JUNE 4: Old-Growth, Carbon & Climate – Rainforest Walk

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Date: Thursday, June 4
Time: 7:00-8:30pm 
Location: Stanley Park ~ Meet at 7:00pm where the Cathedral Trail meets North Lagoon Drive (see map: https://www.vancouvertrails.com/trails/stanley-park/)
Difficulty: Easy walk
Dogs must stay on a leash
By donation. *All participants will be required to sign a waiver to join the hike

Join AFA's co-founder Ken Wu and Sierra Club of BC's forest and climate campaigner Jens Wieting for a rainforest walk in Vancouver's Stanley Park. See some of the largest old-growth trees in BC and learn about the plants and ecology there, as well as about the state of BC's globally endangered coastal temperate rainforest. Jens Wieting will explain the progress in protecting the Great Bear Rainforest and Clayoquot Sound, and the lack of forest stewardship in most of the province. Hear about what we must do to ensure that our forests provide long-term benefits instead of short-term profit and what climate change means for the future of our forests. In particular, learn how our forests have shifted from storing carbon to being a net emitter of carbon into the atmosphere, and find out what we must do to reverse that trend, making our forests a central mechanism in fighting climate change and building a climate-friendly, low carbon future.

A woman in a white shirt stands beside an old-growth tree in Francis/King Regional Park.

3 JUIN: Randonnee interpretative sur les forets anciennes en francais (Francophone Ancient Forest Nature Walk)

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Mercredi, 3 juin, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Francis King Regional Park ~ Rendez-vous au Centre de la Nature sur Munn Road, Victoria
Randonnée facile
Les chiens doivent être tenus en laisse
Par donation

Joignez-vous à Lysiane Chagnon Fontaine et Ken Wu pour une randonnée interprétative en français afin de visiter la forêt ancienne de sapin de Douglas la plus impressionnante à Victoria! La forêt inclue plusieurs arbres de plus de 10 pieds (3 mètres) de diamètre, ainsi que le plus large cèdre rouge creux dans la région! Apprenez-en plus sur les plantes, la faune et sur l'écologie de cette forêt!

 

Protestors occupy cut block

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Opponents to Island Timberlands’ harvest in Lot 450 are chalking up a victory after a blockade of forestry equipment has resulted in a temporary halt to logging.

Nine women decided to take direct action and block a feller buncher parked in a cut block of the company’s private managed forest land in Lot 450 early Tuesday morning, May 19. Their action pushed the forestry company to withdraw the machinery and move it out of the area.

The women issued a media statement later in the day.

“After Powell River residents discovered trees marked for cutting with active bird nests in them, a group of women decided to protect trees containing nests,” the statement read. “The group is positioning themselves between the feller buncher and the trees effectively stopping Island Timberlands’ plan to continue clear-cutting.”

The women, as well as those standing on the picket line where Joyce Avenue and the pole line intersect, are asking Island Timberlands to halt logging until the end of nesting season and publicly release a cut plan that ensures nests and riparian zones around McFall, McGuffie and Wys Creek are respected.

“The community is not against logging but wants to see the precious urban forest which is home to hundreds of species including birds, bears, and cougars selectively logged in a way that preserves its ecological integrity,” the statement read.

Independent journalist Courtney Harrop, who embedded herself at the blockade, helped the group document the 24-hour protest with photos and video.

They met at the Island Timberlands’ feller buncher at 6 am and waited to see if an operator would be coming to start work that morning. Harrop said that the operator was quite surprised to see the women standing around the machine with their banner.

After it was clear that the women were not leaving, the operator left and the RCMP arrived to inform the women that the police had received a complaint, Harrop said. The police came in to talk with the women and advised them that they are on private land and they should not do anything which damages Island Timberlands’ property, she added. Police left without making any arrests.

An operations manager from the forestry company arrived to speak with the protestors, but left after realizing that their blockade would continue.

“Throughout the day there was a lot of community support,” Harrop said, adding that food and water was brought to the site.

Some of the protesters decided to hold the space overnight and camp out there. They were greeted by more supporters the next morning, Harrop added.

The forest company manager returned Wednesday morning to tell the group that the company would be loading logs they had already cut and requested that the feller buncher be allowed to be removed from the area, Harrop said.

