CRD Director Mike Hicks and son

Horgan, Hicks, and Cash Join Ancient Forest Alliance on Tour of Avatar Grove and to Canada’s Biggest Trees and Stumps

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Port Renfrew, BC-  Malahat-Juan de Fuca MLA John Horgan, CRD Director for the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Mike Hicks, and Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce member Jon Cash joined the Ancient Forest Alliance’s TJ Watt and Ken Wu for a visit to the threatened Avatar Grove, San Juan Spruce (Canada’s largest spruce tree), and a nearby clearcut with giant stumps this past Tuesday, September 28. Both politicians have expressed an interest in the protection of these world-class old-growth stands.
 
“BC’s endangered ancient forests are incredibly valuable for many reasons,” states TJ Watt, Ancient Forest Alliance co-founder. “Not only are they among the most at-risk ecosystems in the world but they’re probably some of the most beautiful places on the planet. People come from around the globe to visit these forests and they spend money here in the process. Old growth tourism has enormous potential here to combine long-term, stable jobs with sustainability. Lots of people have realized this: that’s why local businesses and politicians have shown such strong support for the protection of these forests.”
 
To date, local representatives from every level of government have spoken up favorably for protecting old growth stands on southern Vancouver Island. Horgan’s, Hick’s, and Cash’s tour comes hot on the heels of Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca MP Keith Martin’s proposal to extend Pacific Rim National Park Reserve’s boundaries to protect adjacent endangered forests, including the grandest stands of old-growth trees in Canada in the Upper Walbran Valley, Avatar Grove, and forests in and around the Red Creek Fir and San Juan Spruce.
 
In addition, local businesses took a similar stance when the Sooke Regional Tourism Association and the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce submitted a written request earlier this year asking the BC government to spare the Avatar Grove from logging. Yet the province refuses to heed the rally cry from the public and businesses alike.
 
The Capital Regional District’s parks department also undertook a public input process in the spring to determine candidate areas for new regional parks in which there was a large amount of public support for the protection of the Avatar Grove and forests around the Red Creek Fir and San Juan Spruce. The CRD board of directors earlier this year voted to increase the annual parkland acquisition fund from $10 to $20 per average household by 2014, raising tens of millions of dollars for the purchase of private lands. Crown lands, such as in the Avatar Grove, would require a transfer of management authority from the province to the regional district should the area be made a regional park.
 
“Whether by supporting their protection in new CRD regional parks, provincial protected areas, or in an expanded Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, local politicians like Hicks, Horgan, and Martin are vital to ensure that a solution is implemented that protects the last remnants of ancient forests here while a sustainable second-growth forest industry is developed,” states Ancient Forest Alliance campaign director Ken Wu.
 
 “Tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry in BC and the province’s largest employer. Millions of tourists come to see BC’s giant trees and ancient forests, and millions more will come if they are protected and promoted while we shift the logging industry into sustainably logging second-growth stands instead,” adds Watt. “It’s 2010 and the logging of centuries-old giant trees with trunks as wide as a living room is continuing daily in this province. For now, we still have the golden opportunity to protect some of the most charismatic and threatened ecosystems on Earth.”
 
Old-growth forests are extremely important for sustaining species at risk, tourism, clean water, and First Nations traditional cultures.
About 75% of the original productive old-growth forests have been logged on Vancouver Island, including 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow, according to satellite photos. Only about 6% of the Island’s original, productive old-growth forests are protected in parks.
 
With so little of our ancient forests remaining, the Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the BC government to protect our endangered ancient forests, ensure sustainable second-growth forestry, ban raw log exports, and assist in the development of value-added, second-growth mills and facilities.

