Planned Old-Growth Logging by World Famous Cathedral Grove Highlights Need for New Provincial Forest Policies

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Port Alberni – Conservationists are calling for much stronger, comprehensive old-growth protection policies in BC after having discovered a major logging threat to Canada’s most famous old-growth forest, Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. Conservationists came across survey tape marked “Falling Boundary” and “Road Location” in an old-growth Douglas fir and hemlock forest only 300 meters from the park boundary last week.  See photos and a map (based on some GPS points) at:  https://www.ancientforestalliance.org/photos.php?gID=24

The planned cutblock by Island Timberlands is about 40 hectares and lies within an area formerly planned to be protected as an Ungulate (deer) Winter Range. It lies on the southwest facing slope of Mt. Horne on the ridge above the park and highway that millions of tourists pass through each year. Logging the area would further fragment the forest that is contiguous with the small park, destroying an important wildlife corridor from mountain ridge to valley bottom in an area that conservationists once hoped the park could include for the deer winter range. The logging would also threaten eco-tourism in the area, by destroying a major section of the popular hiking trail, the Mt. Horne Loop Trail, which the cutblock overlaps.

“Cathedral Grove is BC’s iconic old-growth forest that people around the world know – it’s like the redwoods of Canada. The fact that a company can just log the mountainside above Canada’s most famous old-growth forest underscores the BC government’s deep failure to take action to protect our ancient forest heritage,” stated TJ Watt, campaigner and photographer with the Ancient Forest Alliance. “More than ever we need the BC Liberals and NDP to commit to comprehensive new legislation to protect our old-growth forests on Crown lands, and to create a fund to save endangered ecosystems on private lands.”

The lands are privately owned by Island Timberlands but until recently were regulated to the stronger standards found on public lands. However, in 2004, the BC Liberal government removed 88,000 hectares of Island Timberlands’ private forest lands from their Tree Farm Licences, thereby exempting the area from the intended old-growth, scenic, and wildlife habitat protections, and removing the existing restrictions on raw log exports and real estate development on those lands.

 “The BC government removed the environmental protections on these lands a few years ago and exempted the area from other planned protections, putting these lands in jeopardy. Now they need to clean up this mess by protecting these lands, either by purchasing them or re-regulating them,” stated Jane Morden, coordinator of the Port Alberni Watershed-Forest Alliance.

“Cathedral Grove is the mascot of old-growth forests in Canada. If we can’t ensure its ecological integrity because of the BC government’s inaction – or complicity – it really gives a black eye to BC’s environmental reputation in the international community,” stated Annette Tanner, chair of the Mid-Island Wilderness Committee, who has led the fight for the ecological integrity of Cathedral Grove for over a decade.

The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the BC Liberals and NDP to commit to a provincial plan to protect the province’s old-growth forests, to ensure sustainable second-growth forestry, and to end the export of raw, unprocessed logs to foreign mills. For private lands, the organization is calling for a provincial “park acquisition fund” of $40 million/year to purchase endangered ecosystems on private land for protection, similar to the park acquisition funds of various regional districts, like the Capital Regional District around Victoria.

The Ancient Forest Alliance is planning a major “Pre-Election Rally for Ancient Forests and BC Forestry Jobs” this Saturday, March 16 at 12 noon at the Legislative Buildings. Already over 900 people have pre-confirmed their attendance for the rally on their website and almost 400 people via Facebook.  See www.BCForestMovement.com

So far the BC Liberal government has been defending continued, large-scale old-growth logging and raw log exports in the province, often citing highly misleading statistics to convey the false message that old-growth forests are not endangered. They’ve also introduced a bill in the legislature, Bill 8, that would empower the Minister of Forests to give logging companies exclusive logging rights over massive areas of Crown forest lands by converting their “volume-based” logging rights (ie. in cubic metres) into “area-based” licences or Tree Farm Licences. Increasing private property rights for major timber companies on Crown lands is a central bone of contention for the province’s conservation organizations – and a massive fight is underway. See:  https://www.ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=564

The NDP opposition has so far stayed silent on a previous commitment by leader Adrian Dix in 2011 during his leadership bid that he would, “Develop a long term strategy for old growth forests in the Province, including protection of specific areas that are facing immediate logging plans” if elected.

