Friday, March 13, 2026
Mosaic Forest Management announced Feb. 25 it is launching a multi-year pilot in the Koksilah watershed on Vancouver Island which integrates watershed services, carbon programs, renewable energy, recreation and real estate activities alongside timber production.
The pilot, a Mosaic release said, supports the government-to-government agreement signed by Cowichan Tribes and the Province of B.C. in May 2023 to develop BC’s first water sustainability plan in the Koksilah River which has experienced critically low summer flows in recent years.
“This pilot is about figuring out what works by combining sustainable forestry with watershed stewardship and other land solutions. We’re committed to building the business model that makes this approach viable and scalable where the right conditions exist,” Mosaic president and CEO Duncan Davies said.
Mosaic will begin implementing changes in 2026, with forest and watershed management practices grounded in current science and the Xwulqw’selu / Koksilah Watershed and Water Sustainability Plan (XWWSP), utilizing longer forest growth periods, harvest designs that protect water quality, enhanced stream and wetland protection, and reduced road footprints, the release said.
Going forward the plan will be supported by ongoing multi-year monitoring of streamflow, water temperature, water quality, and key indicators of riparian and aquatic habitat condition.
“This multi-year pilot is about understanding how different land uses can work together across the landscape in a way that’s practical and measurable. We’re taking a watershed-scale approach to strengthen resilience, support climate outcomes and sustain working forests and we’ll continue that work alongside communities and partners,” Mosaic director of climate and watershed and pilot project leader David Beleznay said.
