Forest Conservation Program
Coastal Douglas-fir forests and associated habitats are among the most threatened ecosystems in the country.
Photo by Alex Harris /
Raincoast Conservation Foundation.
Raincoast’s Forest Conservation Program is focused on addressing biodiversity loss, climate change and other human-caused stresses on Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) habitats. With a limited geographic extent, including only the southeastern edge of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and a sliver of BC’s mainland, it is essential that these ecosystems are protected and conserved before it is too late.


Understanding biodiversity loss, climate change, and anthropogenic impacts
Globally unique to the south coast of British Columbia, this collection of highly diverse ecosystems includes sand dunes, estuaries, Garry oak meadows, and rocky outcrops, among many other ecological communities. Forests here are characterized by tree species like coastal Douglas-fir, western red cedar, and arbutus. The CDF covers less than 1% of provincial land area, with the Salish Sea’s Gulf Islands hosting over 30% of its provincial extent.
Almost all of the original CDF forests have been logged since the early 1900s and a further 30% of second-growth has been converted to rural, urban, agricultural, and industrial use since 2008. The province’s last State of the Forests report, released in 2010, found that the CDF is BC’s most converted zone, with nearly twice the amount of deforested and fragmented land compared to the next most converted zone. This includes the province’s highest road density that profoundly fragments CDF habitats. Currently, 127 native plant and animal species characteristic to CDF ecosystems are on the provincial “Red” list. This includes iconic ecological communities characterized by the presence of arbutus and Garry oak. Further, recent anecdotal reports of deterioration of arbutus, western redcedar, grand fir and coastal Douglas-fir indicate that climate change is already influencing these important ecosystems.
Informed advocacy and community engagement
Using Raincoast’s signature approach of informed advocacy, the Forest Conservation Program combines community engagement with science and policy review to achieve tangible conservation outcomes. Our work includes working with local Nations, civic governments, organizations, and community members to slow and reverse the destruction of these fragile, ecologically important, and culturally significant places through advocacy, community science initiatives, ecological investigation, and most recently, permanent land protection through property acquisition. Our preliminary focus is on North (S,DÁYES in the SENĆOŦEN language of the W̱SÁNEĆ) and South Pender Islands. As our work expands to other Gulf Islands, we commit to honoring the lands and culture of additional First Nations who call these Islands home.


W̱SÁNEĆ territory
In the southern Gulf Islands and Saanich Peninsula, much of the Coastal Douglas-fir forests and associated habitats exist within W̱SÁNEĆ territory. These unceded lands have been inhabited by the W̱SÁNEĆ people, also known as the Saltwater or Coast Salish People, since time immemorial. Brought here by the creator, XÁLS, following the great flood, the W̱SÁNEĆ people were given the responsibility of caring for their relatives: the Islands of the Salish Sea. As such, in addition to their ecological significance, these habitats hold tremendous cultural and spiritual value.