See:  https://conservationvoters.ca/past-endorsements/leadership-race-2011/ndp-candidates/adrian-dix

BC’s old-growth forests are vital to support endangered species, tourism, the climate, clean water, wild salmon, and many First Nations cultures. On Vancouver Island, satellite photos show that about 75% of the original, productive old-growth forests have already been logged, including 90% of the valley-bottom ancient forests where the largest trees grow and most biodiversity resides. Only about 10% of Vancouver Island’s original, productive old-growth forests are protected in parks and Old-Growth Management Areas (OGMA’s).  

See: https://www.ancientforestalliance.org/old-growth-maps.php

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

URGENT: STOP the BC Liberal Government’s Proposed Forest Giveaway THIS WEEK!

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SEND a MESSAGE ASAP to BC’s politicians to rescind the TFL expansion bill at: www.BCForestMovement.com
The BC Liberal government proposes new law to expand Tree Farm Licences (TFL’s) to give major companies exclusive logging rights over vast areas of public forest lands – to the detriment of conservation, communities, and First Nations.
NOTE: The proposed bill could go through its critical 2nd reading THIS WEEK.
Also PLEASE COME to the Sat., Mar. 16 “RALLY for ANCIENT FORESTS and BC FORESTRY JOBS” in Victoria to send the strongest message to BC’s politicians – and recruit as many friends and family to attend! (11:30am Centennial Square, 12:00 noon Legislature, Victoria – see above website for details)
Also WRITE your own personal email to Minister of Forests Steve Thomson (steve.thomson.mla@leg.bc.ca), Legislature House Leader Mike de Jong (mike.dejong.mla@leg.bc.ca).
and to your own provincial MLA representative for your riding, who you can find at:  [Original article no longer available]

Recently, the BC Liberal government introduced a bill that, if passed into law, could be used to massively expand private property-like rights for major logging companies on BC’s public forest lands and on unceded First Nations lands. The proposed law, included within a larger omnibus bill, Bill 8, would empower BC’s Forest Minister to readily create new Tree Farm Licences (TFL’s) that give exclusive logging rights over large expanses of Crown lands to major companies who currently have “volume-based” logging rights (ie. in cubic metres of wood). This undemocratic, anti-environmental proposal could increase the claims to compensation – to be paid for by BC’s taxpayers – by major logging companies in light of future conservation designations and First Nations treaty settlements.

It’s key to tell the BC Liberal government to delete section 24 (the part with the TFL expansion proposal) of Bill 8, because the proposed law would:
  1. Undermine forest protections for wildlife, scenery, water quality, and recreation, by making it more difficult and expensive to create new protected areas.
  2. Further entrench the current unsustainable rate of overcutting taking place in BC’s forests.
  3. Make First Nations treaty settlement on their unceded lands more difficult, lengthy and expensive.
  4. Privatize forest inventories into the hands of logging companies.
  5. Result in more locked gates and obstructions to forest recreationists.
Next week, the BC Liberals are planning to introduce Bill 8 for its second reading – a critical phase toward’s the bill’s passage. They must be STOPPED and convinced to delete section 24.
Key articles on this issue:

MLA Bob Simpson: Claim vs. Fact [Original article no longer available]

Privatizing our public forests (Bob Simpson, Independent MLA) [Original article no longer available]

MLA Bob Simpson’s Response to Minister Thomson: The real facts about the proposed tenure legislation [Original article no longer available]
SEND a MESSAGE to STOP this PROPOSAL at: www.BCForestMovement.com  and come out to our March 16 forest rally in Victoria (details on website).

 

 

Ken Wu

Activist Tackles Raw Log Exports

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A BC environmental activist is talking about raw log exports at a community forum tonight, Wednesday, March 6.

Ken Wu, of the Ancient Forest Alliance, is speaking at 7 pm in Trinity Hall, United Church, on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Duncan Street.

Last year, more than 5.7 million cubic metres of raw logs were exported from BC. In January, Forest Minister Steve Thomson announced changes to export rules that would include the cost of transporting logs to the Vancouver log market as a factor in determining whether logs are available for export.

“The government has essentially made it easier for companies to export raw logs, especially from Vancouver Island,” said Wu.

In terms of solutions, Wu said, the government needs to restructure the industry to provide the support for a value-added second growth forest industry. “Right now, a lot of the second growth logs are being exported to foreign mills,” he said.

As well, Wu said, he will be talking about the proposed expansion to tree farm licences in the province. The government has proposed amendments to the Forest Act that will allow for the conversion of volume-based forest licences to area-based tree farm licences at the minister’s discretion.

The government is increasing corporate control over Crown lands in BC by introducing the new bill in the legislature, just before the writ is dropped for the election, Wu said. “It enables the minister of forests to readily create new tree farm licences which confer exclusive logging rights over vast areas of land for these companies,” he said.

