New Old-Growth Clearcut Mars the Scenery from the Popular Gordon River Bridge at Avatar Grove

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Before-and-After Photos Reveal Logging Destruction on Edinburgh Mountain, a “Hotspot” of Exceptional Old-Growth Forest near Port Renfrew

Port Renfrew, BC – Old-growth clearcutting approved by the NDP government has now marred the scenic view from the popular bridge over the Gordon River by the Avatar Grove, one of the most popular nature tourism destinations in BC. Before-and-after images taken by conservationists with the Ancient Forest Alliance highlight the destructive impacts of recent clearcut logging by the Teal Jones Group on Edinburgh Mountain, a “hotspot” of high conservation, scenic, and recreational value near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. The photos, taken before logging commenced and then after most of the clearcutting was completed, reveal the felling of exceptional ancient forest, including giant redcedars and rare, ancient Douglas-fir trees within a 15.6 hectare cutblock.

“These images provide a glimpse into the shocking situation that’s playing out all over BC’s south coast,” stated Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner and photographer TJ Watt, who captured the images. “Old-growth forests once teeming with life and some of Canada’s largest trees are being destroyed, never to be seen again in our lifetime. The logging on Edinburgh Mountain adds to the approximately 75 hectares of ancient forest already logged by Teal Jones that has further fragmented what was once almost 1,500 hectares of stunning, intact ancient rainforest. Two new logging roads are also under construction on the mountain as we speak. To top it off, now they have started to mar the view from the Gordon River Bridge with their old-growth clearcutting, a bridge where hundreds of thousands of tourists view the scenery of what was previously a contiguous old-growth and second-growth forest canopy.”

The clearcutting came to within approximately 50 feet of an enormous Douglas-fir tree, tossing trees and debris around its base. The giant tree measures 33’9″ft (11.4m) in circumference or 10’8″ft in diameter, making it the sixth-widest Douglas-fir in Canada according to the BC Big Tree Registry (seventh widest when including the Alberni Giant in the Nahmint Valley), and is not protected.

Edinburgh Mountain Ancient Forest, as it’s known by conservationists, located in Pacheedaht First Nation territory, is home to Big Lonely Doug, Canada’s second largest Douglas-fir tree, which stands alone in a clearcut at the base of the mountain, and is important habitat for endangered northern goshawks and threatened marbled murrelets. It also contains one of the finest and most endangered lowland, valley-bottom, old-growth forests left on Vancouver Island: the spectacular Eden Grove.

The area is one of about two dozen old-growth forest “hotspots” on Vancouver Island identified by conservationists, which represent some of the island’s last remaining, exceptional, intact, and unprotected old-growth areas. Others include the spectacular Nahmint and Central Walbran Valleys, East Creek Rainforest, and Nootka Island.

“These hotspots are in need of immediate protection by the BC government,” stated Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner Andrea Inness. “Most of them are actively being logged and time is running out to prevent them from becoming tattered fragments, like the majority of Vancouver Island’s remaining productive old-growth. While the BC government assures British Columbians that they’re working on an old-growth strategy, they have yet to reveal any details and continue to send the wrong signals. In the meantime, failure to protect these old-growth hotspots will result in considerable losses in terms of biodiversity, ecological processes, opportunities for tourism, and First Nations cultural values, and could spark significant conflict.”

In the case of Edinburgh Mountain, significant opportunities are lost with each cutblock that’s logged, including potential tourism revenues for the nearby town of Port Renfrew, which has been dubbed the Tall Tree Capital of Canada having capitalized on the outstanding old-growth forests and record-sized trees in the region.

“It’s frustrating to see the BC government’s outdated forest policies threaten Port Renfrew’s growing tourism economy,” stated Watt. “Thousands of tourists come to see Renfrew’s spectacular old-growth forests and ancient giants each year. The destruction of Edinburgh Mountain undermines the town’s image as an eco-tourism destination, particularly because it’s so visible. While driving along the Gordon River bridge on the way to Avatar Grove, where you once saw a beautiful, fully intact old-growth forest on the mountainside, there’s now a big ugly clearcut that spoils the view. Tourists must shake their heads when they see how BC manages its globally rare old-growth forests.”

