Mosaic Tests New Approach to Forest Management in Koksilah Watershed

Press Release

DUNCAN, BC, February 25, 2026 — Mosaic Forest Management is launching a multi-year pilot on its private lands in the Koksilah watershed on Vancouver Island to demonstrate how working forests can deliver both economic performance and environmental resilience by integrating watershed services, carbon programs, renewable energy, recreation and real estate activities alongside timber production.

This pilot supports the historic government-to-government agreement signed by Cowichan Tribes and the Province 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.  As part of the planning process, Mosaic sits on the Community Collaborative Advisory Table for the Xwulqw’selu / Koksilah Watershed and Water Sustainability Plan (XWWSP).

“This pilot is about figuring out what works by combining sustainable forestry with watershed stewardship and other land solutions,” said Duncan Davies, President and CEO of Mosaic. “We’re committed to building the business model that makes this approach viable and scalable where the right conditions exist.”

Mosaic’s pilot reflects a trend among private timberland owners globally, who are increasingly integrating watershed resilience, climate solutions and community values into their land management and business models. Mosaic’s private lands provide the long-term horizon and operational flexibility to innovate and test integrated approaches at a landscape level.

Realizing the full potential of this integrated model will require policy frameworks and tools that don’t yet fully exist in BC. Mosaic is committed to working with the Province and other partners to develop these tools — informing how similar approaches could be developed for both public and private lands.

“This pilot shows that by working with partners we can build a strong forest economy with biodiversity and watershed protection at its core,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “Building on this work, we are advancing a working forest within a land management framework that will last generations all while protecting the Koksilah River and supporting good forestry jobs for generations to come.”

Mosaic will begin implementing changes in 2026, with forest and watershed management practices grounded in current science and the XWWSP, utilizing longer forest growth periods, harvest designs that protect water quality, enhanced stream and wetland protection, and reduced road footprints. This will be supported by ongoing multi-year monitoring of streamflow, water temperature, water quality, and key indicators of riparian and aquatic habitat condition to determine the success of the pilot and ultimately inform practices going forward in Koksilah and potentially other areas across Mosaic’s landbase.

The company previously set aside 715 hectares of older forest and other sensitive areas in the watershed through its BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative. The Koksilah pilot builds on that foundation — and demonstrates how natural capital programs are key to unlocking integrated watershed and forest stewardship across private and public lands more broadly.

“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,” said David Beleznay, Director, Climate and Watershed, who is leading the pilot. “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 will share findings with the Province, Cowichan Tribes and other partners throughout the pilot, contributing to the broader conversation about how integrated approaches can be supported across working forests.

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