“As a measure of good faith and to show that the people are reasonable and willing to negotiate, the group decided to let the machine get taken out,” she said.

The manager told the group of protestors that the company would halt logging until they had the assessment from their own biologist.

Harrop said she did not know when they expected that report, but she said that people “are not taking their eyes off Island Timberlands.”

Harrop’s video can be seen online.

[Peak article no longer available] 

Ancient Forest Alliance

VIDEO: Powell River residents shocked as logging company moves to cut treasured trees

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View VIDEO at: https://www.vancouverobserver.com/opinion/powell-river-residents-shocked-logging-company-moves-log-treasured-trees

*******

I found out that Island Timberlands (I.T.) was set to begin logging in Powell River the same way that the local residents found out—on April 22, on Earth Day.

I.T. issued a press release and the Powell River Peak relayed the news to the public that the forestry company was going to start harvesting their timber assets within Powell River.

On the map included with the article, the cut-blocks were outlined in colored lines indicating the different classes of ownership involved. Island Timberlands owns the timber rights for several parcels of land within the City of Powell River. In some cases they don’t actually own the land, but hold one-time timber rights. In other areas they own the land fee simple.

Island Timberlands is the second-largest private landowner in British Columbia (next to TimberWest), with over 230,000 hectares of private forest lands on the coast of B.C., including on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the Sunshine Coast. Weyerhaeuser, and before that, Macmillan-Bloedel formerly owned these lands. Much of their land base on Vancouver Island dates back to the E&N Railway grants of the 1880s.

Many in the Powell River community were dismayed, to say the least, at the news that the forest that stands in the center of their community would be gone in four months. Before they even had time to process what was about to happen, the sounds of chainsaws fired up in the distance and trees could be heard falling.

A few days after Island Timberlands announced its plans, the mayor of Powell River announced the purchase of one section of Island Timberlands’ lands adjacent to Millennium Park for $1.2 million. It seems they thought that this would appease the community and I.T. would be free to clear-cut the rest. They were mistaken.

Despite a long heritage as a forestry town, a strong contingent of residents exist who are staunchly opposed to the logging of Lot 450 and want to see it protected. A rally on Saturday, May 9 brought a diverse range of voices who came out to speak against this logging in their community, including people from within the forest industry. But they have few legal options available to them to stop the logging.

The Private Managed Forest Lands Act governs logging on private lands, and the Private Managed Forestlands Council (PMFLC) oversees this sector of the industry. The PMFLC is a five-person board consisting of two government representatives, two industry representatives, and a fifth the other four board members appoint.

That means that the government that made this law — which many environmental groups see as deeply flawed — and the companies supposedly regulated by the law, jointly oversee alleged violations. But few cases reach the point of a penalty and the maximum fines are negligible.

Seeing little hope in pursuing Island Timberlands under the Private Managed Forest Lands Act, activists in the Powell River community have shifted their focus to the Wildlife Protection Act, which also governs Island Timberlands’ logging activities.

One provision of the Wildlife Act is that it prevents logging companies from cutting trees where certain birds nest, such as eagles, falcons, hawks, herons, and ravens. Luckily for the people of Powell River, it happens to be the early days of nesting season, so they are getting out into the woods to find active birds’ nests.

With the help of an environmental consultant who has been hired to assist with the field check, volunteers have been combing the woods in search of any nesting birds that are in the path of I.T.’s logging operations. So far 15 nests have been discovered and more are being documented every day.

At the time writing, Island Timberlands has been notified of 15 nests that have been documented with GPS in the areas they are currently slated to harvest. One raven’s nest was directly in the path of I.T.’s current logging operations.

The company “voluntarily” stopped cutting in that area and have moved elsewhere on their land.

The community is continuing to search for nests that may impede Island Timberlands’ operations, which they hope will buy them some time to start a conversation over how and where forestry is done in Powell River.

Island Timberlands did not respond to the Vancouver Observer’s requests for comment at the time of publishing.