Arnold Bercov

Ancient Forest Alliance Stands in Solidarity with Forestry Workers

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Friday, September 17th, 2010

Environmental Group’s Forest Campaigner, TJ Watt, speaks to hundreds-strong forestry union rally

 Nanaimo, BC, Canada – In a seemingly unlikely event, the Ancient Forest Alliance stood in solidarity with members of the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada and the United Steelworkers union in Nanaimo yesterday as part of the ongoing fight to ban raw log exports in BC. AFA forest campaigner TJ Watt spoke alongside union officials, Nanaimo MLA Leonard Krog, and Nanaimo-North Cowichan MLA Doug Routley to the hundreds of workers in attendance, denouncing the export of raw logs and calling for the protection of BC’s threatened forestry jobs.

 “Under Gordon Campbell’s BC Liberals we have seen over 60 mills shut down across the province since 2003 while raw log exports have nearly doubled” said Watt. “It’s time to ban raw log exports in BC, to rejuvenate local mills, and to once again provide secure jobs for the thousands upon thousands of forestry workers who have been kicked aside by this backwards policy”. Simply put – “Exported logs = exported jobs”.

The AFA believes there can be a solution that works for both our ancient forests and our forestry workers. “The BC Liberal government needs to stimulate investment in the retooling of old-growth sawmills so they can handle second-growth trees. With 90% of the most productive lands on Vancouver Island having already been logged, the future of this industry is in sustainable second-growth forestry,” says Brendan Harry, communications director of the Ancient Forest Alliance. “They also need to establish incentives for the creation of value-added facilities where we will see more refined products made here in BC and even more jobs created. This should be a no brainer.”

It is inevitable that there will be a transition to logging of only second-growth forests in the not so distant future as the remaining old-growth forests are logged out on Vancouver Island and the Southern Mainland . The Ancient Forest Alliance calls on the BC Liberal government to make this transition happen now, in a planned, rational way, allowing for the protection what little endangered old-growth ecosystems are left and ensuring a smooth shift to sustainable second-growth logging instead.

With so little of our ancient forests remaining, the Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the BC Liberal government to:

·         Immediately protect the most at-risk old-growth forests – such as those on the South Island where only 12% remains and on eastern Vancouver Island where only 1% remains.

·         Undertake a Provincial Old-Growth Strategy that will inventory the old-growth forests across the province and protect them where they are scarce through legislated time lines to quickly phase-out old-growth logging in those regions (ie. Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland, southern Interior, etc.).

·         Ensure that second-growth forests are logged at a sustainable rate of cut

·         End the export of raw logs in order to create guaranteed log supplies for local milling and value-added industries.

·         Assist in the retooling and development of mills and value-added facilities to handle second-growth logs.

·         Undertake new land-use planning initiatives based on First Nations land-use plans, ecosystem-based scientific assessments, and climate mitigation strategies involving forest protection.

“If the industry does not adjust in order process second-growth trees, what happens down the road when that’s basically all that’s available? Where are the forestry jobs going to be?” Watt wonders. “The rest of most the world is logging second, third, fourth growth and making it work. We need to be moving up the value chain, not down it. In the end, it’s about the long term sustainability of a resource and an industry, and right now we’re moving in completely the wrong direction.”

Cantelon Worker Deflects Heat

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Parksville-Qualicum MLA Ron Cantelon took heat after a staff member used an environmental group’s name to defend government logging policies, but his constituency assistant says her actions were taken out of context.

Ancient Forest Alliance campaigners took issue after a Cantelon’s constituency assistant included an AFA website hyperlink in an e-mail to a Nanoose Bay woman asking government to save coastal Douglas fir forests.

Helga Schmitt is urging Cantelon to convince the province to abandon plans to allow Snaw-naw-as First Nation to log District Lot 33, since the land is rare, mature coastal Douglas fir forest. The AFA too opposes logging DL 33, but did applaud government for setting aside other CDF forests on the Island.

Cantelon is on vacation and can’t be reached.

Cantelon’s assistant, Caroline Waters responded to Schmitt’s email with a message containing an AFA website link, as evidence the province is protecting CDF forests.

AFA forest campaigner Ken Wu, said Cantelon is using the group’s name “to insinuate that we somehow support logging” in DL 33. Waters said the link was only in response “to her letter saying please protect coastal Douglas fir.”