“The NDP government has an economic and ecological imperative to cultivate a forest industry for the future that supports sustainable jobs and conserves the many values ancient forests provide like biodiversity, carbon storage, cultural values, and clean water,” said Inness. “The Ancient Forest Alliance, along with other conservation groups and the BC Greens, are calling on the NDP government to take immediate action to protect old-growth hotspots while there’s still time and develop long-term, science-based solutions for BC’s endangered old-growth forests while supporting the sustainable economic diversification of First Nations communities whose unceded territories these are.”

“Meanwhile, the NDP government needs to facilitate a shift to a sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest industry using incentives and regulations to phase out raw log exports and support retooling of mills to handle second-growth trees.”

“We have a global responsibility to safeguard BC’s ancient forests, given the climate emergency and unprecedented global biodiversity decline that we’re faced with. A shift to a science-based approach that also maintains forestry jobs is entirely possible. It just takes political leadership.”

Background Information

Old growth forests are integral to British Columbia for ensuring the protection of endangered species, climate stability, tourism, clean water, wild salmon, and the cultures of many First Nations. They have unique characteristics that are not replicated by the second-growth forests they’re replaced with and are a non-renewable resource under BC’s forest system, where forests are logged every 50-80 years, never to become old-growth again.

The BC government often states that 520,000 hectares of old-growth forests are protected on Vancouver Island and will never be logged and that 55 percent of the old-growth on BC’s coast is protected, but these figures are misleading. These figures include vast areas of low-productivity forest – stunted, marginal forests that grow at high elevation or in bogs and are therefore at low to no risk of being logged. They also leave out enormous swathes of largely cut-over forests on private lands, which make up more than a quarter of Vancouver Island and which are largely managed under provincial authority. Finally, the BC government fails to consider how much old-growth has already been logged on Vancouver Island: almost 80% of the original productive old-growth forest and over 90% of the low elevation, high-productivity stands where the largest trees grow. Only about 8% of Vancouver Island’s original old-growth forests are protected in parks and Old Growth Management Areas.

For more information, see our December 2018 media release marking the commencement of the logging on Edinburgh Mountain by Teal Jones Group: https://16.52.162.165/new-logging-operations-underway-on-edinburgh-mountain-an-old-growth-forest-environmental-hotspot-near-port-renfrew-on-vancouver-island/

 

Province-wide rallies to protect old-growth forests

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Global News
June 6, 2019

Environmental activists rallied across B.C. Thursday, demanding the government do more to protect B.C.’s old-growth forests. Kylie Stanton reports.

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Premier’s office one of 17 rallies across B.C. calling for protection of old-growth forest

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Sooke News Mirror
June 6, 2019

Protestor questions Horgan’s commitment to mitigate ‘climate degradation’

Dozens of constituents showed up outside the community office of Premier John Horgan Thursday afternoon as part of province-wide protest against the logging of old-growth on the Island.

Steve Gray of the BC-Yukon KAIROS Rolling Justice Bus spoke on the need to transition old-growth logging jobs to second-growth and other sectors.

“We say loggers need to transition away from logging old growth forests now. We say the government should lend them a hand,” he said.

“Re-tool our mills to handle second growth. Lend them a hand.”

Gray questioned the Horgan’s commitment to mitigate “climate degradation,” citing the premier’s support for the Site C hydroelectric dam and $6 billion in tax exemptions for the liquified natural gas industry.

Bruce Fogg, executive assistant to the premier, said he would relay the message to Horgan, who was aware of the issue.

“I will certainly take back [to Horgan] information that he’s already aware of, that you folks have some very strong opinions on this very complex issue,” he said before the crowd drowned out his voice.

In her speech, Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner Andrea Inness urged action and offered steps to protect B.C. forests.

This included halting the logging of old-growth ‘hotspots’ with the “greatest” conservation and recreation value; creating a “comprehensive, science-based” plan to protect endangered old-growth across the province; implementing a natural lands acquisition fund to buy and protect old-growth on private lands; introducing sustainable development and economic diversification of First Nations communities tied to the creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas like tribal parks; and supporting an “expedited transition to a sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest industry.”

Inness noted the government is inviting feedback from the public on ways to improve the Forest and Range Practices Act until July 15, which can be submitted on the B.C. government website.

Today, 79 per cent of “the original productive old-growth forests on Vancouver Island have been logged, including 90 per cent of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow,” according to the B.C. Green Party.