Another topic Wu will speak about is the need to protect old-growth forests, he said. “There’s controversial logging all around the province, including on the Sunshine Coast, in old-growth forests,” he said.

The community forum is sponsored by PR Voices, Communications, Energy and Paperworkers’ Union of Canada and Malaspina Sierra Club. Discussion and refreshments will follow Wu’s presentation and admission is by a suggested donation of $5.
 

Read More: https://www.prpeak.com/articles/2013/03/06/community/doc51369a7eaa879890427028.txt

Ancient Forest Alliance

Tree licence rollover has no public benefit

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At first glance Bill 8 — the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act — looks like housekeeping legislation. Read a little closer and one discovers one of the most pernicious pieces of forest legislation to be tabled in the legislature since a forests minister lost his job over the same issue in 1989.

Bill 8 includes an addition to the Forest Act that would allow the forests minister to invite corporations to roll over their forest licences into Tree Farm Licences (TFL), effectively transferring private ownership rights to the corporation without any reciprocal benefit in the public interest such as requirements to tie timber to local mills for local jobs; to upgrade existing mills; to invest in new mills; and to hand back more than five per cent of the allowable annual cut from existing forest licences, say 30 per cent, to deal with known timber supply shortages and to redistribute timber rights among communities and First Nations.

Imagine many large apartment complexes under a singe landlord. What sane landlord would invite selected tenants to roll over their month-to-month tenancies into a renewable 25-year lease with a token annual rent but without payment for the lease or any substantial reciprocity in kind other than five per cent loss of area? Well, that is precisely what your land agent, the government, is planning to do with your forest land. And matters get worse still.

Unfortunately, this offer realistically works for only corporate tenants of the larger apartments. If you happen to be a First Nations’ band or a forest-dependent community occupying smaller apartments, this offer is not for you because your rented areas are uneconomic in size to roll over into a renewable 25-year lease.

Under TFL tenure, private property rights transferable to corporations include rights to control access; to withhold information about public land (e.g., inventory statistics and maps); to sell and transfer the TFL tenure for which they did not pay in the first place; and to receive compensation if, for example, treaty negotiations should settle land title in favour of First Nations. In short, TFLs alienate public lands.

So how does the government justify provincewide forest tenure reform on the fly without public discussion?

First, in a recent news release, forests minister Steve Thomson declares, “the legislation fulfils recommendations made by the Special Committee on Timber Supply in their August, 2012 report …” This statement not only misrepresents the scope and object of the committee’s work but it is patently false. The committee’s final report does not contain one recommendation that the government enable TFL-rollover legislation provincewide.

Secondly, the forest minister claims, “area-based tenures [have] a number of benefits, such as creating an incentive for licence holders to make enhanced silviculture and infrastructure investments that will improve the midterm timber supply.”

Again, this assertion is not substantiated by fact. Government directly and indirectly subsidizes most forest management functions on TFLs.

For example, the taxpayer directly pays for insect and disease monitoring and for timber and non-timber inventories.

So what precisely is the incentive for the TFL holder to invest any more in public forests than the minimum required by law?

Thirdly, MLA John Rustad claims area-based tenures lead to “higher productivity and higher return on our land base.” Of timber and profits only. Because area-based management produces “normalized” forests designed to maximize timber growth at the expense of other forest values such as water, soil and biodiversity.

In British Columbia, we ostensibly, and badly, manage natural forests for ecosystem services and for many other cultural values other than timber such as recreation, big game hunting, and tourism.

In just about every country in which area-based forest management is practised, they have completely lost their natural biodiversity of ecosystems, species and genetic richness.

Ironically this government is trying to ram through Bill 8 just as the Auditor General releases a scathing report on the status of the province’s biodiversity.

We in British Columbia still have a chance to do it right for future generations by enacting a Sustainability Act for the protection of air, water, and soil and by implementing a provincewide conservation framework for biodiversity; all resource-use and tenure laws should be subordinate to both.

Further administrative fragmentation of landscapes and enclosure of the commons by TFLs will only make matters worse and infinitely more expensive for us to settle First Nations’ land claims and to assert the public interest in how our forest lands are best managed for the protection of air, water and soil and for the conservation of the biodiversity that bestows on us bountiful timber and non-timber benefits.

Anthony Britneff recently retired from a 40-year career with the B.C. Forest Service during which he held senior professional positions in inventory, silviculture and forest health.

