Media Release

Friday, September 17th, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ancient Forest Alliance commends the BC Government and Forests Minister Pat Bell for taking a step forward to protect some of Vancouver Island’s Old-Growth Forests
Legislated End to Logging of Endangered Old-Growth Forests Still Needed

Yesterday the BC government announced the protection of 38,000 hectares of old-growth forests on central and northern Vancouver Island in a series of Old-Growth Management Areas.  On Vancouver Island there are 400,000 hectares of productive old-growth forests outside of protected areas, with another 200,000 hectares in parks and Old-Growth Management Areas.

On Vancouver Island there was once 2.3 million hectares of productive old-growth forests at the time of European colonization, of which 1.7 million hectares have now been logged (leaving 600,000 hectares of productive old-growth). In addition, there are 700,000 hectares of low productivity or marginal old-growth forests of stunted, smaller trees in bogs, subalpine landscapes, and on rocky slopes, most of which still remain.

“The Ancient Forest Alliance commends the BC government and Forest Minister Pat Bell for taking an important step forward to protect some of the endangered old-growth forests on central and northern Vancouver Island,” stated Ken Wu, Ancient Forest Alliance campaign director. “The new protections encompass up to 10% of the remaining, endangered ancient forests on Vancouver Island – we encourage them to save the other 90%, because so little remains now. They also need to extend protections to southern Vancouver Island in the Upper Walbran Valley, San Juan Valley, Gordon Valley, Avatar Grove, and other areas. Most importantly, they need to create a Provincial Old-Growth Strategy that will enact timelines to ban or phase-out old-growth logging in regions where the old-growth forests are now scarce, such as Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, and throughout southern BC.”

Old-growth forests are important for wildlife, tourism, the climate, and many First Nations cultures.

The Ancient Forest Alliance has created a SPECTACULAR, new photogallery of Canada’s largest trees and stumps on Vancouver Island taken by Ancient Forest Alliance photographer and campaigner TJ Watt at:  https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/

Old-Growth Management Areas are often considered to be “softer” protective designations because they can be created or removed by Cabinet (unlike provincial parks, conservancies, or ecological reserves that are created by the Legislative Assembly), they do not show up on any major maps (and therefore are not in the public’s consciousness should the Cabinet decide to eliminate any of them), and sometimes include marginal or low productivity stunted forests that can’t be logged. However, many of them also protect important tracts of big tree ancient forests.

“How many jurisdictions on Earth have trees that are 1000 years old and that can grow as wide as a living room and as tall as a skyscraper? We’ve already lost 75% of Vancouver Island’s productive old-growth forests, and only about 8% of what was once here are protected in parks and Old-Growth Management Areas. While this is an important step forward which we thank the BC government for, they need to protect the last remnants of Vancouver Island’s old-growth forests because so little remains, and ensure the sustainable logging of second-growth forests which now constitute the vast majority of the landscapes in southern BC,” stated TJ Watt, Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner.

Discovery of numerous 12 to 15 feet (3.7 to 4.6 meters) wide old-growth stumps recently logged near the Avatar Grove on Vancouver Island prompts creation of a new Facebook group where members can upload their largest stump photos.

Victoria, BC – The recent discovery of a series of massive, 12 to 15 feet (3.7 to 4.6 meters) wide old-growth redcedar stumps in the Gordon River Valley near the magnificent but endangered Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island has prompted a new BC environmental group, the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA), to launch a new Facebook group today. Members of the Facebook group can upload photos of the largest tree stumps they have found in Canada.

See the new photos of the recently cut trees and the new Facebook group (note: you don’t need a Facebook account to view the images) at:
https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111659885542266&v=photos

The resulting photogallery will help to raise public awareness about the demise of BC’s spectacular but endangered old-growth forests and their replacement by second-growth tree plantations that lack the unique species, tourism values, and vast carbon reserves of the original ancient forests. Participants who take the most spectacular photos will receive a complementary poster of Canada’s largest Douglas fir (Red Creek Fir) or Sitka spruce (San Juan Spruce) trees, both located near Port Renfrew.

“With relatively few ‘eyes and ears’ out there monitoring what is going on in our forests, photo expeditions and competitions like this will help to show the public what serious environmental destruction is happening just down the backroads of the land they call home. The logging of centuries-old giant trees with trunks as wide as a living room is happening every day in this province,” notes TJ Watt, co-founder of the AFA and self-styled big-tree hunter. “How many jurisdictions on the planet still think it’s fine to allow the logging of endangered old-growth forests where trees can live to be almost 2000 years old and grow as tall as skyscrapers?”

Last month, during an expedition to the Gordon River Valley north of Port Renfrew, Ancient Forest Alliance campaigners TJ Watt, Brendan Harry, and Ken Wu found hundreds of giant stumps that were cut within the past year. Among them, they found nearly a dozen stumps with diameters between 12 to 15 (3.7 to over 4.6 meters wide) across. These old-growth trees were cut down on public (Crown) lands in Tree Farm License (TFL) 46 in the tenure of Surrey-based Teal Jones. One of the most disturbing clearcuts was located just over one kilometer from the recently discovered Avatar Grove.

