Protesters block logging road near Port Renfrew

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Times Colonist
August 12, 2020

 

About 20 protesters have blocked a logging road near Port Renfrew, vowing they will stay until old-growth forests in a critical watershed area of the San Juan River are protected.

The protesters say they want the provincial government to prevent Teal Jones from building a road into the Fairy Creek headwaters. They say the logging company has already cut trees and blasted and bulldozed rock for the road, and are cresting a ridge into an area that contains old-growth yellow cedar, hemlock, Douglas fir and cedar.  

The area is part of Tree Farm Licence 46, which is held by Surrey-based Teal Jones.

In a statement, protesters are calling on the province for the “immediate and permanent protection of the entire Fairy Creek Valley, [and to] nullify all cutbocks and road construction approvals in the watershed and contiguous old-growth forests.”

Bobby Arbess, a spokesman for the protesters, said Fairy Creek is the last unlogged tributary in the San Juan watershed and “is far too important to allow the status quo of industrial forestry to happen here.”

He said the “grass-roots” protest sprung up quickly as Teal Jones intensified its road-building operations. The group includes locals from Port Renfrew and Jordan River and others from as far away as Fanny Bay who are concerned about the rapid decline of old-growth forests, said Arbess, who said he’s a landscaper.

“Teal Jones is trying to get a foothold into the watershed, which is a way companies leverage for a cut-block application,” Arbess said. “They say, ‘We’ve already built the road, so let us log.’ ”

Tree Forest Lisences cover vast areas and companies who hold them must apply to log and build roads in areas within the licence area. So far, Teal Jones has not applied for a cutblock in the Fairy Creek watershed, but observers say cresting the ridge on tributary’s valley is too close.

A sub-contractor was taking photos of the protesters over the weekend, and Arbess expects Teal Jones to file a court injunction to have them removed.

A spokesman for Teal Jones said Tuesday the “company has no comment at this time.”

The protesters want Premier John Horgan — whose riding contains the tree-forest licence — to immediately release the recommendations outlined by an independent review on old-growth forests.

The review was completed April 30 and a response was expected by Forestry Minister Doug Donaldson within six months, although the minster has recently said it could be revealed by the end of summer or early fall.

The protesters expect that the report will recommend protecting old-growth forests and the critical habitats around them.

“We’re trying to send a strong message that the loss of critical old-growth affects habitats for so many [species] that it hurts diversity and it degrades salmon habitat,” Arbess said.

Arbess suggested the slow response from government might also have a political point, saying Teal Jones is headquartered in Surrey, which is a “critical swing riding for the NDP.”

Arbess suggested the Fairy Lake watershed would be a good park acquisition for the Capital Regional District, which has land from Salt Spring to Port Renfrew.

Port Renfrew has been reinventing itself after the decline of forestry and commercial fishing and now promotes itself as an outdoor recreation hub with trail heads to the West Coast and Juan de Fuca trails.

The local chamber of commerce uses “Tall Tree Capital of Canada’ to promote the region as tourists have been flocking to old-growth patches called Avatar Grove, Red Creek Fir and Lonely Doug.

dkloster@timescolonist.com

APTN NEWS- Fairy Creek

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Check out this APTN News piece about the current blockade to stop Teal Jones from logging Fairy Creek, the last unlogged watershed in the San Juan river system and probably the last unprotected intact watershed on southern Vancouver Island. (Skip ahead to 1:33 to watch the segment).

Endangered ancient forests like those surrounding Fairy Creek are being logged daily while the BC government drags its heels, makes plans for more talks, and refuses to immediately halt logging in BC’s most endangered old-growth ecosystems, despite science telling us they are on the brink of ecological collapse.

Hunger Strike Ends, but Old Growth Battle Just Beginning, Say Protesters

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Lack of response from government led Nanaimo duo to give up fast after two weeks.

The Tyee
August 11, 2020

NanaimoHungerStrikeEnd.jpg
Robert Fuller and James Darling ended their hunger strike at a Nanaimo rally. Photo supplied.