The Story of the CDF
A series of articles curated by Forest Conservation Program Director Shauna Doll and contributed to by expert Traditional Knowledge Holders, ecologists, conservation scientists, social scientists, ethnobotanists, and others to increase understanding of some of the most threatened ecological communities in British Columbia.
Educational webinar series
Recent articles
Update on KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest
With the ongoing support of our community of supporters, protecting this land in perpetuity will become a…
The story of Coastal Douglas-fir forests: Some of the most rare and diverse plant communities in Canada
Coastal Douglas-fir forests and associated ecosystems exist at the interface between land and water on the edge…
The Pender Islands Big Tree Registry is helping property owners connect with the forest
We asked one property owner to share her experience with the Big Tree Registry.
Matching campaign success for KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest!
This brings our fundraising total for the first three weeks of our campaign to $152,000!
Progress update on KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest fundraising campaign
KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest is located on the Traditional Territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ people and is home to…
A chance to make your support for the protection of KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest go further
Mere days into our 18-month fundraising campaign, a $75,000 matching gift has been pledged.
Coastal Douglas-fir Forests: Present, past, and future
It is well known among foresters and ecologists in British Columbia that the Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) biogeoclimatic…
Register for our webinar series about conservation and resilience in the Gulf Islands
more about complex environmental issues and the options for better environmental policy and protection in the Gulf…
Scat, tracks, and spawning salmon: following signs of wolves along the south coast
Notes from the field about a day looking for signs of wolves.
Ethics of making the location of big trees accessible to the public
The benefits and implications of unrestricted access to tree location need to be carefully considered.
Advancing urgently needed tree protection policy in the Islands Trust
The findings of this research were presented during a webinar and they were also compiled into a…
Report: Tree Protection Bylaws in British Columbia
This report provides an overview of municipal tree bylaws in BC highlighting ways tree bylaw components impact…
Webinar: Tree Protection and the Islands Trust
We are hosting a webinar on July 28th at noon to decode the complexities of tree and…
Measuring trees – introducing our new “how-to” video series
We are thrilled to be releasing video tutorials on how to measure trees that we co-created with…
Raincoast welcomes five summer team members!
We are very pleased to have five passionate students joining our team for the summer. Over the…
2021: Our impact so far
We are already halfway through the year, and I wanted to share with you some of Raincoast’s…
Big trees, big stumps and broken promises
For the last two years, I’ve been documenting clearcut logging on Salt Spring Island, and with Raincoasts’s…
Cumulative impacts a serious problem for Gulf Islands forests
The Gulf Islands represent 33.2% of the provincial extent of Coastal Douglas-fir forests and associated habitats which…
Welcome to Pender Island, where the destruction of a globally rare ecosystem is ongoing
The Islands Trust was created to protect the unique ecosystems of BC’s Gulf Islands, without being given…
Islands 2050: What will the Gulf Islands look like in 25 years?
The preservation and protection of BC’s Gulf Islands “for the benefit of residents of the trust area…
No comprehensive strategy to protect ancient forests in BC
Shauna Doll, Raincoast Gulf Islands Forest Project Coordinator, submitted a letter to The Honourable Katrine Conroy, Minister…
Carbon stewardship workshop focusing on Gulf Islands forests and coasts
Later this month, Raincoast, along with partners, will be hosting a workshop exploring the feasibility of implementing…
How art will help protect S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest
We are incredibly grateful to every person who transformed this initiative from the hopes of one person…
You did it: 13 acres in 3 months!
We are excited to announce that together with the Pender Islands Conservancy, we have raised the funds…
BC’s Coastal Douglas-fir zone needs protection now
In an era where climate change is a modern reality and biodiversity is in crisis the world…
Permanent protection of S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest now within reach!
In November, when Raincoast teamed up with the Pender Islands Conservancy to purchase 13-acres of Coastal Douglas…
Volunteering with the Big Tree Registry
Taeven Lopatecki volunteering with the Big Tree Registry is a way of quantifiably supporting conservation and awareness…
The home stretch to permanently protect S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest
It was in late November when we launched our initiative to purchase and permanently protect the S,DÁYES…
All we want for Christmas is an olive-sided flycatcher in a Douglas-fir tree
With the end of 2020 approaching, we need your help in providing BC’s Coastal Douglas-fir forests with…
Explore S’DÁYES Flycatcher Forest: Webinar, video and fundraising update
On December 1st, Raincoast and Pender Islands Conservancy announced a match funding campaign in support of protecting…
Help permanently protect the S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest this December
One week into the fundraising campaign for the S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest initiative, the Pender Islands Conservancy and…
Report: Legal Measures to Protect the Gulf Islands Coastal Douglas-fir Zone
A review from the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Environmental Law Centre (ELC) at the University of Victoria…
Announcing Raincoast’s newest conservation initiative
In partnership with the Pender Islands Conservancy, we need to raise $395,000 to purchase a 13 acre…
Measuring tree heights with lasers
Measuring the heights of trees in the Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) zone is quite a feat. In mature…
Big tree hunting on Salt Spring Island
Earlier this month I spent two beautiful days on the coast of the Salish Sea, hunting for…
A winter on S,DÁYES in a future ancient forest
The term “management” is often preceded by “resource” and thus implies a process resulting in economically beneficial…
Protecting the evergreen giants at the edge of the sea
The rainshadow region, extending across the southeastern coast of Vancouver Island from Metchosin to Deep Bay; covering…
National Energy Board’s failure haunts governments
The cries of condemnation emanating from the Alberta and Canadian federal governments are deafening. The burgeoning conflict…
Action dispels despair: Turning the tide
Join Raincoast’s Nathalie Chambers and Lori Waters for the 2015 Peoples Paddle for the Salish Sea…
B.C.’s torturous wolf management
British Columbians are likely unaware their tax dollars are supporting not only the killing but also the…