The Cumberland Forest is a beautiful mature Coastal Douglas Fir forest that cradles the southern edge of the Village of Cumberland on Vancouver Island, BC. This forest is filled with diverse flora and fauna, at-risk species, salmon bearing creeks, wetlands and riparian areas, 2 watershed systems, important logging and mining heritage landmarks and a robust community trail network.
A vibrant mountain biking community, naturalists, herbalists, hikers, families, artists, day-cares and school groups, adventure racers, photographers, runners and many others consider the Cumberland Forest to be an integral part of a community that defines itself by it’s proximity to the woods – a Village in the Forest.
The Cumberland Forest provides a lush green threshold to a vast system of mountain biking trails used by riders from across Western Canada, and Pacific Northwest and beyond. The Forest is also part of an important habitat corridor that runs from the Beaufort Range and the Comox Glacier to the Salish Sea.
The Cumberland Forest is also privately owned as part of the legacy of the E&N Land Transfer in the 1870’s that saw over 2 million acres of land along the eastern side of Vancouver Island transfer into private hands in exchange building a railway.
All the unprotected Cumberland Forest lands are slated to be logged.
The Cumberland Community Forest Society (CCFS) is dedicated to purchasing these lands and returning them to the community and the commons and to date they have purchased over 72 hectares (2005). This forest is connected to the Coal Creek Heritage Park and together these parcels are forming a contiguous corridor of protected natural areas. We wish to see this important protected corridor continue to grow
Recent Success!
This past summer the society successfully purchased 40 ha. of forest directly adjacent to Cumberland fondly known as “Space Nugget” for $750,000.
We’re not done yet.
We are currently working to purchase another 100 hectares of forest over the next 2 years.
We are focused on 3 beautiful parcels of forest, wetland, creek and riparian area along Perseverance Creek. These “Western Parcels” are fondly known as Bronco’s Perseverance, China Creek and Perseverance Creek Japanese #1 Town.
The CCFS is committed to continuing its work to further establish the Cumberland Forest as a protected space for generations to come! Donors and supporters are being actively sought to make all these purchases possible.