Two Nanaimo men have ended their hunger strike in protest of old growth logging but vow the fight to change government policy will continue.

James Darling and Robert Fuller ended their strike at a weekend rally after two weeks without food.

Darling, a 35-year-old musician, had said earlier that he wanted to continue the strike for at least three weeks and Fuller had said he was willing to go without food until his health was at risk.

But despite protests at the offices of Nanaimo MLA Sheila Malcolmson and Nanaimo-North Cowichan MLA Doug Routley with members of Extinction Rebellion Nanaimo and others, the hunger strike failed to bring a government response.

Since the MLAs weren’t responding in a meaningful way, the Nanaimo rally seemed the right time to end the hunger strike, said Fuller, a 61-year-old former forest worker.

Other than a brief Skype conversation with Malcolmson and Routley, Darling and Fuller said they received no response from the provincial government.

“Premier John Horgan and [Forests] Minister Doug Donaldson have completely ignored us, and our MLAs have given us some really lame answers,” Darling said in a media release. The strikers said Malcolmson pointed to trade agreements with China as a reason the province couldn’t take action on old growth logging.

Fuller said the protest achieved other goals, including raising awareness of the destruction of old growth ecosystems. Social media helped them reach people across the country, he said.

“I just feel humbled by all of the support we got,” said Fuller. “We met many new people who share the same goals.”

One of those supporters is Sabina Dennis, an Indigenous woman from Dakelh territory who was on the frontlines of the conflict between the Wet’suwet’en people and Coastal GasLink over an LNG pipeline that would cut through traditional territory.

Fuller said Dennis undertook her own four-day hunger strike in solidarity with their cause, telling the two men that they are “united as land defenders.” She provided continued support in the form of messages and videos, which Fuller says moved him to tears.

“She sent a couple of videos of Elders blessing us. It was one of those moments in your life when you get that tingly all-body feeling. Something that makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something… I had a really good cry.”

Darling, Fuller and the rest of Extinction Rebellion Nanaimo aren’t sure what their next steps will be. The group’s goal is still to push Premier Horgan to declare a moratorium on old growth logging.

Until that happens, Fuller said, “We are going to keep fighting.”

“Nothing’s off the books,” he said. “It will be non-violent civil disobedience of some sort…. We did the hunger strike… it’s time to take things to the next level.”

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Battle of Fairy Creek: blockade launched to save Vancouver Island old-growth

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Victoria News
August 10th, 2020

‘Forest Defenders’ occupy road to prevent logging company from reaching Port Renfrew-area watershed

With peaceful protests, sit-ins and a blockade, the battle to save old-growth forests has intensified near Port Renfrew.

Calling Fairy Creek the last intact unlogged watershed of southern Vancouver Island’s San Juan River system, “forest defenders” are adamant they will not allow logging in that area.

On Aug. 10, the group of 20-30 protesters from several communities across Vancouver Island annunced a blockade of the road leading to Fairy Creek. Members say they will continue to block forestry company Teal Jones’ road crews from any further constructions until the provincial government intervenes, or Team Jones Group abandons plans to log the area around the creek.

READ ALSO: What exactly is ‘old growth’ B.C. forest, and how much is protected?

Surrey-based Teal Jones is the license holder of Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 46 and protesters maintain the company has “felled and graded several hectares of old-growth forest” on a road network that will soon breach the ridegline and enter the watershed. Black Press Media has reached out to Teal Jones for a comment.

Protesters called on B.C. Premier John Horgan’s office to establish an “immediate and permanent protection of the entire Fairy Creek Valley, thereby nullifying all cut blocks and road construction approvals in the watershed and contiguous old growth forests.”

Arbess said that when he contacted the premier’s office Aug. 6, the deputy called back to assure him that it was an urgent matter and asked him to submit a written letter.

“I haven’t heard back since,” he said.

Protesters want the provincial government to release the recommendations of the Old Growth Forest Review Panel submitted to the Forest Minister, Doug Donaldson’s office.