Read more: https://www.vancouversun.com/news/Tree+licence+rollover+public+benefit/8059516/story.html#ixzz2MvKFwm3s

AFA Plans “Communities for Sustainable Forestry” Tour in Key BC Ridings in Bid to Stop Proposed Forest Privatization Plan and to Promote Old-Growth Protection, Sustainable Second-Growth Forestry, more

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For Immediate Release
March 4, 2013
Ancient Forest Alliance Plans “Communities for Sustainable Forestry” Tour in Key BC Ridings in Bid to Stop Proposed Forest Privatization Plan and to Promote Old-Growth Protection, Sustainable Second-Growth Forestry, and an End to Raw Log Exports
Conservationists plan activism trainings, rallies at MLA offices, and door-to-door campaigns in key communities and provincial swing ridings.
The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) is planning a provincial tour to mobilize communities in key swing ridings in a bid to stop the BC government’s anti-environmental forest policies, including old-growth logging, raw log exports, and the recent proposal to increase the privatization of public forest lands by expanding Tree Farm Licences for major companies, and to ensure that the incoming government adopts new, sustainable policies. The tour will begin immediately after the organization’s March 16 “Pre-Election Rally for Ancient Forests and BC Forestry Jobs” (see www.BCForestMovement.com ) in Victoria.  During the tour from mid-March until the May 14 provincial election, AFA activists Ken Wu and TJ Watt will organize activism trainings, rallies at BC politician offices, and door canvassing campaigns in key electoral ridings.
The anti-environmental forest policies of the BC Liberal government include:
– The recently proposed bill to increase private property rights for corporations on public forest lands through the expansion of Tree Farm Licences where companies will get exclusive logging rights over vast areas. See: https://16.52.162.165/media-release-pine-beetle-used-as-trojan-horse-to-increase-privatization-of-bcs-forests-through-ministerial-fiat-instead-of-democratic-legislative-vote/
–   The planned logging of previously off-limits old-growth forests in the Burns Lake region and potentially in other parts of the Central Interior to make up for a timber shortfall in relation to the overcapacity of the region’s mills due to decades of overcutting and the more recent pine beetle infestation.
– The BC Liberal government’s continued support of the large-scale liquidation of endangered old-growth forests.
–  The continued export of millions of raw, unprocessed logs each year from the province to foreign mills while the government fails to support a value-added, second-growth forest industry.
“We need old forests, not old mindsets in this province. The BC Liberals have a chance to leave a positive legacy of ancient forest protection and a sustainable second-growth industry in this province before they leave power. Instead, they’re going the opposite way towards forest privatization and massive old-growth logging and raw log exports . If they don’t change course, this will be the legacy that they’ll be remembered for. Meanwhile, so far the NDP seems to be keeping their heads down, not bringing forward any new old-growth protection policies or a vision for sustainable forestry that is markedly different from the disastrous status quo. We’re hoping both parties will change their tunes very soon – we’re willing to give credit where credit’s due, and to dish out consequences where they’re deserved,” stated Ken Wu, Ancient Forest Alliance executive director. “We’re aiming to change the current situation by undertaking a province-wide tour to help train and support local citizens, including conservationists, forestry workers, recreationists, First Nations, and anyone interested in a sustainable forest industry, to launch campaigns in their areas to spur BC’s politicians towards more sustainable policy positions.”
On February 20, the BC Liberal government introduced an omnibus bill, the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act or Bill 8, that includes a proposal to enable the massive increase of private property rights for major logging companies on BC’s public forest lands by empowering the Forest Minister to readily create new Tree Farm Licences (TFL’s) through policy fiat. See the AFA’s media release at:  www.ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=564
On Friday, Independent MLA Bob Simpson revealed that last September the BC government had already indicated their intent to create a new Tree Farm Licence for Hampton Affiliates as an incentive for the company to rebuild their Babine Forest Products mill in Burns Lake – months before the currently proposed bill, and which they have no right to do.
“This is a dangerous, undemocratic proposal that will give increased rights to the major logging corporations on public lands at the expense of local communities. Greater certainty through exclusive logging rights over huge areas for these companies will make it harder to protect forests for wildlife, recreation and scenery, and will entrench the overcutting already taking place at the expense of local communities,” stated TJ Watt, Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner.
 The NDP opposition has so far stayed silent on a previous commitment by leader Adrian Dix in 2011 during his leadership bid that he would, “Develop a long term strategy for old growth forests in the Province, including protection of specific areas that are facing immediate logging plans” if elected. See: conservationvoters.ca/past-endorsements/leadership-race-2011/ndp-candidates/adrian-dix [Original article no longer available]
The Ancient Forest Alliance is planning a major “Pre-Election Rally for Ancient Forests and BC Forestry Jobs” on Saturday, March 16 at 12 noon at the Legislative Buildings. Already about 1000 people have pre-confirmed their attendance for the rally, including over 700 on the website and almost 300 more via Facebook.  See www.BCForestMovement.com
Old-growth forests are vital to sustain endangered species, the climate, tourism, clean water, wild salmon, and many First Nations cultures.  On Vancouver about 75% of the original, productive old-growth forests have been logged, including 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow. About 10% of the original, productive old-growth forests have been protected in parks and in Old-Growth Management Areas on Vancouver Island.
The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on BC’s politicians to commit to:
  • A Provincial Old-Growth Strategy that will protect the province’s endangered old-growth forests.
  • Ensure the sustainable logging of second-growth forests.
  • End the export of raw logs to foreign mills.
  • Support the retooling of coastal old-growth mills and the development of value-added wood processing facilities to handle second-growth logs.
See spectacular old-growth forest photos at:  https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/
Much of Vancouver Island's second-growth forest is being logged quickly and shipped out of BC as raw logs instead of being processed and manufactured at local mills.

