Gary Murdoch stands beside flagged redcedar trees in the Cathedral Grove Canyon. Environmentalists are calling on the government to create a BC Park Acquisition Fund which would help purchase old-growth forests and sensitive ecosystems on private lands.

B.C. conservationists call for provincial park acquisition fund

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Forest advocates from all over the coast press the B.C. government for a conservation fund, urging private owner Island Timberlands to delay logging until they can purchase priority lands

At a press conference in Sooke, B.C. this afternoon, environmental advocates called on the provincial government to create a new park acquisition fund that could help save threatened coastal forests from logging.

• At B.C. forestry conference, Cortes Island youth voice logging concerns
• Hand-delivered petition urges Island Timberlands to reconsider logging pristine B.C. forest
• Ancient Forest Alliance confirms vital old growth in threatened Cortes Island woods

The fund, which conservationists say should raise at least $40 million per year, could be combined with the fundraising efforts of organizations and individuals to purchase lands from private owners and ensure the survival of key forest areas. Groups campaigning for forests in various parts of the province joined today to make the request, as part of an attempt to protect a number of lands slated for logging by B.C. forestry firm Island Timberlands.

“Christy Clark’s BC Liberal government must step forward with a funding solution, a BC Park Acquisition Fund similar to those of many regional districts, to purchase old-growth forests, sensitive ecosystems, and other important areas on private lands for protection – particularly Island Timberlands’ contentious lands,” said Ken Wu, co-founder of the Victoria-based Ancient Forest Alliance.

“At the same time, Island Timberlands needs put the brakes on their plans to log the last old-growth stands and contentious areas until those lands can be purchased for protection.”

Areas set to be logged by private owner Island Timberlands include large swaths of land on Cortes Island, in addition to the Stillwater Bluffs near Powell River, McLaughlin Ridge and the Cathedral Grove Canyon by Port Alberni. In each of these locations, citizens have initiated aggressive campaigns to try to negotiate with the company and prevent harmful clear-cutting practices.

Zoe Miles, a forest activist who grew up on Cortes Island, says so far public support for local conservation efforts have had a significant impact. Miles was one of the advocates behind a 6,000-signature petition that Cortes community members delivered to IT just weeks ago.

“There has been an incredible amount of public pressure about the situation on Cortes, which I think is a major factor in Island Timberlands’ recent decision to postpone their logging plans for 6 months,” she said.

“It’s a temporary victory, but it does give us more time to raise funds for land purchase. If Island Timberlands is genuinely willing to consider land sale at fair market value, then it’s the responsibility of our provincial government to listen to its electorate and help make that happen.”

Regions like the Capital Regional District around the south end of Vancouver Island have already put acquisition funds in place to create new parks from endangered areas. Partnering with citizens and organizations like the Land Conservancy of B.C., the Capital Region has managed to purchase almost 4,500 hectares of land since 2000.

With the support of the province, advocates at today’s event hope to see similar successes in places like Cortes Island. In addition to the acquisition fund, the Ancient Forest Alliance is also urging the B.C. government to implement a Provincial Old-Growth Strategy to protect endangered old-growth forests, to ensure sustainable second-growth forestry, and to ban raw log exports to foreign mills.

Read article in The Vancouver Observer: https://www.vancouverobserver.com/sustainability/2012/03/01/bc-conservationists-call-provincial-park-acquisition-fund

 

 

AFA's Ken Wu and Friends of Stillwater Bluffs' Jason Addy holding a press conference with the Times Colonist and CTV at the Sooke Potholes calling for a BC Park Acquisition Fund.

Eco group urges B.C. to re-form park fund – Organization highlights CRD’s model

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Using a backdrop of parkland bought by the Capital Regional District, an environmental group on Thursday called on the provincial government to set up a park acquisition fund similar to that of the CRD.

A fund of at least $40 million a year, raising $400 million over 10 years, is needed if old growth and other endangered ecosystems on private lands are to be protected, said Ken Wu, Ancient Forest Alliance co-founder.