Read more: https://www.vancouverobserver.com/opinion/powell-river-residents-shocked-logging-company-moves-log-treasured-trees

Former MLA Judi Tyabji leads fight to save Powell River’s urban forest

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A war in the woods has erupted in Powell River, B.C., where a group of residents is fighting a plan to start logging Lot 450 — an urban forest within the city limits.

“It's our Stanley Park, that's the best way to put it,” Judi Tyabji, the president of the Pebble in the Pond Environmental Society told The Early Edition's Rick Cluff.

“It's not just trees. You walk in there, there's otters, there's cougars, there's bears. It's an ecosystem,” said the former Liberal MLA.

The area in question is owned by PRSC Land Development Ltd, a partnership between the City of Powell River, Catalyst Paper Corporation and Tla'amin First Nation, but Island Timberlands holds the logging rights.

Late last month, it announced plans to start harvesting the area — prompting outrage from residents.

“This is not an anti-logging protest. Many people in Powell River make their living from logging. This is about something that's much more valuable than that,” said Tyabji.

Since the announcement, the city signed an agreement with Island Timberlands to protect 90 acres, but Tyabji said that's not enough.

“There's still over 200 acres on land owned by the community that's slated for a clear cut,” she said.

The Pebble in the Pond Environmental Society will present an environmental study of the area to city council tonight.

Tyabji said the group has also spoken with a lawyer to explore other ways of stopping the harvest.

Island Timberlands did not return the CBC's request for comment.

To hear the full interview with Judi Tyabji, visit the link below and listen to the audio labelled: Powell River's war in the woods.

Learn more at: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/former-mla-judi-tyabji-leads-fight-to-save-powell-river-s-urban-forest-1.3064795

Environmentalists aim to block logging

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An environmental group based in Powell River intends to halt logging after releasing its bird nest assessment on Lot 450.

Pebble in the Pond Environmental Society released the report Monday, May 4.

“What it proves conclusively is that there are very high wildlife values there that are threatened by this logging activity and more caution is needed,” said Judy Tyabji Wilson, Pebble in the Pond president.

Tyabji Wilson added that on the basis of the report Pebble in the Pond’s board of directors has decided to file an injunction against Island Timberlands. “We will be taking court action against them so that we can at least stop the logging until proper studies are done,” she said. “Time is of the essence.”

Island Timberlands began harvesting trees on the company’s private managed forest land in Lot 450 on April 22.

The group is looking to hire a lawyer and file the injunction this week in Powell River court.

Because of the size of Lot 450 many local lawyers are only “one degree of separation” away from working with clients on economic development initiatives that may be in some way related. “The complication is that it looks like all the local lawyers are conflicted,” Tyabji Wilson said, adding that they will be looking out of town from representation.

Guy Monty, a field ornithologist and wildlife technician specializing in birds, from Vancouver Island, prepared the brief study after spending Thursday, April 30, in Lot 450.

“The site visit in Lot 450 was woefully inadequate in covering Lot 450 in terms of locating even a fraction of the currently active nests,” Monty wrote in the report.

Despite the limited time, Monty did locate four active nests in addition to evidence confirming nesting of four other species. He also noted two active nests on the area’s boundaries.

“A large number of birds which enjoy both provincial and federal protections during nesting, including some which are designated as conservation concerns, nest within Lot 450,” Monty added.

The report makes a number of recommendations including that no trees be harvested in the area between March 15 to August 15, nesting season for both local and migratory birds. If harvesting does occur during that period, proper nest searches should be conducted by trained, experienced wildlife technicians. And then if nests are found that site and species-specific buffers be established to protect the bird’s nests and those buffers be respected as zones off limits to workers.

Monty notes that in the province most songbirds receive buffers of between 20 to 50 metres in size while raptors, owls, herons and birds such as common nighthawks require buffers of between 50 to 1,000 metres.

Also recommended is that a general site assessment of Lot 450 be conducted by qualified professionals before any industrial activities occur there.

Rally set to save green space

Powell River residents concerned about the logging in Lot 450 have banded together to organize a march and rally to raise awareness about tree harvesting inside the city limits.

According to the group’s website the Save Lot 450 campaign is not against logging or the logging contractors or employees doing the work. Nor is it against the City of Powell River or PRSC Limited Partnership, the group that owns much of the land slated for harvest. What the group wants is to protect “vital green space and ecosystems in the centre the city.”

