Archive for month: March, 2013

Alberni-Pacific Rim NDP MLA Scott Fraser received a Forest Sustainability Award from conservationists and forestry workers in a small ceremony on Monday.

The award was given to him to recognize his years of exceptional public service as an elected Member of the Legislative Assembly in British Columbia to protect endangered old-growth forests, to counter the deregulation of forest lands on Vancouver Island and to restrict the export of B.C. raw logs to foreign mills.

The award was presented by Ken Wu and TJ Watt of the Ancient Forest Alliance, a non-profit environmental group working to protect old-growth forests and ensure sustainable second-growth forestry. The award is jointly sponsored by the Youbou TimberLess Society, former employees of the now-defunct Youbou sawmill who continue to advocate sustainable forest policies.

“I'm grateful to receive this wonderful recognition for my work. Our old-growth forests are a vitally important part of this province's identity, and a sustainable forest industry will benefit everyone,” Fraser said. “I will champion endangered old-growth protection and sustainable forestry leading up to the election and subsequent to the election whether as part of a new government or in the opposition.”

The brief ceremony took place in Cathedral Grove, Canada's most famous old-growth forest that is currently under threat with a planned cutblock by Island Timberlands on the above mountainside on Mount Horne. Joining the award ceremony to show their support for Fraser's good work were Arnold Bercov, representing the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada – President of Local 8, Jane Morden and Mike Stini, from the Port Alberni Watershed-Forest Alliance, and Annette Tanner, of the Mid-Island Chapter of the Wilderness Committee.

“Scott Fraser has been an exceptional MLA for his energy and outspokenness to protect endangered old-growth forests and forestry jobs,” said Ken Wu, Ancient Forest Alliance executive director. “He's one of the rare politicians who has a real connection to B.C.'s majestic old-growth forests – a politician who actually hikes and gets muddy in these special places.”

He said it is clear that his advocacy has not been lip service or simply a means to score political points.

“But because Fraser has a genuine passion – you can feel it when he's talking – for our old-growth forests and for a sustainable forest industry that could support future generations of forest workers in this province,” Wu added. “It's important to give credit where credit is due, and Fraser certainly deserves credit for making forest sustainability central to his role as an elected public servant in his time.”

Ken James, president of the Youbou TimberLess Society said this past decade has been an atrocity for B.C.'s forestry workers. 

“Over 70 mills have closed and 30,000 forestry jobs have been lost,” he said. “Fraser has repeatedly gone to bat against the deregulation of B.C.'s forest industry and the massive export of raw logs that is killing current and future manufacturing jobs in this province.”

He added that the province needs MLAs like Fraser in government to champion a forest industry that will sustain both ecosystems and human communities.

Read More: https://www2.canada.com/albernivalleytimes/news/story.html?id=10a47823-3f27-4c36-ab91-bdf4a8d55066

Note from the Ancient Forest Alliance: A huge THANK YOU to Nathaniel Glickman and members of the UVic AncientForest Committee for organizing a totally fun and successful fundraising night with a first rate line-up of local musicians (Moonshine Gang Victoria Chapter, (as the) Crow Flies, Redwood Green, Co-Captain, and DJ Rough Child) on Saturday’s 3rd Annual “Tree Huggers Ball”! The event raised a total of $4800 for our young organization that depends on grassroots support to stay afloat! Big thanks as well to Amanda Cook for donating nearly $400 in proceeds from sales of her “Stand up for the Coast” t-shirts! See you again next FALL!!

Martlet article below:

Being part of positive environmental change can be a rewarding experience, but also exhausting. For those who find themselves worn out from all the petition-signing or phone-calling, the third annual Tree Huggers Ball is being held at Felicita’s on Saturday, March 23, by the UVic Ancient Forest Committee and promises to put the fun back in fundraiser.

“The goal is about fun — we have great music from local artists, and everyone can come and have a good time,” says TJ Watt, co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA). “In the world of activism, it’s easy to be bombarded with bad news, so it’s important to put time aside for friends and dancing.” The Tree Huggers Ball will include local bands such as Redwood Green, Rough Child, Co-Captain, (as the) Crow Flies and The Moonshine Gang.

The UVic Ancient Forest Committee puts on the event as a fundraiser for the AFA. The AFA is a non-profit organization that works to protect B.C.’s endangered old-growth forests, ensure sustainable second-growth forestry (forests that have been planted in clear-cut areas) and end the export of raw logs.