The report prepared by an independent panel of Garry Merkel and Al Gorley was received by Donaldson’s office on April 30 and a public response was announced within six months of receiving the report.

“The report has been sitting on the minister’s desk for months now and we want to know what is the direction they are planning to move forward in,” said protester Saul Arbess. He said that while the ministry delays the report, logging companies continue to wipe out old-growth.

Protesters are also asking for an immediate end to old-growth logging on Vancouver Island.

“It is unconscionable for the government to approve continued industrial destruction of the last old-growth temperate rainforest and new road developments into unlogged watersheds within the premier’s own electoral riding while it sits on the recommendations made by the Old Growth Review Panel,” stated Bobby Arbess, another protester at Fairy Creek.

Donaldson said in an email that the ministry will release the report well in advance of the said six months.

“The panelists (Merkel and Gorley) asked government to release the report within six months of its receipt on April 30. We expect to release it well in advance of that, likely later this summer or in the early fall,” said Donaldson.

However, last week, in a reply to MLA John Rustad’s questions about his ministry’s $489 million budget at B.C. legislature, Donaldson said that the ministry isn’t considering a moratorium on old-growth logging for an industry that has seen steady increase in protected areas and restrictions on the Crown land base.

READ MORE: Big old trees almost gone forever in B.C., scientists warn

READ MORE: Nanaimo men holding hunger strike to protest logging of old-growth forests

Over the past few weeks protests have been erupting on Vancouver Island to save old-growths. On August 8, James Darling and Robert Fuller completed a 14-day hunger strike in Nanaimo to protest against old-growth logging.

Earlier in June, an independent study undertaken by Nelson based research firm showed that there’s only three per cent of old-growth trees left in B.C. The report calls on the government to update forest management strategy for the current mix of forests, and to place a moratorium on old-growth logging in any area with less than 10 per cent old-growth remaining.

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The future of BC’s ancient forests hangs in the balance of decisions made today

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While the NDP government deliberates on the future of BC’s endangered old-growth forests, logging of ancient trees continues at a shocking pace across the island. Teal-Jones is one of the worst offenders, with dozens of old-growth cutblocks spread out across the Walbran, Caycuse, and Gordon River Valleys. They’ve also begun road construction adjacent to the unprotected headwaters of Fairy Creek (about 4km up from the lake) northeast of Port Renfrew and while there are no current cutblock applications at this time, it’s very likely part of their future plans. Teal Jones also plans to log the second-growth forest along the Gordon River, across from Avatar Grove, which will further mar the scenery from the bridge next to the world-famous tourist site.

The same story is playing out across hundreds of other valleys across Vancouver Island as well, often beyond the scrutiny of the public eye. Time is running out for these old-growth ‘hotspots’ of high conservation and recreation value. The BC NDP must enact strong and immediate measures to protect these highly endangered ancient forest ecosystems before the logging industry erases them forever.

TAKE ACTION! ⬇️

TWEET: @DonaldsonDoug @JJHorgan @GeorgeHeyman
EMAIL: Doug Donaldson at FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca
CALL: Doug Donaldson’s office at 250-387-6240
SEND-A-MESSAGE: www.AncientForestAlliance.org/send-a-message

ACTION ALERT: Have your say on BC’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan.

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Until Tues, July 21st, British Columbians can submit their input on the BC government’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan. This presents a critical opportunity to call for investments in environmental protection and the transition to a green economy, including sustainable, second-growth forestry, as the Province works to “build back better”.

BC’s COVID-19 recovery means not only learning and adapting from our experiences during the pandemic, it should also address the climate and biodiversity crises that threaten our health and economy to an even greater extent.

As long as environmental destruction, including the liquidation of BC’s endangered ancient forests continues, we are hindering our chances of creating a truly sustainable, just, and resilient province. Tell the NDP government it’s time to build a better BC by investing in solutions that support the health and well-being of communities and species alike.