See the original article

AFA’s Youth Supporters

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We find inspiration knowing that younger generations are taking action to learn about and protect BC’s ancient forests as our now and future leaders. We’d like to send a shout-out to some of these amazing youth!

Thank you very much to Fiona and Melody for organizing a ‘Toonie Party’ for their 10th birthday, which raised $200 with support from family and friends. We’d also like to give thanks to the students from Wishart Elementary School who delivered petition signatures to Mitzi Dean at the Legislature; to Emma’s class at Regent Christian Online Academy for interviewing Joan, our Admin Director (and Emma’s Grammy) to learn about AFA’s work and how non-profit organizations can make a difference in this world; to Ben and his brothers in California for starting a ‘Save the World’ club to educate their community about pressing environmental issues; and to the Toronto students who presented on Big Lonely Doug at their Earth Day Symposium. Thank you all for your courage and support!

 

Grade 5 students from Wishart Elementary School with their old-growth poster-board.
L-to-R: Jennifer Neufeldt, Addison Foulis, Carter Hobson, & Maddie Kimola,

B.C. Greens call for halt on logging Island old-growth

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Times Colonist
May 14, 2019

The provincial government should immediately halt the logging of old-growth forests on Vancouver Island, the B.C. Green Party said Monday. However, B.C.’s minister of forests rejected a moratorium, saying it would be devastating for the Island’s forestry workers.

In the legislature, the Green Party called on the government to impose a moratorium on old-growth logging and develop more sustainable forestry practices that protect vital ecosystems.

The call comes amid uncertainty around the B.C. government’s plans to log 109 hectares of old-growth forest near Juan de Fuca Provincial Park.

“Our coastal old-growth is not a renewable resource — and there’s not much left,” Sonia Furstenau, Green MLA for Cowichan Valley, said in a statement. “These globally rare ecosystems support threatened species — including wild salmon — and keep our water and air clean.”

Furstenau said the government should protect the last few remaining intact old-growth forest “hot spots” on Vancouver Island and transition to second-growth logging, which focuses on cutting trees that have regrown after a timber harvest.

“Logging old-growth is short-sighted,” said Furstenau. “It jeopardizes the job stability, local economies, and ecosystem health.”

Forests Minister Doug Donaldson said more than 500,000 hectares of old-growth forests on Vancouver Island are already protected in provincial or national parks or other designated areas.

“Over half the old-growth forests on the coast of Vancouver Island are protected. So we have a lot of old-growth forest protected already,” Donaldson told the Times Colonist. “And the remainder of the areas that are being managed, if we implement an immediate moratorium in those areas, the impacts to the forest sector on Vancouver Island would be devastating.”

There are 24,000 people who work directly in the forestry sector and many of those people would lose their jobs if a moratorium is imposed, said Donaldson, adding there are not enough second-growth trees to replace old-growth cutblocks.

Last week, the Ministry of Forests confirmed that a controversial plan to log old-growth forests near Juan de Fuca Provincial Park had been postponed for a second time following a public outcry.

The ministry said B.C. Timber Sales, a government agency, had pulled its advertisements for the auction of 109 hectares of forest in seven cutblocks — including two that come within 50 metres of the park.

The ministry said it needed more time to engage with a local stakeholder who was missed during the initial referral process.

Jon Cash, co-owner of Soule Creek Lodge, received an email from B.C. Timber Sales saying the sale had been “postponed/ removed” to allow for more engagement with the lodge.

Cash has said the noise of chainsaws and road blasting will be devastating for the lodge, which is located near the proposed clearcuts.

Donaldson said the ministry also plans to investigate information provided by environmental groups that there are legacy trees — particularly old and large trees — in the cutblock.

“Best practices of B.C. Timber Sales is to preserve those legacy trees, so that’s why the timber sale was taken off B.C. Bid,” Donaldson said.

The Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce decried the original logging plans, saying clear-cutting the forests would do irreparable harm to tourism in a region that has branded itself Canada’s Tall Tree Capital.

The Green Party says 79 per cent of the original productive old-growth forests on Vancouver Island have been logged, including 90 per cent of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow. Despite that, B.C. Timber Sales continues to auction off the remaining Crown-owned old-growth for logging.