It is concerned that Lot 450, which runs between Townsite and Cranberry to Westview, excluding Millennium Park, will be clear-cut if nothing is done to stop Island Timberlands, the company with the timber rights.

The group is organizing a protest walk starting from Brooks Secondary School at noon on Tuesday, May 5.

The group, as well as members from Pebble in the Pond Environmental Society, is encouraging the public to attend the city council meeting at 7 pm on Thursday, May 7, when the bird nest assessment will be presented to mayor and councillors.

In addition, the group is also organizing a public rally at noon on Saturday, May 9, at Willingdon Beach gravel lot (Marine Avenue and Alberni Street). This will be a large event with music, information, workshops, sign making and a protest walk.

Ancient Forest Alliance

Logging news creates gathering

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Over 100 people converged on Base Camp Monday, April 27, for a quickly organized meeting to discuss logging plans within the City of Powell River.

With interest generated through Facebook and other social media outlets following a press release by Island Timberlands that was uploaded to the Peak’s website, elected officials, environmentalists and community residents gathered to hear clarification about imminent road-building and harvesting involving Lot 450.

The meeting was facilitated by Erin Innes, who has experience organizing community residents opposed to logging in the Crowther Road area, and reportedly was respectful, quiet and evident that people wanted to listen and understand. Speeches were given by Mayor Dave Formosa, Councillor Russell Brewer, Esther Dyck regarding her communication with Island Timberlands around Myrtle Creek, Eagle Walz, Powell River Parks and Wilderness Society, Jay Yule, superintendent of schools for School District 47, Joseph McLean from Western Forest Products Stakeholders committee and more.

“If we are going to succeed at holding this company accountable to our community, it won’t be enough to leave it up to a few people to make decisions and take the lead,” said Innes after the event. “Everyone can and should find actions they can take that they feel good about, and get started. Getting out on the land is vital and so is spreading the word.” She suggested people document the land by taking video and photographs.

Those who gathered Monday evening brought different experiences and opinion, but “the overriding commonality was anger over Island Timberlands not being a good neighbour and not being accountable to the community,” said Innes.

[Peak article no longer available] 

B.C. coastal community calls for end to logging in city

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Powell River was founded by the timber industry, but the small Sunshine Coast community about 145 kilometres northwest of Vancouver is in an uproar now that loggers are cutting trees right in the heart of the city.

Since loggers started clearing roads through the urban forest a few weeks ago, there have been packed public meetings and threats of an injunction by an environmental group. More than 1,000 people have signed an online petition calling for an end to the logging of what is known as Lot 450.

Island Timberlands, which holds timber rights to several hundred hectares of forest land owned by the community, has announced plans to cut the area over the next several months.

Judi Tyabji, president of Pebble in the Pond Environmental Society, said it would be like allowing some of the big parks in Metro Vancouver to be logged.

“If Stanley Park had its back to the wilderness so it was an intact wilderness corridor, that’s Lot 450,” she said.

Ms. Tyabji, a former Liberal MLA and Powell River municipal councillor, said her group will go to court seeking an injunction to block logging on the basis of a study that “shows the undeniable wildlife values on that land.”

She said the Lot 450 lands connect to a forest that runs up from the city waterfront into the mountains behind Powell River, creating a key wildlife corridor.

In 2006, the City of Powell River, Tla’Amin First Nation and Catalyst Paper Corp. worked out a deal that transferred ownership of several hundred hectares of company lands within municipal boundaries to the city.

But the timber rights were held separately, and cutting rights on Lot 450 ended up with Island Timberlands, based on Vancouver Island.

Ms. Tyabji said Powell River, founded in the early 1900s to service a pulp mill, has long depended on the logging industry, but the economy has changed in recent years and people are not going to sit quietly while the green space in the middle of town is clear cut.

“Even loggers are upset about this,” she said. “Certainly, people in Powell River are used to forestry, but Powell River has diversified dramatically [away from logging in recent years]. One of our larger employers now is an international music academy. … We get people coming from all over the world for the canoe routes here. The whole idea of wildlife value [is high].”

