Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Mosaic informed the SRD Board of its intentions to log Cortes and Quadra Islands in a presentation at the August 17 SRD Board meeting. “Earlier this year, we were really happy to announce that Way Kay Ventures, a newly formed company owned in part by the We Wai Kai First Nation is providing us with our timber harvesting services on Quadra island. So great to see that nation, working with us on our crown tenures, to participate in the forest sector in their traditional territory,” explained Molly Hudson, Mosaic’s Director of Sustainability. “We've been talking a lot with the community on Cortes about upcoming harvest plans, which we intend to launch this fall.”Hudson outlined some of the ways Mosaic has been providing Cortes Island with benefits: They opened up the Gorge Harbor access terminal, which is now used by both the Kalhoose Forestry and Cortes Community Forest.They have been working with the Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes island on a carbon project and the potential sale of the Children’s ForestThey provided the Cortes Island Fire Department with some new water tanks.She also described some of the ways Mosaic is of value to Campbell River and the Strathcona Regional District:They spend $80 million a year on local purchases Mosaic pays about $13 million a year in property taxes to the various municipal and regional districts where it operates.They have given funds to local organizations like Greenway's Land Trust and the Campbell River Salmon Foundation.North Island College, in Campbell River, is one of the institutions to benefit from the $125,000 Mosaic provided First Nation scholarships and training programs.“All of the wood that we produce is offered first to local Millers before it can be sold overseas. That surplus check ensures that local mills are offered our wood first,“ said Hudson.“We were really proud last year to be recognized as one of BC's top employers and one of the things that was recognized by BC's top employer association is that we've embedded a comprehensive diversity and equity and inclusion strategy into our business now. So really supporting a diverse range of folks in our industry and encouraging others to join us in the forest sector on the community front.” Mosaic partnered with the Pacific Salmon Foundation and has committed to be net zero by 2035. Hudson reminded the SRD Board that Mosaic has deferred harvesting 40,000 hectares of its private timber lands for 25 years.“80% of those lands are mature in old forests,” she said. “This is a voluntary market initiative so any other company globally who has net zero commitments could be reaching out to us to buy these carbon credits to support their own path to net zero.” Some of the Directors had questions. Forestry is one of Campbell River’s three economic pillars and Director Charlie Cornfield asked, “If you reduce that, then you reduce the harvesting. That's the employment of loggers road, builders, contractors, and everything else. So the company might make more, but what about the impact to the communities?” Hudson replied that Mosaic’s holdings were so vast that she did not forsee any ‘negative economic impacts to our labor force or to the communities who support that labor force.’