“We’re pushing the B.C. Liberal government and the NDP opposition to create a new provincial old-growth policy that would protect endangered old-growth forests in B.C.,” says Watt. Watt, who grew up in Victoria, is the forest campaigner and photographer with the AFA, which just celebrated its three-year anniversary this month. Watt spends much of his time exploring valleys on Vancouver Island and documenting the state of the forests, using photos and videos to capture the oldest trees — as well as the oldest stumps. Watt won the Martlet’s inaugural photo feature contest this year with his photo of a man standing on an enormous stump in the midst of a clearcut. “We’re losing the old-growth forest ecosystems and endangered species,” he says. “They are hugely important for clean air, clean water and the climate.”

The AFA began humbly. “The Ancient Forest Alliance started out with a Gmail account,” says Watt. But the organization developed quickly as support grew for its first project: protecting Avatar Grove, a 59-hectare stand of giant old-growth Douglas fir and Western redcedar just outside Port Renfrew. One of the giant cedars in Avatar Grove has been dubbed “Canada’s gnarliest tree” due to a 12-foot-wide burl growing on its trunk. The AFA worked with the local business community and Chamber of Commerce in Port Renfrew while campaigning to raise awareness, which led to the grove’s protection in early 2012. “It was the hottest campaign for a specific old-growth forest in the past decade,” states Watt, “and our first major victory.”

Other recent achievements includes staving off logging in the Walbran Valley’s Castle Grove, protecting approximately half of the world’s largest night roosting site for bald eagles around Echo Lake on the Lower Mainland and helping stop the B.C. government’s recent plan to expand Tree Farm Licenses (TFLs) in the province through Bill 8. To do this, the AFA led media campaigns and encouraged its supporters to write letters and call representatives. “We have over 20 000 supporters,” says Watt. “That includes many students, but also small business owners and even forestry workers. We have speakers from the pulp, paper and woodworkers union and have support from various First Nations. We work to include as wide a demographic as possible and bring about change by running solutions-based campaigns.”

Despite widespread support, the AFA still faces challenges in convincing the government that old-growth forests are indeed endangered and shouldn’t be cut down. “The public is largely supportive, but the B.C. Liberal government maintains that old-growth forests are somehow not endangered, even after 150 years of logging,” says Watt.

In an effort to protect endangered private lands, the AFA is calling for the creation of a B.C. park acquisition fund that sees $40 million set aside each year with which to purchase endangered old-growth forests or areas of high recreational value.

Last year, the Tree Huggers Ball raised upwards of $3 000 with the aid of an anonymous donor who matched all other donations. Watt hopes for another successful event this year.

“We run AFA on a shoestring budget,” he says. “So an event like this really goes a long way for us, and we’re very grateful for the support.”

The funds go toward endeavours such as exploring old-growth areas, creating new maps and reports and delivering information throughout the province with slideshow tours.

Although there is no official dress code, Watt encourages people to be creative and have fun with the tree theme of the event. “We encourage people to dress up like the forest. Wear your green or wear your tree stuff. Wear branches. Be forest friendly!”

Direct link to online article: https://martlet.ca/wiggle-your-trunk-at-the-tree-huggers-ball/

Survey tape was discovered recently in an old-growth Douglas fir and hemlock forest 300 meters from Cathedral Grove’s park boundary and a local conservation group is now calling for stronger old-growth protection policies in B.C. to protect this land and other places like it.

“Cathedral Grove is the mascot of old-growth forests in Canada,” said Qualicum Beach resident Annette Tanner, chair of the Mid-Island Wilderness Committee.

“If we can’t ensure its ecological integrity because of the B.C. government’s inaction, or complicity‚ it really gives a black eye to B.C.’s environmental reputation in the international community.”

The planned cutblock by Island Timberlands is about 40 hectares and lies within a formerly protected Ungulate (deer) Winter Range, according to the Wilderness Commmitee. It lies on the southwest facing slope of Mt. Horne on the ridge above the park and highway.

Tanner and other conservationists said they are concerned that logging the area would further fragment the forest that is contiguous with the small park, and destroy an important wildlife corridor. They said they believe logging would also threaten eco-tourism in the area by destroying a major section of the popular hiking trail, the Mt. Horne Loop Trail, which the cutblock overlaps.

The lands are privately owned by Island Timberlands.

The Ancient Forest Alliance, based in Victoria, is also calling on the B.C. Liberals and NDP to commit to a provincial plan to protect the province’s old-growth forests, to ensure sustainable second-growth forestry and to end the export of raw, unprocessed logs to foreign mills, among other actions.

Calls from The NEWS to Island Timberlands seeking comment were not returned by deadline.