What We’ve Achieved

The Cumberland Community Forest Society (CCFS) was formed in 2000 with the mission to purchase and protect the Cumberland Forest for its ecological, historical, economic and recreational values. It was founded by a group of friends and neighbours who became aware of imminent plans to log the forest directly adjacent to the Village.

Through rallying grassroots fundraising events, generous donors and private loans over 72 hectares of forest were purchased for $1.2 million in 2005, gifted to the Village of Cumberland, and placed under conservation covenant to ensure its future protection.

In the summer of 2016 the CCFS successfully acquired another 40 hectares of forest directly adjacent to the first parcel. This area is fondly known as Space Nugget and was also gifted to the Village as a protected area. On September 1st 2020, we successfully completed a 91 hectare (225 acres) purchase along Perseverance Creek to the south west of the existing parcels. On December 21st 2022 we completed the purchase of another parcel of land along Lower Perseverance Creek bringing our total lands protected to 545 acres. 

Guided by the shared belief that this forest is worth more to our community standing than as timber, the CCFS is supported by hundreds of monthly donors from Cumberland and beyond. They also produce a series of significant fundraising events throughout the year including their twice annual Trivia Events and the annual Cumberland Home and Garden Show.

Did you know?

Unfortunately, by 2012 nearly all mature second growth forests in the eastern Comox Valley had been logged.  Conservation Biologists argue that there is an urgent need to protect  mature second-growth forests (60-120 years old) as “old-growth recruitment areas” in our rainshadow zone.  This is exactly what the Cumberland Community Forest Society is doing.