Environment Ministry spokesman Suntanu Dalal said there is no set annual budget for buying parkland, but other strategies – such as density transfers, land exchanges or partnering with organizations such as land trusts – are used for acquiring land.

Until 2008-09, there was a land acquisition budget, Dalal said. “Due to fiscal challenges, that fund no longer exists. However, the ability to continue to acquire key properties has remained,” Dalal said.

Sooke Potholes Regional Park, part of which was protected through the CRD’s park acquisition fund, is an example of what can be achieved, Wu said at a news conference.

The situation is urgent because Island Timberlands is set to log several privately owned forests with high recreational and environmental value, he said.

“The government must step forward with a funding solution,” Wu said. “At the same time, Island Timberlands needs to put the brakes on their plans to log the last old growth stands and contentious areas until those lands can be purchased for protection.”

Island Timberlands did not return calls on Thursday.

The company recently postponed logging on Cortes Island, a move that activist Zoe Miles attributes to intense public pressure. “It’s a temporary victory, but it does give us more time to raise funds for land purchase,” Miles said. “If Island Timberlands is genuinely willing to consider a land sale at fair market value, then it’s the responsibility of our provincial government to listen to its electorate and make that happen.”

Conservationists fear Cathedral Grove Canyon, near Port Alberni, and the nearby Cameron Valley Firebreak are about to be logged.

Dalal said the priority for the next fiscal year will be completing projects where there are legal obligations in place or where land with significant value is donated to the province.

“Lands are selected based on priorities for conservation, recreation or operational purposes,” he said.

Cathedral Canyon

Environmentalists Call for a BC Park Acquisition Fund and for Island Timberlands to Back Off until Contentious Lands can be Purchased for Protection

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Conservationists are standing in solidarity today calling on coastal logging giant Island Timberlands to back off from their plans to log forests with high recreational and environmental values, including old-growth forests and sensitive ecosystems, while calling on the BC government to help purchase the company’s contentious private lands.

At McLaughlin Ridge near Port Alberni, on Cortes Island near Campbell River, at Stillwater Bluffs by Powell River, at Cathedral Grove Canyon adjacent to McMillan Provincial Park, and at the Cameron Valley Firebreak near Port Alberni, Island Timberlands’ corporate private lands include some of the most contentious forests of high conservation value in British Columbia – old-growth forests, sensitive ecosystems, and mature second-growth forests of high recreational value.

Conservationists are calling on the provincial government to establish a BC Park Acquisition Fund of at least $40 million per year, raising $400 million over 10 years, to purchase old-growth forests and other endangered ecosystems on private lands across the province. The fund would be similar to the park acquisition funds of various regional districts in BC which are augmented by the fundraising efforts of private citizens and land trusts.

“Christy Clark’s BC Liberal government must step forward with a funding solution, a BC Park Acquisition Fund similar to those of many regional districts, to purchase old-growth forests, sensitive ecosystems, and other important areas on private lands for protection – particularly Island Timberlands’ contentious lands,” stated Ken Wu, Ancient Forest Alliance co-founder. “At the same time, Island Timberlands needs put the brakes on their plans to log the last old-growth stands and contentious areas until those lands can be purchased for protection.”

“There has been an incredible amount of public pressure about the situation on Cortes, which I think is a major factor in Island Timberlands’ recent decision to postpone their logging plans for 6months,” says forest activist Zoe Miles, who grew up on Cortes Island. “It’s a temporary victory, but it does give us more time to raise funds for land purchase. If Island Timberlands is genuinely willing to consider land sale at fair market value, then it’s the responsibility of our provincial government to listen to its electorate and help make that happen.”

“Stillwater Bluffs has been identified as a priority parcel for protection as a regional park by the Powell River Regional District. It contains sensitive ecosystems and veteran old-growth trees and is a popular area used by local people for recreation,” said Jason Addy of the Friends of Stillwater Bluffs. “It is a no-brainer for a new park and Island Timberlands needs to stay away until the lands can be purchased at fair market value.”