“For years we have been highlighting the beauty of the biggest and most magnificent old growth trees on Vancouver Island. However, at this point people need to understand the urgency of the situation – most of our remaining old-growth forests will not survive the BC Liberal government’s current policy of ancient forest liquidation. These globally rare ancient forests are being turned into a sea of giant stumps and tree plantations as we speak. We must highlight the urgency of the situation and hold the BC Liberal government accountable for its totally antiquated, backwards, anti-environmental policies,” states Ken Wu, Ancient Forest Alliance co-founder. “By ensuring the sustainable logging of second-growth forests, which constitute the vast majority of forest lands in southern BC, and ending the export of BC raw logs to foreign mills, we can save our last old-growth forests while sustaining BC forestry jobs at the same time.”

The Avatar Grove is about the most easily accessible, spectacular stand of endangered old-growth redcedars and Douglas firs in BC, growing on relatively flat terrain near a paved road in close proximity to the town of Port Renfrew. The Grove includes “Canada’s gnarliest tree”, a giant red cedar with a 12 feet (3.7 meter) wide, contorted burl. A small portion of the Grove is protected within an Old-Growth Management Area, but most of its largest trees have been surveyed and flagged for logging. (See photos at https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=480609145246&v=photos). So far the Ministry of Forests and Range has not issued any cutting permits for the Avatar Grove.

Old-growth forests are important for sustaining species at risk, tourism, clean water, and First Nations traditional cultures.

About 75% of the original productive old-growth forests have been logged on Vancouver Island, including 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow, according to satellite photos. Only about 6% of the Island’s original, productive old-growth forests are protected in parks.

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

– Undertake a Provincial Old-Growth Strategy that will inventory and protect old-growth forests where they are scarce (egs. Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland, southern Interior, etc.).

– Ensure the sustainable logging of second-growth forests, which now constitute the vast majority of BC’s landscapes.

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

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

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

“At this late hour, who’s still saying let’s go to the end of the resource and finish off the last of our unprotected ancient forests on Vancouver Island? Only a small number of resource extraction extremists – which unfortunately includes the BC Liberal government at this point – think the industry is entitled to take the last unprotected stands of our spectacular ancient trees here,” states Wu.

Without the handcuffs of charitable status which forbids organizations from condemning or endorsing politicians and political parties, BC’s new Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA – visit www.ancientforestalliance.org) is now positioned to organize hard-hitting campaigns in key provincial swing ridings. In particular, the AFA will be working to systematically train and guide activists to establish “Ancient Forest Committees” (AFC’s), or forest activist teams, in 8 to 10 provincial swing ridings over the next year. The AFC’s will be technically autonomous from the AFA, but will be trained and guided by the AFA particularly in their formative stages.

“As long as the BC Liberal government continues along its current path of justifying the liquidation of our last old-growth forests in southern BC and the export of raw logs to foreign mills, we’ll move to organize major public awareness campaigns in 8 to 10 swing ridings where we can exert a disproportionate amount of influence on the government and its policies – and cause them to lose the next election if need be,” states Ken Wu, Ancient Forest Alliance co-founder. “Conversely, if they move to undertake a provincial old-growth plan that will protect our endangered old-growth forests and forestry jobs, we will most certainly give credit where credit is due. This is a whole new level of environmental campaigning where the ancient forest movement has not gone before – we will be a lot more effective now.”

The first of the Ancient Forest Committees to be launched on Vancouver Island will be the Oak Bay – Gordon Head Ancient Forest Committee, coordinated by local environmental activist Benna Keoghoe.

“Oak Bay-Gordon Head is one of the most environmentally conscious ridings in BC, and in fact in Canada. BC Liberal MLA Ida Chong won the last election by a 2% margin, by just over 500 votes. We know for a fact that there are thousands of environmentally-minded voters in the riding who will change their allegiances if they know that so far Chong has touted the standard BC Liberal stance that ancient forests are not endangered on Vancouver Island and are adequately protected, which is false,” states Benna Keoghoe, Oak Bay – Gordon Head AFC cofounder. “We’ll be organizing a lot of door canvassing, leaflet drops, petition drives, slideshows, nature walks, and protests in the riding.”

Currently the BC Liberals contend that old-growth forests are not endangered on Vancouver Island and that raw log exports should continue, while the NDP is calling for an Old-Growth Strategy that will inventory and increase protection for old-growth forests and they advocate restrictions on raw log exports. The BC Green Party is calling for the protection of the remaining old-growth forests on Vancouver Island and an end to raw log exports.

Old-growth forests are important for sustaining species at risk, tourism, the climate, clean water, and First Nations traditional cultures.

Based upon an analysis of satellite photographs, about 88% of the original, productive old-growth forests on southern Vancouver Island (south of Barkley Sound and Port Alberni) have already been logged, including 95% of the productive old-growth on low, flat terrain. Across the Island as a whole, about 75% of the original productive old-growth forests have been logged, including 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow.

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

– Undertake a Provincial Old-Growth Strategy that will inventory the remaining old-growth forests and protect them where they are scarce (ie. Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland, southern Interior, etc.).

– Ensure the sustainable logging of second-growth forests, which now constitute the vast majority of BC’s landscapes.

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

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

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