Green MLA Adam Olsen, the party’s forestry spokesman, acknowledged the importance of forestry jobs, but said thousands of jobs have been lost over the decades due to poor forestry management.

“We want high-paying jobs that are not vulnerable to boom-bust economics,” he said. “There are mills on Vancouver Island that can only process old-growth.

“But old-growth is a finite resource, and most of it is already gone. That means those forestry jobs are at risk.”

In February, environmental advocacy group Sierra Club B.C. delivered a petition signed by 20,000 British Columbians to five NDP MLA constituency offices, including the Vancouver-Fairview office of Environment Minister George Heyman.

In June 2018, 223 scientists from nine countries signed a letter urging the provincial government to take immediate action to protect B.C.’s temperate rain forests.

The B.C. Greens say they’ve received more than 20,000 emails from British Columbians asking why the province fails to protect old-growth trees.

In the next six months, Donaldson said, the government will begin a public consultation process with First Nations groups and communities across Vancouver Island as it develops a sustainable forest management plan.

Last year, the NDP government protected an additional 70,000 hectares of old-growth forests on southern Vancouver Island and the southern mainland to ensure an undisturbed habitat for marbled murrelet and coastal northern goshawk, Donaldson said.

An additional 1,000 hectares of old-growth Douglas fir was also protected on the east side of Vancouver Island.

Furstenau said the government is inflating the amount of old-growth forest that is protected.

“The government cannot continue to talk about a future strategy while actively logging these endangered forests,” Furstenau said. “They must act now, or British Columbians and future generations will suffer consequences.”

kderosa@timescolonist.com
lkines@timescolonist.comm

See the original article

B.C. Greens call for immediate halt to old-growth logging on Vancouver Island

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CTV Vancouver Island
May 13, 2019

The B.C. Green Party is calling for an immediate halt to the logging of old-growth forests on Vancouver Island.

The Greens called on the government to impose a logging moratorium at the B.C. legislature Monday, asking the province to adopt more sustainable forestry practices to protect old-growth ecosystems.

“Our coastal old-growth is not a renewable resource, and there’s not much left,” said MLA Sonia Furstenau, deputy leader of the B.C. Greens.

“Stakeholders and experts are clear that the government is inflating the amount of productive old-growth that’s protected from logging. These globally rare ecosystems support threatened species — including wild salmon — and keep our water and air clean.”

The B.C. Green caucus said in a news release that an immediate transition to a “second-growth economy” is necessary to protect the island’s remaining untouched old-growth habitats.

“Last year, hundreds of scientists from around the world wrote the NDP government and asked them to protect our rainforests,” Furstenau said.

“A petition with hundreds of thousands of signatures calling for the same was delivered to the legislature. Our B.C. Green offices have received more than 20,000 emails from concerned British Columbians asking why the province continues to eradicate its old-growth.”

The Greens accused the NDP government of pursuing the previous Liberal government’s old-growth logging policy.

“Forestry jobs are of critical importance to B.C., but thousands have been lost over the last few decades. That’s because we haven’t been managing our forests sustainably or promoting value-added manufacturing,” said B.C. Green MLA Adam Olsen, who shares the role of forestry spokesperson.

“We want high-paying jobs that are not vulnerable to boom-bust economics. There are mills on Vancouver Island that can only process old-growth. But old-growth is a finite resource, and most of it is already gone. That means those forestry jobs are at risk.”

Olsen said investing in value-added manufacturing and refitting existing mills will protect the island’s most endangered forest ecosystems.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps voiced her support for the Green initiative, saying, “as serious climate leaders, we must protect Vancouver Island’s remaining old-growth forests for generations to come.”

See the original article

Note: Keep in mind that, while Forests Minister Doug Donaldson states that a moratoria would be devastating for forestry workers, thousands of forestry jobs have already been lost over the last 20 years largely due to the decline in availability of old-growth trees from excessive clearcut logging.

The BC government needs to help create a forest industry for the future, not continue down the forest policies of the past. This can be done by facilitating the shift to a sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest sector while quickly phasing out logging of BC’s old-growth forests. It means creating incentives and regulations to support retooling of mills to handle second-growth trees; developing a long-term, science-based plan for the protection of ancient forests; and, in the meantime, putting a halt on the logging of the most intact, endangered old-growth forest “hotspots.”