There are 3 ways to submit your feedback on BC’s COVID-19 recovery plan:

1. Email your response to the BC government’s Recovery Discussion Paper to recoveryideas@gov.bc.ca. Read the discussion paper here
2. Complete the online survey
3. Participate in a virtual town hall

Here are some suggested points you can use:

• Old-growth forests provide clean air, absorb pollutants, filter freshwater for wildlife and communities, support our physical and mental health, and are vital to the cultures of many First Nations.

• BC’s ancient forests are one of our greatest assets in this time of climate crisis. They store 2-3 times more carbon per hectare than the second-growth plantations they’re replaced with, help mitigate the negative effects of climate change by acting as buffers against floods and fires, and they provide biological diversity, which supports adaptation and resilience.

• Studies have shown that keeping old-growth forests standing can provide a greater overall economic benefit than cutting them down when factoring in recreation, tourism, carbon storage, non-timber forest products, and other non-timber values.

• Recent independent research shows only a tiny fraction (less than 3%) of BC’s highly productive old-growth forests (those capable of growing big trees) remain standing today.

As part of its COVID-19 recovery plan, the BC government must:
• Prioritize the protection of life-supporting ecosystems, including old-growth forests, by halting logging in BC’s most endangered old-growth ecosystems and developing a comprehensive, science-based plan to protect remaining old-growth forests across BC.

• Fund the protection of endangered ecosystems on private lands by establishing a dedicated $40 million per year BC Natural Lands Acquisition Fund.

• Grow BC’s manufacturing sector by using regulations and incentives to encourage the retooling of mills and the development of value-added, second-growth wood manufacturing facilities to sustain and enhance forestry jobs.

• Provide training and apprenticeship opportunities to help build the skilled labour force to develop a higher-end, value-added wood manufacturing sector that can employ far more workers per volume of wood harvested.

• Support the sustainable economic development of First Nations economies in lieu of old-growth logging through conservation financing.

• Support and fund Indigenous-led land-use plans and protected areas to maintain the significant cultural values of ancient forests while supporting First Nations’ communities and wellbeing.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this page with your network. 

Have questions? Visit BC’s COVID-19 recovery plan web page for more information.

Photos: Taylor River Valley – Old-Growth Under Threat

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Our exploration of the Taylor River Valley near Port Alberni in June 2020 exposed BC Timber Sales’ plans to auction off nearly 200 football fields worth of old-growth forest.

ACTION ALERT: Speak up for ancient forests. Submit your feedback on Budget 2021 by June 26th!

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Right now until 5:00 pm, Friday, June 26th, the BC government is seeking input from British Columbians on their priorities for the 2021 provincial budget. This is a critical opportunity for us to request funding for old-growth forest protection!

Budget 2021 will set the tone for a post-COVID-19 BC. With $1.5 billion in stimulus spending, overwhelming public support, and a promise to “build back better” after COVID, the BC government needs to prioritize spending for environmental conservation, an area which typically receives decreased funding and attention following an economic downturn.

Protecting ancient forests while supporting First Nations communities is critical for ensuring a healthy, just, and resilient British Columbia. And, although regulatory measures such as science-based protection targets are desperately needed for ancient forests on Crown lands, BC also needs to allocate funding in Budget 2021 to protect endangered old-growth forests and other ecosystems on private lands and support the long-term economic and social well-being of First Nations communities that want to protect ancient forests in their territories.

Please join us in calling on the BC government to commit funding in Budget 2021 for: 

  1. A provincial Natural Lands Acquisition Fund for the purchase and protection of endangered ecosystems on private lands to sustain wildlife, clean water, recreation and tourism;
  2. Conservation financing for the sustainable economic development of First Nations economies in lieu of old-growth logging;
  3. Indigenous-led land use planning and protected areas to maintain the significant cultural values of ancient forests while supporting First Nations’ communities and wellbeing.

To submit your feedback, visit the Budget 2021 consultation website, where you can either make a written, audio, or video submission (see our suggested wording for a written submission below) or complete the online survey (see our handy survey guide below).