TONIGHT! Wed. March 6th, Ken Wu of the AFA will be speaking at a forum on raw log exports and sustainable forestry in Powell River

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If any of you are in Powell River, this Wednesday, March 6th Ken Wu of the AFA will be speaking there at a forum on raw log exports and sustainable forestry from 7-9pm, at the United Church, 6932 Crofton St. Organized by Powell River Voices, Sierra Club and CEP union.

Facebook Event Page: www.facebook.com/events/339892902788922/

Ancient Forest Alliance

Oceans and Forests on Naturalists’ Agenda

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The Cowichan Valley Naturalists have a busy schedule of free public events coming up in the next few weeks.

On Friday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., Caitlin Birdsall from the Vancouver Aquarium will be at the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre in Cowichan Bay to speak about the cetaceans of British Columbia.

Cetaceans are marine mammals, including whales. Admission is by donation.

Then, on Monday, March 11 at 9: 30 a.m. at the Freshwater Ecocentre in Duncan Ken Wu of Ancient Forest Alliance will give a talk entitled “The State of our Forests: The status, ecology, and pre-election politics of B.C.’s old growth forests.”

Admission is free but coffee and snacks are by donation and you should bring your own cup.

For more information about the Cowichan Valley Naturalists and their programs go to www. naturecowichan.net or call Eric at 250-748-3682.
 

Rollover Legislation: Claims and Facts

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The government and the Minister of Forests continue to spread disinformation about the forestry rollover legislation that was introduced this month. You can read the proposed law for yourself here, in Section 24.

During a February 28th interview, Minister Thomson made the following claims:

“Clearly in that legislation we’ve talked about the process. We’ve talked about the need for public consultation that’s embedded in the legislation. We’ve talked about that this would only occur when it is in the public interest. It would be by invitation, so it’s not a de facto privatization. And it responds to the recommendations of the mid-term timber supply committee report that have clearly said we need to look at increasing the diversity of area-based management. There are significant benefits to area-based management in terms of investments in forest management, increasing fibre supply, and we think this is one of the tools that will assist in addressing the mid-term timber supply needs.”

I’ve responded to the government and minister’s statements below.

1. Claim: This legislation comes as a direct result of a recommendation by the Special Committee on Timber Supply.

Fact: There was no such recommendation. The Timber Supply Committee gave cautionary recommendations “if conversion to more area-based tenures is desirable.”[1]

2. Claim: This legislation is about increasing the diversity of area-based tenures, like community forests, woodlots and First Nations tenures.

Fact: It’s about conversion of one specific type of volume-based license, called a replaceable forest license, to a specific type of area-based tenure, a Tree Farm License (TFL). The majority of the volume held under these licenses is in the control of five major forest products companies.

The government already has the ability to create more community forests, First Nations area-based tenures, and woodlots. It still hasn’t met its stated 2003 objective of having these types of tenures comprise 10 per cent of the province-wide annual allowable cut.

3. Claim: Area-based tenures result in better forest management.

Fact: Area-based tenures may result in better forest management, but it’s not necessarily the case, because area-based tenure holders only have to meet the minimum requirements of the Forest Act. There are no legal requirements for companies to manage their forests to a higher standard.