First and foremost, the Forests Minister needs to stop hiding behind misleading stats and acknowledge there’s a crisis on our hands. For example, of the 520,000 hectares of old-growth forest that Donaldson states are protected on Vancouver Island, only about 160,000 hectares are productive old-growth while the other 360,000 hectares are low productivity forests with little to no commercial value. He also states that over 50% of the old-growth on the coast is protected, but this includes the Great Bear Rainforest, where 85% of forests are set aside from commercial logging and where the forests are not as endangered compared to the south coast. He also leaves out vast, largely cut-over private lands and ignores the context of how much has already been logged since European colonization!

Sonia Furstenau: The Island’s old growth is under attack

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Times Colonist
May 13, 2019

Falling-boundary tape in one of the seven old-growth cutblocks that were proposed by B.C. Timber Sales near Juan de Fuca Provincial Park. Photograph By TJ WATT

Vancouver Island marches ever closer to losing its last remaining productive old-growth forests, and yet government after government continues to advance the same policies. So far, the B.C. NDP government has maintained that same status quo.

Let me be clear: Logging productive old growth is not in any way sustainable. It’s a finite resource on Vancouver Island, and most of it is already gone. That’s a critical threat — not only for species and habitats, but for jobs. There are mills that are fitted to process only old growth. What are those workers going to do when we run out?

It’s time we took a different approach that protects our old-growth forests and gives a real future to the communities that rely on them.

Our B.C. Green offices have received more than 20,000 emails from concerned British Columbians asking why the province continues to eradicate its old growth.

And not just any old growth. These are some of the most pristine, intact and biodiverse habitats in the world. They support not just flora and fauna, but entire industries and communities.

This month, in a review of B.C. Timber Sales’ sales schedule, environmental organizations Elphinstone Logging Focus and Sierra Club B.C. revealed that the B.C. government plans to auction more than 1,300 hectares of cutblocks in old-growth forests across Vancouver Island in 2019.

More than 100 hectares of this old-growth forest scheduled to be clearcut is adjacent to Juan de Fuca Provincial Park located northeast of Botanical Beach and south of Port Renfrew. After immense public outcry, the political repercussions were enough to spur the province’s timber agency to “postpone” the auction pending consultation with a stakeholder they had apparently overlooked.

Let’s crunch the numbers. At present, 79 per cent of the original productive old-growth forests on B.C.’s southern coast have been logged, including 90 per cent of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow. Only eight per cent of Vancouver Island’s original productive old-growth forests are protected in parks and old-growth management areas.

But you might not see these same numbers from government. Why?

By deliberately choosing how old growth is defined, measured and valued, the B.C. NDP government is continuing the same policy approach we saw under the B.C. Liberals that will log most of our old-growth forests.

One tactic government uses is to re-define “old growth” — to treat a sub-alpine ancient forest, where the trees might never grow more than a few dozen feet high, the same as a valley bottom, where the centuries-old giants ascend into the heavens. These sub-alpine forests aren’t valuable for logging, so it’s convenient to “protect” them. This inflates how much old-growth is “protected” from being logged.

B.C. Greens have been an invaluable contributor to the Clean B.C. economic plan and on other files on which our values align with government. On old growth, however, we are deeply concerned that this government simply won’t do what is necessary to protect our old growth forests and the communities that rely on them. That’s why we three Green MLAs are speaking out: To hold government accountable. British Columbians deserve better.

We must change how land-use decisions are made in this province, to create healthy, sustainable, resilient communities as the impacts of climate change increase and intensify.

We need to ensure that the people who live on the land, who depend on the water and soil, are participating in decisions about that land. First Nations, local community representatives and local governments need to be at the table. Port Renfrew has re-defined itself as the “Tall Tree Capital of Canada,” generating a sustainable ecotourism-based economy. Remove the tall trees and this burgeoning economy, along with its ecosystem, falters.

We also must immediately begin the transition to second-growth forestry. That means investing in mill retrofits and incentivizing value-added manufacturing. It is possible to create a second-growth industry that moves us away from the boom-and-bust cycle that workers have been perpetually trapped in.

We must protect the last of the old growth on Vancouver Island for future generations, because we recognize that ultimately it belongs to them, not us. We demand government start making decisions that our grandchildren won’t have to forgive us for.

