasses 493 hectares of forest on the north-central part of Denman Island in British Columbia (BC). It was validated under ISO and the CCBA standard and achieved ISO verification and will generate 430,000 tC0₂e over the next 100 years. The site is also home to the federally endangered Taylor’s Checkerspot butterfly.