Many regional districts in BC, such as the Capital, Nanaimo, Cowichan Valley, Strathcona, and Powell River Regional Districts have park acquisition funds to protect lands of high ecological and recreational value. The Capital Regional District’s (CRD) Land Acquisition Fund has spent over $34million dollars to purchase over 4500 hectares of land around Victoria since its establishment in the year 2000.

See https://www.crd.bc.ca/parks/preservation/newparks.htm and https://www.crd.bc.ca/media/2010/2010-01-13-land-acq-fund.htm . The CRD fund is raised through an average $14-per-household levy (increasing to $20-per-household by 2015) each year, raising roughly $3 million per year between 2010 to 2019, and has been pivotal for protecting lands of high environmental and/or recreational value at Jordan River, the Sooke Hills, the Sooke Potholes, lands adjacent to Thetis Lake Park, and at Burgoyne Bay on Salt Spring Island.

Island Timberlands (IT) is the second largest private landowner in BC, owning 258,000 hectares of private lands (https://www.islandtimberlands.com/our-company/our-present.htm)mainly on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and Haida Gwaii.

Some of the most contentious sites on Island Timberlands’ private lands include:

Cortes Island – IT owns about 1000 hectares of land on this northern Gulf Island, including the Children’s Forests, Whaletown Commons,and extremely rare old-growth “dry maritime” forests at Basil Creek and the Green Valley. As a result of community pressure, the company has temporarily backed off from plans to log on the Island until September, while the community submits ecological inventory information and proposals to the company. For more info contact Zoe Miles at wildstands.press@gmail.com  See the spectacular photo gallery at: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/

Stillwater Bluffs – IT owns a 48 hectare dry maritime forest by Powell River which contains a rugged stretch of dramatic coastline. It is accessible to the public and offers rock bluffs, hiking trails, and unspoiled wildlife habitat that is perfect for a nature park. It is heavily used by local people and could be the local residents’ version of West Vancouver’s famous Lighthouse Park. The parcel, known as DL 3040, includes sensitive ecosystems of arbutus/rocky outcrops, second-growth Douglas fir and cedar of high community recreation and scenic value, and scattered old-growth “veteran” trees. The Powell River Regional District has expressed an interest in protecting the Stillwater Bluffs as a park. Local citizens say that Island Timberlands has committed to not log the Stillwater Bluffs within the next 6 months, but plan log it within 2 years. Formore info contact Jason Addy at jasonaddy@hotmail.com

McLaughlin Ridge – IT owns about 500 hectares (about 100 hectares of which they’ve logged in recent years) of critical old-growth wintering habitat for black-tailed deer and nesting and foraging habitat of the endangered Queen Charlotte Goshawk in this section of the China Creek water shed near Port Alberni. This area was previously planned to become a Wildlife Habitat Area and Old-Growth Management Area until the BC Liberal government removed Weyerhaeuser’s (now Island Timberlands) private forest lands on Vancouver Island from their Tree Farm License in 2004. So far IT is still planning to move ahead and log this area in the near future. For more info contact Jane Morden at janemorden@gmail.com See the spectacular photo gallery of photos by the AFA’s TJ Watt at: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/mclaughlin-ridge/

Cathedral Grove Canyon and the Cameron Valley Firebreak – IT owns old-growth and second-growth forests adjacent to the famed Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park near Port Alberni, including the spectacular Cathedral Grove Canyon along the Cameron River where giant old-growth Douglas firs and red cedars stand. A public outcry about the marking of these old-growth trees for potential logging seems to have put a hold on the company’s logging plans. Further up the Cameron Valley is the “Cameron Valley Firebreak”, one of the last major tracts of old-growth forest left in the valley that local communities recently learned is also being targeted for logging by IT. For more info contact Annette Tanner at wcwcqb@shaw.ca See an incredible photo gallery of Cathedral Grove Canyon at:

https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/cathedral-grove-canyon/

The Ancient Forest Alliance is also calling on the BC government to implement a Provincial Old-Growth Strategy to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests, to ensure sustainable second-growth forestry, and to ban raw log exports to foreign mills.