Sonia Furstenau is the Green Party MLA for Cowichan Valley.

Read the original op ed


B.C. Greens call for immediate moratorium on logging of VI old-growth, support sustainable second-growth industry

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May 13, 2019

VICTORIA, B.C. — Today at the Legislature, forestry and community stakeholders joined the B.C. Greens in calling for a moratorium to protect Vancouver Island’s vital old-growth ecosystems and to develop more sustainable forest practices that B.C. can depend on for generations to come.

“Our coastal old-growth is not a renewable resource – and there’s not much left,” said MLA Sonia Furstenau, deputy leader of the B.C. Greens. “Stakeholders and experts are clear that the government is inflating the amount of productive old-growth that’s protected from logging. These globally rare ecosystems support threatened species – including wild salmon – and keep our water and air clean.

“We are demanding that the provincial government immediately halt logging in old-growth hotspots on Vancouver Island and invest in transitioning to a sustainable second-growth economy.”

The B.C. Green caucus is calling on government to protect “hotspots”- the few remaining intact, pristine old-growth forests – on Vancouver Island and the people, species, and businesses that depend on them.

“Last year, hundreds of scientists from around the world wrote the NDP government and asked them to protect our rainforests,” Furstenau said. “Last fall, a petition with hundreds of thousands of signatures calling for the same was delivered to the Legislature. Our B.C. Green offices have received more than 20,000 emails from concerned British Columbians asking why the province continues to eradicate its old-growth. We need to take action now.”

At present, 79 per cent of the original productive old-growth forests on Vancouver Island have been logged, including 90 per cent of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow. Yet according to multiple reviews of their sales schedule, the provincial timber agency is actively auctioning off the remaining old-growth for logging. Despite its 2017 campaign rhetoric, the NDP government is continuing to pursue the Liberal government’s old- growth logging legacy. 

“Forestry jobs are of critical importance to B.C., but thousands have been lost over the last few decades. That’s because we haven’t been managing our forests sustainably or promoting value-added manufacturing,” said B.C. Green MLA Adam Olsen, who shares the role of forestry spokesperson. “We want high-paying jobs that are not vulnerable to boom-bust economics. There are mills on Vancouver Island that can only process old-growth. But old-growth is a finite resource, and most of it is already gone. That means those forestry jobs are at risk.

“There are so many solutions available,” Olsen continued. “We can invest in value-added manufacturing and refit our mills. We can sustainably harvest using practices informed by scientific evidence and traditional knowledge. We can collaborate with local communities and Indigenous people who have an intimate knowledge of their landbase.”

“Logging old-growth is short-sighted,” added Furstenau. “It jeopardizes the job stability, local economies, and ecosystem health. The government cannot continue to talk about a future strategy while actively logging these endangered forests. They must act now, or British Columbians and future generations will suffer consequences.”

Quotes:

Andrea Inness, Ancient Forest Alliance Campaigner –

“Old-growth hotspots represent the very best of what remains of B.C.’s unprotected and endangered ancient forests. But thanks to B.C.’s destructive forest policies, they’re disappearing before our eyes. Although we desperately need long-term, science-based solutions for all of B.C. old-growth forests, it is imperative the B.C. government immediately halt logging in hotspots to ensure those areas with the highest conservation value receive the protection they deserve.”

Josie Osborne, Mayor of Tofino –

“We can have healthy, vibrant forest-based economies in Vancouver Island communities while conserving intact, high-productivity hotspots if we have strong leadership, a bold vision, and a plan for a fair transition to a new way of conducting forestry. I believe that industry, First Nations, and communities share the right values to make this transition successfully.”

Lisa Helps, Mayor of Victoria –

“I’d like to add my voice to the chorus of municipal and business leaders on the island calling for the protection of some of the island’s most precious ecological assets and for the preservation of biodiversity. As serious climate leaders, we must protect Vancouver Island’s remaining old-growth forests for generations to come.”

Andy MacKinnon, Forest Ecologist –

“For millennia B.C.’s magnificent coastal old-growth forests have provided us with a wealth of social, economic and ecological benefits. Logging old-growth forests is not renewable resource management – once these old-growth forests are gone, they’re gone forever. And if we’re logging 10,000 hectares of old-growth forests on Vancouver Island every year, we’re certainly the last generation that will have a chance to save these forests for our children.”