SUBMIT YOUR FEEDBACK NOW

Written submission

Suggested wording for a written submission

To the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services,

BC’s coastal and temperate old-growth forests are vital for sustaining unique and endangered species, BC’s multi-billion dollar tourism industry, many First Nations cultures, a stable climate, and clean water for communities and wild salmon.

Recent independent research shows that only a tiny fraction (less than 3%) of BC’s highly productive old-growth forests (those capable of growing big trees) remain standing today. Studies have also shown that keeping old-growth forests standing can provide a greater overall economic benefit than cutting them down when factoring in the values listed above.

I therefore recommend the BC government prioritize the conservation of endangered old-growth forests in its 2021 provincial budget by:

1) Establishing a dedicated $40 million per year BC Natural Lands Acquisition Fund to purchase private lands of high conservation, scenic, cultural, and recreational value from willing sellers to add to BC’s parks and protected areas system. This $40 million annual fund should increase by $10 million/year until the fund reaches $100 million/year.

2) Contributing funding toward the sustainable development and economic diversification of Vancouver Island First Nations communities in lieu of old-growth logging, similar to the $120 million (including $30 million in provincial funds) provided to First Nations in the Great Bear Rainforest in support of ecosystem-based management in that region.

3) Allocate dedicated funding toward the planning, implementation, and management of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in BC. IPCAs are increasingly being recognized as innovative and effective mechanisms for conserving lands and waters while also supporting the languages, cultures, health, wellbeing, jobs, and economies of Indigenous communities and must be supported and funded in Budget 2021.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

[your name]

Survey guide

Question 1. The B.C. government is committed to making life more affordable, delivering the services people count on and building a resilient, sustainable economy. What are your top three priorities to help make life better for you and your community as we come through COVID-19?

In addition to your own views, please include one or both of the following points.

Note: To edit the text below, copy and paste it into a Word document or a similar program, edit, then copy/paste into the survey.

1. To create a resilient and truly sustainable economy, we must protect the natural ecosystems on which we all depend for our health and survival. Many of BC’s most endangered ecosystems are found on privately-owned lands and support large concentrations of endangered species, wild salmon habitat, drinking watersheds, the climate, important First Nations cultural sites, and outstanding tourism and recreational opportunities. The BC government must allocate funding to the creation of a provincial Natural Lands Acquisition Fund to systematically purchase and protect endangered ecosystems on BC’s private lands for the benefit of communities and species alike.

2. Recent research shows that only a tiny fraction of BC’s productive old-growth forests remain standing today.  In order to protect endangered old-growth forests on a large scale while also supporting the long-term economic and social wellbeing of Indigenous communities, the BC government must increase funding for Indigenous-led land-use planning, allocate dedicated funding to the creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, and financially support the sustainable economic development and diversification of First Nations communities.

Question 2. Aside from the immediate need to keep people healthy and safe through the COVID-19 pandemic, what actions should government prioritize to help strengthen B.C.’s economy? Please rank your top three choices by entering 1, 2 or 3 in the answer column.

Complete as you see fit. In the “other” category, you may choose to add the following:

  • Invest in an expedited transition to a sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest industry while also protecting old-growth forests and other endangered ecosystems on private and Crown lands.

Question 3. If you had one dollar to put toward programs and services across government, how would you choose to divide it? Enter whole numeric values only (no decimals). Total of all entries must equal 100.

Complete as you see fit. In the “other” category, you may wish to include “Environmental protection.” 

Question 4. Given the ongoing demand for government programs, supports and services, how would you like to see your government continue to pay for them? Please choose up to three.

Please complete as you see fit.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this page with your network. We need thousands of British Columbians to request funding for old-growth protection in Budget 2021!

Questions about the Budget 2021 consultation process? Visit the Budget 2021 website for more information.[Original article no longer available]

Most of B.C.’s massive old trees are ghosts, existing only on paper

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Seattle Times
June 16, 2020

A freshcut portion of an old-growth cutblock on the Upper Walbran on Vancouver Island in 2002. (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times)
1 of 3 | A freshcut portion of an old-growth cutblock on the Upper Walbran on Vancouver Island in 2002. (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times)

Most of British Columbia’s old-growth forests of big trees live only on maps, and what’s left on the ground is fast disappearing, a team of independent scientists has found.