Schmitt said she’s glad CDF forests are being protected, “but it’s miniscule, that’s not enough.’

 

Click here to view original article.

Helga Schmitt's home borders a piece of land for which a timber harvesting licence has been issued. The Nanoose First Nation received the licence to harvest 15

AFA denounces MLA office

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An environmental group working to protect old-growth forests in B.C. is condemning local MLA Ron Cantelon’s office for insinuating they support the logging of a parcel of Coastal Douglas Fir forest in Nanoose Bay.

“It’s a sleazy tactic to try and link us in their responses to concerend citizens when they write letters back as somehow insinuating that we are supporting the Nanoose Bay ancient forest logging,” said Ken Wu, one of the founders of the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) in Victoria.

Wu said he found out Cantelon’s office was sending out links to an article on his organization’s website from local citizens who received e-mail responses to their concerns about DL33 in Nanoose Bay.

He said although AFA is supportive of the government’s recent announcement to protect 1600 hectares of CDF — and thanks them in the linked article — the government needs to do more, and specifically protect DL33.

“(The government’s recent announcement) is a good thing and we have to say thank you and give credit where credit is due,” said Wu, “but at the same time we’ve got to put up a fight every time the government takes a backwards stance and right now, overall, their stance is very backwards and destructive when it comes to the rest of our old growth forests.”

The letter Wu is speaking of is an e-mail that came from Caroline Waters, constituency assistant for Ron Cantelon, in response to an e-mail from Helga Schmitt, a local resident who has been active in the fight to save DL 33.

Waters said she was simply sending out a link to try and explain that positive things have happened with CDF land.

“I’m just sending back a response to the neighbour. She doesn’t want the lot next door cleared and I certainly appreciate that,” said Waters.

“I’m sure every person in Parksville who had something going on in the next lot would be in the same exact situation … they would approve of it if it were happening next to somebody else but not so much when it’s right there where they are,” she said.

Waters went on to say her office recommends that all residents that oppose logging on this site should meet with the Nanoose First Nations, who “have been completley open to holding and meeting groups up there.”

Wu said perhaps Cantelon’s office thought citizens would only read the beginning of the linked document that commends the government.

“If you look at what we wrote we actually made it clear that we’re actually against it,” he said, “but maybe they thought that people don’t necessarily read the whole text.”

Wu said he likes the analogy that just because someone gives you a rain jacket doesn’t mean you’re going to be thanking them when they dump a bucket of cold water on your head.

Waters said she just took a quote showing the environmental group was pleased with the amount of land Minister Penner announced for protection, even though it states they would like more.

“It seems I’m just going to be damned no matter what I do,” she said.

 

 

AFA Condemns Cantelon’s Endorsement of Old-Growth Logging

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AFA Condemns Cantelon’s Endorsement of Old-Growth Logging

I read with dismay that BC Liberal MLA Ron Cantelon’s office has been invoking the Ancient Forest Alliance’s name to insinuate that we somehow support logging of the Nanoose Bay old-growth forest (block DL-33) because we support their decision to keep 1600 hectares of Coastal Douglas Fir ecosystem off-limits to logging through a new Land Use Order. That’s like saying “because you like the new rain jacket I got you, you’ll like me dumping this bucket of cold water on your head, too.” Support for one initiative does not somehow mean support for everything else they do, particularly their backwards, destructive decisions. The Coastal Douglas fir zone is among the top four most endangered ecosystems in Canada. Almost half of it is already gone under asphalt and farmland, and only 1% of it remains in its old-growth state. We’ve always been clear that it should be a no-brainer that the BC Liberal government has the obligation to protect the last old-growth remnants in this ecosystem immediately, it is ridiculous to have to fight over the last 1%. And its a sleazy tactic for Cantelon to try to link the Ancient Forest Alliance, the loudest voice in BC against logging of endangered old-growth forests, with the government’s backwards decision to allow logging of endangered old-growth forests in Nanoose Bay.