She said having a forest in the middle of town “has defined Powell River,” and people are ready to fight to preserve the wooded area, which is laced with popular hiking trails.

Company officials did not respond to requests for comment on Monday, but Island Timberlands said in a statement published in the local paper recently that it plans to log the land carefully.

“Island Timberlands employs qualified professionals to ensure our forest activities have considered a full range of public values including but not limited to localized riparian areas and recreational trails,” the company stated. “Island Timberlands recognizes this activity will be audible to some of our residential neighbours. We will work within the confines of the city bylaw on noise disturbance to best maintain the peace and enjoyment during our operations.”

Powell River mayor Dave Formosa declined to discuss the issue on Monday, saying he would be in meetings all day “arm wrestling” with Island Timberlands.

“It’s very complicated,” he said of the logging dispute. “I’m [in] back-to-back meetings, and I’m still in the middle of dealing with this issue.”

He said he hoped to have an announcement on Tuesday.

Read more: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-coastal-community-calls-for-end-to-logging-in-city/article24251116/

Ancient Forest Alliance

VIDEO: Logging plans draw protests in Powell River

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Protesters took to the streets of Powell River upset by plans by a Nanaimo based logging company to cut trees in the city.

VIDEO at: https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=607490

Island Timberlands discloses its logging plans

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Editor’s Note: Please note clarification in brackets from PRSC and City following two of the statements provided by Morgan Kennah.

Island Timberlands has detailed its current and near future activity on land within the City of Powell River through a press release issued Wednesday, April 22.

Morgan Kennah, manager of sustainable timberlands and community affairs for the company, provided the Peak with a map and the following details.

The company owns timber rights in areas marked 2, 3 and 4 on the map, and owns property marked as 1 as private managed forest land. Areas 2 and 3 are owned by PRCS while Catalyst owns the area marked 4.

Kennah wrote:

  •  Island Timberlands commenced road building activity today on its managed forest property in Lot 450. The area of activity is in the north of the area marked number 1 illustrated on the attached map. Island Timberlands owns this property marked (rough drawing) as number 1 as private managed forest.
  • Island Timberlands has plans to develop roads and harvest timber is the area marked as number 1 over the next several months.
  • The areas marked number 2 and 3 are owned by PRSC. The area marked number 4 is owned by Catalyst Paper Corporation. Island Timberlands and its predecessor companies have held the right to harvest the timber in these three areas for the past several decades.
  • Island Timberlands and PRSC have come to an agreement on a plan to move forward together on tree harvest and timber rights within the city. [The agreement between Island Timberlands and PRSC Limited Partnership is limited to the condition of the lands post harvest as per the Timber Reservation agreements that were put in place prior to the creation of PRSC LP.]
  • Road and harvest activities are expected to commence in the area marked number 2 and 3 in the following weeks. Once activities commence, Island Timberlands anticipates workers to be in the area weekdays. Depending on how our activity progresses, there may be a summer suspension of activities with further work scheduled in the fall. This is subject to change with little or no notice.
  • Island Timberlands is, in essence, harvesting its trees previously not capable of harvest under a municipal bylaw. [Kennah’s reference to the city bylaw recently changed relates to the amendment of Tree Protection Bylaw 2174, 2008, at the Thursday, April 2 council meeting. The amendment allows the rate of harvest to increase.]
  • Island Timberlands employs qualified professionals to ensure our forest activities have considered a full range of public values including but not limited to localized riparian areas and recreational trails.
  • Island Timberlands recognizes this activity will be audible to some of our residential neighbours. We will work within the confines of the city bylaw on noise disturbance to best maintain the peace and enjoyment during our operations.
  • For the safety of the public and the workers onsite, please do not enter this area, on trails or otherwise, if you see signage, encounter trail blocks (for example, rope or flagging across the trail) or hear loud equipment working within these numbered areas.
  • Future land use decisions for the PRSC and the Catalyst properties are unrelated to the current harvesting activities.

Kennah referred enquiries relating to harvesting activities at the site to be made via email to environment@islandtimberlands.com. Enquiries relating to Millennium Park are referred to the city, while enquiries relating to future land use of the PRSC properties can be made to PRSC.

[Peak article no longer available]