Barry Gates, Ecoforestry Institute Society Co-Chair –

“Wildwood Ecoforest serves an example of what forests on Vancouver Island might have looked like had government not engaged in a management policy of old-growth elimination and the replacement of these magnificent forests by short rotation, mono-species stands. In the face of climate change, this decision will have devastating consequences.”

See the original media release

Thank you to our recent business supporters!

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At AFA, we’re no strangers to the daily grind and we know it takes great effort to run a successful enterprise. That’s why we’re especially grateful when the business community finds ways to support our ancient forest campaigns! We’ve recently received support from several stand-up businesses that we would like to acknowledge: Seaflora Skincare is donating 5% of e-commerce sales from all of May to AFA; Enlife Studio is donating 10% of proceeds from sales of forest-themed artwork; Gran Manitou is donating 10% from sales of their ‘Big Lonely Doug’ t-shirt, Skye Dreamer donated generous proceeds from their nature photography, and Bough & Antler Northwest Goods continues to regularly support our work, including designing the logo on our AFA t-shirt. Thank you all for your outstanding support and continued efforts to help conserve BC’s endangered old-growth forests!

Plan to log near Juan de Fuca park on hold again for consultation with nearby lodge

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Falling boundary tape in one of the seven old-growth cutblocks that were proposed by BC Timber Sales near the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park.

Times Colonist
May 9, 2019

A controversial plan to log old-growth forests near Juan de Fuca Provincial Park has been postponed for a second time.

The Ministry of Forests confirmed Wednesday that B.C. Timber Sales has pulled its advertisements for the auction of 109 hectares of forest in seven cutblocks — including two that come within 50 metres of the park.

It’s the second time the government agency has delayed the sale following a public outcry from conservationists, businesses and others.

Forests Minister Doug Donaldson initially said the auction deadline was being pushed back two weeks to May 10 to give officials time to investigate concerns raised by environmental groups.

This time, the ministry said B.C. Timber Sales “is no longer advertising the timber sale in order to engage with a local stakeholder who was inadvertently missed during the initial referral process.”

Donaldson was unavailable for an interview Wednesday and the ministry did not identify the stakeholder.

But Jon Cash, co-owner of Soule Creek Lodge, said he received an email from B.C. Timber Sales Wednesday morning saying the sale had been “postponed/removed to allow for additional engagement with Soule Creek Lodge.”

The lodge is located near the proposed clearcuts and Cash has complained that noise from chainsaws and road blasting will devastate his business.

B.C. Timber Sales said in the email that it hopes “to find reasonable grounds to move forward with this timber sale in the near future with refinements that hopefully meet your interests.”

Cash called the response “not terribly encouraging” and urged the government to clarify its plans.

“I think the political blowback has been significant enough that they’re trying to defuse it a bit until they can figure out how to deal with it,” he said.

Cash added that it’s unfair of the government to blame the delay on him when thousands of others oppose logging in the area.

“It’s hardly me that’s standing in the way,” he said.

Environmental groups have launched a campaign to protect the forests, arguing that the massive trees represent a major tourist attraction and a buffer against the impacts of climate change and species loss.

The Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce says clear-cutting the forests would do irreparable harm to tourism in a region that has branded itself Canada’s Tall Tree Capital.

Chamber president Dan Hager took it as positive sign that B.C. Timber Sales appears to have delayed the sale indefinitely. “At the very worst, what we’ve done is we’ve bought some time.”

Now, groups can bolster their economic and environmental arguments for saving the trees in case the government tries to revive its plans, he said.

“I mean, the arguments we can make that this is a dumb idea just go on.”

The Ancient Forest Alliance attributed the latest delay to the ongoing public backlash.

“I can’t speak to the length of the postponement, but it would seem that with the amount of people who are paying attention to this topic and [who] are staunchly opposed to it, it would be hard to see it going forward,” said TJ Watt, an alliance campaigner and photographer.

“I would say at least the battle has been won, but we’ll see where it goes from here.

“Ideally, we would see those regions protected, either through an old-growth management area or, in a perfect world, the expansion of the provincial park.”

lkines@timescolonist.com

See the original article