There has not been a definitive assessment of whether the public forest land base is actually better managed under a TFL. In fact, the worst managed public forest in BC has historically been TFL #1, on the north coast.

4. Claim: Area-based tenures will increase mid-term timber supply.

Fact: There is no evidence to support this claim. Some TFLs have improved their silviculture investments enough to warrant an increase in their AAC. However, many TFLs have seen their AACs reduced, and those that are able to demonstrate an improvement in timber volume get to cut that volume today based on their projected results for future improvements in forest growth. These projections do not account for climate change, fire, pests, and disease, which could wipe out any incremental gains.

5. Claim: There will be public consultation.

Fact: There is no public consultation required by law at any point in the rollover process. The only requirement is to make an accepted proposal “available” for public comment for a period of not less than 60 days. This is a passive process that does not compel the applicant to actively notify and engage First Nations, local governments, other licensees, and community stakeholders.

6. Claim: First Nations will be consulted.

Fact: The maps for new TFLs will be drawn by the applicants and negotiated in secret with the Minister. There is no legal requirement for direct pre- or post-consultation with First Nations. This omission will likely trigger “duty to consult” litigation against both the legislation and any applications made under the legislation

7. Claim: The public interest will be protected.

Fact: There is no “public interest” definition in the legislation. No requirements for investment, job creation, mills to be built, or incremental forest management. The government press release promises the public will be consulted this summer before the legislation is used in order to “refine” the policy around public interest. However, as the Auditor General’s report on the release of private lands from existing TFLs clearly points out, the government did not protect the public interest in that case, and public interest policy can be adapted without any public consultation.

8. Claim: This legislation simply enables the minister to invite replaceable license holders to apply for an area-based tenure. There is no government policy to rollover replaceable forest licenses to TFLs.

Fact: This same rationalization was used when the government changed the Forest Act to allow the removal of private lands from TFLs. After the first application to remove private lands form a TFL was approved, successive applications resulted in the removal of virtually all of the private lands in TFLs province-wide. The Auditor General’s report on private land removals concluded that the public interest was not protected in this process.

9. Claim: The invitation to apply will be publicly advertised according to a prescribed process and will lay out the criteria for a successful application.

Fact: The prescribed process and criteria are not in law. In most TSAs, only one or two major companies hold most of the available volume in their replaceable forest licenses, and only they would be eligible to submit a proposal in the first place.

10. Claim: This legislation is not “privatization” of our public forests.

Fact: TFLs give exclusive rights to private companies over a defined area (or areas) of our public forest land. Once awarded, the minister has virtually no oversight or input into the sale of TFLs, and there are no public consultation requirements or First Nation consultation requirements when TFLs change hands. Foreign state-owned entities are able to buy TFLs without notice to the public or any public input. In fact, a Chinese business person who purchased TFL #1 is under scrutiny in China for defrauding the Chinese government when he purchased Skeena Cellulose and the licenses associated with that mill.

TFLs are no longer taken back if processing facilities are sold, and they can be managed to minimum standards without penalty. TFL #47 formerly fed mills in the Campbell River area, but those mills are closed. The TFL is now primarily logged for log exports, and the TFL is owned by a pension fund.

If government wants to take back areas of a TFL in order to protect other values, create parks, settle land claims, or attract investment for other timber or non-timber economic activity, compensation to TFL holders is significantly higher because of the exclusive territorial rights awarded to the license holder. In short, we have to buy back our public forests from TFL licensees, just as if we were purchasing private land.

11. Claim: This legislation is about mid-term timber supply and community stability.

Fact: This legislation is about Burns Lake and Hampton Affiliates. Hampton Affiliates is an Oregon-based company that was a member of the Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports in the US, which received money from the $1 billion the US Government took from Canadian companies when the Harper government signed the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement.[2] Hampton is potentially facing charges under the Workers’ Compensation Act for the events leading up to the explosion of the Babine Forest Products Mill. The government started promising Hampton Affiliates a TFL as early as April 2012, long before the Timber Supply Committee was struck.

The Minister promised to introduce this legislation for Hampton in a letter of intent he wrote to the company in September 2012:

“We will bring legislation to the House at the next session. Conversion of Babine Forest Products licenses will be one of the first priorities for implementation under any resultant legislation. Babine has submitted a proposal for an area based tenure in historic Babine operating areas and we would expect a portion or portions of this area to be included in the area based licence that would be offered to Babine. The total area that would be offered will be commensurate with the proportion of cut held by Hampton.”