Ken Wu
Ancient Forest Alliance
Victoria, BC

Shaw Daily: Avatar Grove and Canada’s Gnarliest Tree

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The Shaw Daily local news program ran a great feature on the popular Avatar Grove last week! Click the video to watch some footage of the giant gnarly redcedars the grove is now famous for and to hear some excellent commentary from Liberal MP Keith Martin on the need for more old-growth forest protection in BC! *note – the end of the clip includes a statement from the BC Government that 24% of the grove is within an old-growth management area and therefore will not be cut. Unfortunately, the 24% does not include most of the biggest and best trees and flat accessible areas where people have so far enjoyed hiking but instead covers only the steep sided banks of Baird Creek. If logging were allowed to proceed, the most spectacular areas of the Avatar Grove are what would be lost. Please take a moment to write a letter to Premier Gordon Campbell: premier@gov.bc.ca and Minister of Forests Pat Bell: pat.bell.mla@leg.bc.ca letting them know you would like to see the entire Avatar Grove protected!

Background: The Avatar Grove and “Canada’s Gnarliest Tree” was discovered by Ancient Forest Alliance activists in December, 2009. It is home to some of the largest and strangest shaped ancient redcedars on the Island! There are also rare large Douglas firs found here as well. It has the potential to be the “Cathedral Grove of Port Renfrew” due to its ease of accessibility and giant trees. Most of the Avatar Grove is currently under threat of logging and road development, with flagging tape strung up and paint on the biggest trees! No cutting permits have been issued yet by the Ministry of Forests and Range but the BC Government has recently (July 2010) stated that it is not interested in protecting the site despite requests from the public and local tourism boards. Support continues to grow though and the fight is not over yet!

For directions visit: https://16.52.162.165/ancient-forests/directions-to-avatar-grove/
Sign the petition at: https://16.52.162.165/ways-to-take-action-for-forests/petition/

World's biggest Douglas-fir tree, the Red Creek Fir.

Logging near the largest Douglas fir in the world angers environmentalists

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VICTORIA — Active logging operations are creeping closer to the largest Douglas fir in the world and environmentalists fear the 1,000-year-old tree will be left vulnerable to blowdown and its value as a tourist attraction will be degraded.

“We are extremely angry and frustrated to see this logging nearby what is clearly one of the natural wonders of the world,” said Joe Foy, national campaign director for Western Canada Wilderness Committee.

Foy wants the Red Creek fir and surrounding forests included in an expanded Pacific Rim National Park, as suggested by Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca MP Keith Martin.

TimberWest owns land adjacent to the pocket surrounding the Red Creek fir, 15 kilometres east of Port Renfrew. However, the company is currently logging on Crown land, under a timber sale licence administered by the province, said TimberWest spokeswoman Sue Handel. “The harvest is not taking place on TimberWest-owned land,” she said.

The licence is mainly for second-growth hemlock and harvesting is in an area farther from the giant tree than the private land. The Red Creek fir is not at risk from the TimberWest logging, said ministry spokeswoman Vivian Thomas. “It is in an old-growth management area and forest recreation site. It is in no danger of being logged,” she said.

The nearest cutblock boundary is about 500 metres from the Red Creek fir, Thomas said, noting the tree is so tall that surrounding trees wouldn’t offer wind protection anyway.

At almost 74 metres tall and 13.3 metres in girth, the fir has become a destination for tourists in Port Renfrew looking for big trees.

TJ Watt of the Ancient Forest Alliance, who has been campaigning for government to buy nearby private lands and protect more Crown land in the area, said it is short-sighted to allow adjacent clearcuts.

“If someone is going to see the biggest Douglas fir in the world, it’s not the greatest entrance to walk next to a clearcut,” he said.

The San Juan spruce, Canada’s largest sitka spruce tree, is in the same area, and it makes little sense to allow logging between the two giant trees, Watt said.