A recent report revealed the amount of old-growth forest still standing in the province has been overestimated by more than 20% and most of the last of what’s left is at risk of being logged within the next 12 years.

In the report, the scientists revealed most of the forest counted as old growth by the province is actually small alpine or boggy forest. It’s old — but the trees are not the giants most people think of when they are referring to old growth.

Less than 1% of the forest left in the province is composed of the productive ground growing massive old trees, some more than 1,000 years old, including coastal temperate rainforests on Vancouver Island and a fast-vanishing inland old-growth temperate rainforest on the west slopes of the Rockies, unique in the world.

While the authors agree with B.C.’s official tally that 23% of the forest in the province is old growth, “that is incredibly misleading,” said Rachel Holt, an ecologist based in Nelson, B.C., and an author of the report.

“They are mixing in bog forests where the trees are no taller than me, and I am 5 feet tall, and they are mixing in high-elevation tiny trees. They are old and valuable but they are not what you, or I, or anyone else thinks of when they think of old growth.”

Most of that forest is unprotected, and unless something changes in B.C. policy, three-quarters of it will be logged within 12 years, the scientists found.

The scientists did the analysis and issued the report in part to inform a panel that has been taking public testimony about the value of old growth from First Nations conservationists and others across the province. The results of the panel’s work are intended to inform a path forward for the management of old growth.

Meanwhile, the losses are continuing and what’s really needed now is a moratorium on further cutting, the scientists stated in the report.

Change is in the works, but won’t be immediate, Doug Donaldson, minister of  Forests, Land, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development said in an email to The Seattle Times.

“We are taking seriously the challenge of managing our vital old forests […] in B.C. That’s why we launched a review and engagement process by two independent experts to examine the issue and provide recommendations,” Donaldson wrote.

“Addressing the issue of managing old growth forests while supporting workers and communities has been a challenge for more than 30 years … This is a problem many years in the making and it won’t be solved immediately. We need a science-based approach … that respects and understands the benefits of old growth to biodiversity in our forests …

“We agree that more work needs to be done… to resolve this.”

At stake are more than big trees. Orca whales also rub on beaches downstream and adjacent to some of the forests being cut. Salmon, primarily chinook, are the primary food source for the northern and southern resident populations of orca whales. Salmon depend on cool, clean water in the streams where they spawn and rear, streams that wind through forests ultimately to saltwater where hungry orcas hunt.

“Salmon connect the land to the sea,” said Andrew Trites, director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus. “All of us are hoping that there is going to be enough fish to feed the southern residents and northern residents.

“How we treat and take care of our forests ultimately determines the fate of our salmon populations. This isn’t just about controlling fishing, it is about controlling what we do on the land.”

Old-growth forests also shelter a vast suite of terrestrial life. Insects that live nowhere else thrive in the worlds within worlds of old-growth canopies. Bears den in the cavities of massive gnarly old trees, and birds, including pileated woodpeckers, nest and feed in their branches. Inland rainforests host lichen that are a primary food of mountain caribou, now pushed to the brink of extinction by loss of the forests they depend on.

The Grey Ghost herd in the south Selkirks, the only mountain caribou in the Lower 48, is already functionally extinct.

Cutting and replanting the old-growth forests that supported caribou and other wildlife will produce fiber, but not the ecological web of life that was lost, said Karen Price, another author on the report.“They are not forests, they are plantations.”

More than 25 years ago, after the so-called War in the Woods over logging in the old growth at Clayoquot Sound, some B.C. old growth remains protected. But all over the province, the losses still continue, Price said. There is no one forest, no one place at risk and most of the valley bottom old growth is already gone.

For years she taught forest ecology at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre on the west side of Vancouver Island, and could take her students to see valley bottom old-growth stands minutes from the classroom, Price said. Before long the students had to take a two-hour bus ride to see old growth because so much had been cut. “We could stand our whole class on one of the stumps, 24 students.”