This legislation was created for the wrong reasons, without proper consultation, and the law itself does not provide the protections the government and minister say it does. There are only two weeks in which the law could be debated and passed. If it comes before the House again, I will stand up and fight this bill.

Please also see Bob’s media release on this subject.
Read More: https://www.bobsimpsonmla.ca/rollover-legislation-claims-and-facts/

Some of the trees in the Ancient Forest are 1

Unique Prince George area-forest should be World Heritage Site, says study

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An area of rainforest near Prince George is so unique that it should be designated as a provincial park and protected as a United Nations World Heritage Site, says a new study by the University of Northern B.C.

The area, called the Ancient Forest, contains massive stands of giant red cedars usually associated with wet coastal forests, as well as rare plants and lichens.

“It’s a very unique wet temperate rainforest,” said the study’s lead author, UNBC ecosystem science and management Prof. Darwyn Coxson.

“Usually, they (rainforests) are beside the ocean or within 10 or 20 kilometres from the ocean.

“But this is a small zone about 800 kilometres east of Prince Rupert. It’s wet, cool and allows cedar stands to reach amazing age and sizes. They rival anything on (Haida Gwaii) or Vancouver Island.”

Coxson said the proposed park and UNESCO site would consist of 6,000 to 10,000 hectares of largely unlogged forest about one hour’s drive east of Prince George along 20 kilometres of Highway 16.

It’s being recommended that the boundary of nearby Slim Creek provincial park be extended to include the new area.

“There is much precedence to point to of ancient coastal rainforests being named World Heritage Sites, such as Haida Gwaii in B.C., and Olympic National Park in Washington State, but in many scientific and cultural respects, the Ancient Forest is of even more value due to its extremely rare location so far north and so far inland,” said Coxson.

The UNBC study, published in the BC Journal of Ecosystems and Management, said the Ancient Forest is accessible by trail and features some cedars more than 1,000 years old.

The area was flagged for logging in 2006, but later declared off limits after UNBC students and researchers informed the public of its cultural and scientific value.

Since then, UNBC researchers and classes have visited the trail site to study the area’s biodiversity.

“Becoming a provincial park and then a World Heritage Site will ensure the long-term protection of the ancient cedar stands, which to date, have been cared for by local community groups,” said Coxson.

According to the study, to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the site must first be named a provincial park. The government of Canada must then recommend the site to UNESCO.

Coxson co-wrote the study with UNBC environmental planning Prof. David Connell and Trevor Goward of the University of B.C.

Read More: https://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Unique+Prince+George+area+forest+should+World+Heritage+Site+says+study/8038492/story.html

Photo attached (media are free to reprint): From left to right - AFA Executive Director Ken Wu; Campaigner and Photographer TJ Watt; Admin Director Joan Varley; Researcher and Writer Hannah Carpendale. Taken at hollow old-growth cedar at Goldstream.

Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) Celebrates its Three Year Anniversary