He added the government doesn’t seem interested in promoting big trees as a tourist attraction. Local tourism boards have put up their own signs directing tourists to the tree. The Ancient Forest Alliance replaced the smashed provincial sign identifying the Red Creek fir, he said.

Vancouver Sun: BC’s Biggest Trees and Stumps photogallery

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Vancouver Sun (August.3) posts the Ancient Forest Alliance’s “Biggest Trees and Biggest Stumps” Photogallery. Go to:

https://www.vancouversun.com/news/thewest/Photos+biggest+trees/3354289/story.html

Thanks to UsedVictoria.com founder Don Barthel for a data projector!

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The Ancient Forest Alliance would like to acknowledge the generosity of Don Barthel, founder of Used Victoria https://www.usedvictoria.com/ for his donation of a data projector to us, which we have used numerous times to give slideshow presentations to hundreds of people and which we will use to reach thousands more over the next few years.

Overview map of new old-growth management areas recently created on the central and north coast of Vancouver Island.

PLEASE WRITE a THANK YOU LETTER!

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BC Government Expands Protections to 39,000 hectares of old-growth forests on northern and central Vancouver Island, and 1600 hectares of rare Coastal Douglas Fir ecosystems

August started off with a bang for our ancient forests as the BC Liberal government announced, within days of each other, two new initiatives to expand forest protections on Vancouver Island.

On central and northern Vancouver Island, a series of Old-Growth Management Areas where logging is prohibited will protect almost 39,000 hectares of old-growth forests, which encompasses up to 10% of the remaining 400,000 hectares of unprotected ancient forest on Vancouver Island.

On southeastern Vancouver Island, the Ministry of Forests has enacted a Land-use Order making 1,600 hectares of Crown land off limits to logging in the extremely endangered Coastal Douglas Fir biogeoclimatic zone.

So far these announcements have been just about the only old-growth forest protections the BC Liberal government has undertaken on Vancouver Island since they came to power in 2001, and the announcements are significant and welcome. We hope it signals the beginning of a shift in their policies – we will see…

For more information, please visit the following links:

39,000 hectares on central and northern Vancouver Island protected: https://16.52.162.165/news-item.php?ID=109

1,600 hectares of Coastal Douglas Fir ecosystem protected: https://16.52.162.165/news-item.php?ID=110

Times Colonist article: https://16.52.162.165/news-item.php?ID=108

The Ancient Forest Alliance commends the BC government for taking these important first steps forward in the protection of the Vancouver Island’s endangered forests; however, a legislated end to the logging of endangered old growth forests is still needed. Having already lost 75% of the productive old-growth forests on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland and with just 1% of the original old growth forest remaining in the Coastal Douglas Fir ecosystem, it should be a no-brainer that much greater protection is still necessary.

Just as we protest bad government decisions, it is as important to say “Thank You” when governments make good decisions!

***PLEASE write a THANK YOU letter!****

Let the BC politicians know that you:

– Support the recent BC government decisions to protect 39,000 hectares of old-growth forests on northern and central Vancouver Island and 1600 hectares of Coastal Douglas Fir ecosystem.

– Encourage them to undertake a province-wide Old-Growth Strategy that will protect old-growth forests everywhere they are scarce, including the remaining 400,000 hectares of endangered, productive old-growth forests on Vancouver Island (which once had 2.3 million hectares of productive old-growth forests) in such places as the Nanoose Bay Ancient Forest, Avatar Grove, Upper Walbran Valley, Nahmint Valley, and hundreds of other areas.

– Encourage them to ensure the sustainable logging and value-added manufacturing of second-growth stands, which now constitute most of the forests in southern BC, as an alternative to eliminating the last old-growth stands.

Write to:

Premier Gordon Campbell: premier@gov.bc.ca

Minister of Forests and Range, Pat Bell: pat.bell.mla@leg.bc.ca

Your own BC Liberal or NDP MLA at: [Original article no longer available]

***Be sure to include your home mailing address so they know you are a real person!