Forests

Historically, Galiano Island would have been dominated by towering, old-growth Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and western redcedar (Thuja plicata) ecosystems with tremendous structural and biological diversity. Forests occur on any land that is not too wet, dry, steep, or rocky to support trees.

Today, over half of the island’s area consists of young and regenerating plantation forests that feature little structural, genetic, or biological diversity. These forests offer poor-quality habitats for wildlife and are more susceptible to disease outbreaks and wildfire than healthy, mature forests. The stands of mature forest that remain on Galiano are found mostly on lands that were logged in the early 1900’s and are fragmented into small patches across the island.

Starting in 1998, with the purchase of DL 63 (now part of the Pebble Beach Reserve), the Galiano Conservancy has played a key role in pioneering novel approaches to forest restoration in the Salish Sea.