Old-growth forest and forests in general are under assault around the globe as climate change cranks up both the assaults on big trees, and the need to preserve them.

Bugs, wind, drought and fire are taking out big old trees disproportionately as the climate warms. Yet one of the best defenses against a roasting climate is forests and especially big old trees. Big trees hold 50% of the above ground biomass in a forest and their ability to store carbon is without equal. To moderate the effects of climate change, foresters need to retain the largest trees, and recruit more by letting forests grow, scientists have found.

Price said the team put the report out to alert the public to just how little old growth is left, and the reality that cut blocks are still being drawn by B.C. Timber Sales on what’s left for logging.

“It wasn’t a surprise to any of us,” Price said. “But we were frustrated that nobody knew this.”

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Scientists conclude B.C.’s count of old-growth forest greatly overestimated

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Vancouver Sun
June 9, 2020

An independent report by a trio of scientists warns that the tiny amount of old-growth forest remaining in B.C. is in peril if the province doesn’t implement sweeping policies to protect it.

The report, released last month by Karen Price, Rachel Holt and Dave Daust, was done to aide the province’s Old Growth Strategic Review, a two-person expert panel expected to provide its own report soon. The scientists volunteered their time to inform the panel and submitted their own findings over the past six months.

The scientists found that the province’s count of 13.2 million hectares of old forest — about 23 per cent of forested areas in the province — is accurate but does not tell the whole story.

“We believe that (number) to be a misleading and unhelpful piece of information, so we looked at that in more detail,” said Holt, who owns Veridian Ecological Consulting and has been a contractor for First Nations, industry and the province over the past two decades.

Of the 13.2 million hectares of old-growth forest in B.C., about 80 per cent is home to small trees and only three per cent supports the large trees British Columbians picture when they are thinking about old-growth, the scientists found.

“We need to have representation of all these different ecosystem types — including the ones that have big trees — and we don’t have that in our protection,” Holt said.

The scientists said they found that more than 85 per cent of productive forest sites have less than 30 per cent of the amount of old-growth that would be expected naturally. Of those, half have less than one per cent of expected old-growth.

“This current status puts biodiversity, ecological integrity and resilience at high risk today,” they said in their report.

The scientists recommend three key actions, starting with government immediately stopping the harvesting of the “rarest of the rare” trees.

This would mean retaining all old forest in any ecosystem that has less than 10 per cent of old trees remaining, focusing on retaining higher-productivity sites and the irreplaceable older and ancient forests, and retaining productive, mature stands — smaller management units of trees used for forestry — where there is little or no old-growth left.

They recommend government develop and implement “ecologically defensible” targets for the protection of old forest, protecting at least 30 per cent of each naturally occurring ecosystem.

And they recommend government improves how it implements policy, such as closing loopholes used by the forest industry, to ensure old-forest retention protects the last remaining productive old forest, and provides functional forests for years to come.

“Without immediate action, we will lose these globally priceless values — and still have to deal with a volume-based industry that has not planned ahead for transition,” the scientists wrote.

“The provincial government must provide funding, commitment and management authority to ensure that staff can implement effective forest conservation. Little human effort is tasked with protecting old-forest values, while much is focused on harvesting.”

Minister Doug Donaldson said in an email that his ministry is aware of the report.

“Building a consensus on managing old-growth forests has been a challenge for more than 30 years, this includes trying to get all parties to agree on what is and is not old-growth and how old-growth areas are measured,” said Donaldson, who is minister of forests, lands, natural resource operations and rural development.

He said the problem is “many years in the making” and won’t be solved immediately, which his why his ministry launched a review and engagement process. Donaldson said the solution will require more work with environmental organizations, First Nations, industry and other groups.

“We’re all excited by the buzz this is creating inside and outside government,” said the independent report’s lead author, Karen Price. “We hope that our work will support the minister in his attempts to build policy focused on resilience.”

The full report is available at veridianecological.ca.

neagland@postmedia.com

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