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

Aug 11 2020/in News Coverage

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

The Tyee
August 11, 2020

*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

Aug 10 2020/in News Coverage

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.

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.

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

Aug 5 2020/in Photo Gallery

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

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