There's a simple solution to stopping skirmishes in the woods over old-growth logging on private lands, says the Western Canada Wilderness Committee.

The environmental group is calling on the federal and provincial governments to jointly come up with a $40-million-a-year parkland-acquisition fund to buy old-growth forests and endangered ecosystems.

"These fights over old-growth forests on private forest lands will occur again and again ... until the B.C. and federal governments put aside the funds to systematically buy up the private lands for new protected areas -- or until the last of the unprotected old-growth stands are logged," said WCWC campaign director Ken Wu.

Recent conflicts around old-growth logging have included areas adjacent to Cathedral Grove, Muir Creek and the Koksilah River.

Remaining old growth on Crown lands could be protected relatively inexpensively, but protecting special areas on private lands is too expensive for individuals or conservation organizations, Wu said.

It's a particular problem on Vancouver Island, where the provincial government allowed thousands of hectares of private land to be removed from tree farm licences, and some is now being sold for development. Wu said the fund could be supported through increased stumpage fees or a parks levy on the three main forest companies that got "windfalls" from the removal of land from tree farm licences -- TimberWest, Island Timberlands and Western Forest Products.

Another alternative is a parks levy, such as homeowners pay in the Capital Regional District.

Forests Minister Pat Bell could not be reached for comment yesterday, as he is on his way to China.

jlavoie@tc.canwest.com