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February 28, 2013
Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) Celebrates its Three Year Anniversary
Conservation organization aims to spotlight old-growth forests and raw log exports as central BC election issues, urges BC Liberals and NDP to break from the unsustainable status quo.
The Ancient Forest Alliance (www.AncientForestAlliance.org) , a BC environmental organization founded in early 2010, is celebrating its three year anniversary this week as a registered not-for-profit society. Yesterday, February 27, was the organization’s anniversary.
To celebrate, this coming Sunday, March 3, the organization will hold an “Ancient Forest Biodiversity Hike” for the public to see a magnificent old-growth Douglas fir grove in Goldstream Provincial Park, on the campground side of the park (Meet at 1:00 pm at the top parking lot by Sooke Lake Rd. and Humpback Rd. near the pub, hike finishes by 3:00 pm – easy to moderate difficulty) with Ken Wu ,TJ Watt, and Joan Varley from the AFA and naturalists Darren and Claudia Copley of the Victoria Natural History Society. The organization will also have a “Meet and Greet” afterwards with snacks, drinks, and a fun slideshow with staff from 4:30 to 6:00 pm on Sunday at its office at 827 Broughton St. in Victoria.
“We’re grateful for the huge support we’ve received from thousands British Columbians to build a major environmental organization from scratch,” stated Ken Wu, AFA co-founder and executive director. “Our size and strength has grown tremendously over three years, and we’ve had some specific successes. However, our main task – of getting the BC Liberal government and the NDP opposition to commit to a plan to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests and to ensure a sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry – is now more urgent than ever. During these last 3 months before a BC election we’ll be going all-out to push both the BC Lib’s and NDP for a seismic shift from the unsustainable status quo of massive overcutting, old-growth logging and raw log exports.”
So far the BC Liberal government has been defending major old-growth logging and raw log exports, while often citing highly misleading statistics to convey the false message that old-growth forests are not endangered. They’ve also introduced a bill that would empower the Minister of Forests to expand Tree Farm Licences (ie. to give exclusive logging rights to huge areas of Crown forest lands to major timber companies) through policy fiat instead of through a democratic legislative vote, which is bound to become a major election issue.  See:  www.ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=564
The NDP opposition has so far stayed silent on a previous commitment by leader Adrian Dix in 2011 during his leadership bid that he would, “Develop a long term strategy for old growth forests in the Province, including protection of specific areas that are facing immediate logging plans” if elected. See: conservationvoters.ca/past-endorsements/leadership-race-2011/ndp-candidates/adrian-dix [Original article no longer available]
The Ancient Forest Alliance has been noted for its approach towards building broad-based movements involving local tourism and small businesses (including the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce who helped to protect the Avatar Grove), forestry workers, First Nations, and other diverse people. The organization is planning a major “Pre-Election Rally for Ancient Forests and BC Forestry Jobs” on Saturday, March 16 at 12 noon at the Legislative Buildings. Already over 500 people have pre-confirmed their attendance for the rally on the website and 200 more via Facebook.  See www.BCForestMovement.com
A major strength of the organization has been the photography of its campaigner and co-founder TJ Watt, whose stunning, award-winning photos of old-growth trees and giant stumps on Vancouver Island have circulated around the world through the news and social media. See the Ancient Forest Alliance’s photogallery of Watt’s photos at: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/
“While we’ve taken thousands of people on public hikes to see ancient forests, we also know it’s impossible to bring millions of people out, and that the clearcutting of our endangered old-growth forests also goes unseen by most. So through professional photography we’ve been able to bring the beauty and destruction of our ancient forests into the homes of millions of people to raise public awareness,” stated Watt.
The AFA is best known for its successful campaign that culminated last year to protect the “Avatar Grove”, a stand of centuries old giant redcedars near Port Renfrew, some with fantastic shapes. See:  www.ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=378  and a spectacular photogallery at: www.ancientforestalliance.org/photos.php?gID=6
The organization’s other successes include:
– Getting NDP leader Adrian Dix to commit to, “Develop a long term strategy for old growth forests in the Province, including protection of specific areas that are facing immediate logging plans” during his NDP leadership bid (a promise which he has not mentioned since, however). See: [Original article no longer available]
– Ensuring a reprieve from logging for the “Castle Grove” last November, Canada’s finest ancient cedar grove in the Upper Walbran Valley. See:  www.timescolonist.com/news/local/province-has-no-plans-to-cut-old-growth-stand-in-walbran-near-port-alberni-1.17753
– Convincing the BC government to develop a legal designation, still in the works, to protect the province’s biggest trees and potentially monumental groves. See above link.
– In general, raising the level of public awareness on the need to protect the province’s endangered ancient forests through countless public hikes, slideshows, rallies, petition drives (see ancientforestalliance.org/ways-to-take-action-for-forests/petition/), and through garnering local, provincial, national, and international media coverage on its campaigns.
The organization has grown from 400 to 900 to 2000 donors by the end of its first, second, and third years of existence, respectively, and raised $59,000, $80,000, and $137,000 in revenues each successive year.  The organization also has 23,000 people on its supporters lists (email and Facebook), mainly within British Columbia.
“With our regular door canvasses now in Victoria and Vancouver, plus the support we get from small and independent businesses, we’re firmly entrenched in the BC conservation community. As such I’m confident that the Ancient Forest Alliance will be here to stay until our endangered old-growth forests are protected and we see a sustainable forest industry in this province,” stated Wu.
Ken Wu is the AFA’s Executive Director, TJ Watt is the Campaigner and Photographer, Joan Varley is the Admin Director, Hannah Carpendale is the Researcher and Writer, Amanda Evans is the Victoria Canvass Director, and Noah Schillo is the Vancouver Canvass Director.
Old-growth forests are vital to sustain endangered species, the climate, tourism, clean water, wild salmon, and many First Nations cultures.  On Vancouver Island about 75% of the original, productive old-growth forests have been logged, including 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow. About 10% of the original, productive old-growth forests have been protected in parks and in Old-Growth Management Areas on Vancouver Island. Of 2.3 million hectares of original, productive old-growth forests on Vancouver Island, about 1.7 million hectares have now been logged.