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Avatar Boardwalk – Donations Needed!

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For $100 YOU CAN HELP SPONSOR the construction of 1 METER section of BOARDWALK in Avatar Grove – and help us build a stronger, more powerful ancient forest movement!

ANY amount you can donate will add up, whether $10 or $1000!

Please DONATE securely online at: https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/avatar-grove-boardwalk-now-completed-and-open/

By PayPal Here

Or phone us at: 250-896-4007
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As most of you know, the magnificent Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew was protected in February as the result of a two year campaign spearheaded by the Ancient Forest Alliance and the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce (see our previous media release here)

Thanks to the support of thousands of people over the past two years like yourself, Avatar Grove’s magnificent trees and its elk, wolves, bears, cougars, owls, and salamanders are now safe from logging!

WHY is a BOARDWALK NEEDED in AVATAR GROVE?

1. To maintain its ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY. Strategically placed boardwalk sections will prevent the wetter areas from turning into mud pits and protect the roots of the most popular trees.

2. To increase visitor SAFETY. Parts of Avatar Grove are somewhat difficult to navigate, particularly the entry points from the road embankment into the forest. Boardwalk and some wooden stairs will greatly increase access and safety for young and old hikers alike.

3. To support the local ECO-TOURISM economy. A boardwalk will draw more visitors from around the world who will spend their dollars in local businesses. It’s VITAL that rural communities like Port Renfrew see economic benefits from protecting old-growth forests, otherwise such communities that are often lacking in employment and revenues have less incentive to challenge the status quo of large-scale industrial resource extraction and logging that historically built their economies. Avatar Grove has been an experiment in environmental campaigning that has been successful so far. We need to complete this project. It is a model that can be applied in other areas.

An INTENSE Two Year Campaign

Since the AFA’s founding just over 2 years ago, Avatar Grove quickly became BC’s highest profile ancient forest campaign in a decade – and it has supercharged the overall movement to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests.

Over two years AFA activists organized countless hikes, events and rallies involving thousands of people, while thousands more visited the Grove on their own. Avatar Grove quickly became BC’s “second Cathedral Grove”. We partnered with the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce to build support among local businesses. A seemingly endless torrent of news media covered our campaign, including the international TV news network Al-Jazeera, the Toronto Star, West World Magazine, and the Globe and Mail, where we made the front page.

Finally, on February 16, 2012, the BC government announced that Avatar Grove would be protected in an Old-Growth Management Area which prohibits logging and mining. See our media release at:  https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/afa-supports-avatar-groves-protection-calls-for-provincial-old-growth-plan/

But we have much work to do – our main goals are to protect ALL of BC’s endangered old-growth forests through a new Provincial Old-Growth Strategy and to ensure sustainable forestry in second-growth stands. In the Avatar Grove, we’d ultimately like to see a provincial conservancy or park which will show up on a provincial highway map and which are the most secure protective designations.

Previously it was illegal under the Forest and Range Practices Act to build a trail in the Avatar Grove when it was slated for logging. However, with its recent protection, we’re now requesting permission from the Ministry of Forests to do so. We don’t anticipate this will be a problem – however, as a new, small organization, raising the funds will be a challenge.

PLEASE HELP SPONSOR a TRAIL and BOARDWALK in AVATAR GROVE

We are asking for YOUR generous support to help us build a kilometer long trail and boardwalk in Avatar Grove.

For $100 YOU CAN HELP SPONSOR the construction of 1 METER section of BOARDWALK in Avatar Grove – and help us build a stronger, more powerful ancient forest movement. ANY amount you can donate will add up.

Please DONATE online at: https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/avatar-grove-boardwalk-now-completed-and-open/ or phone us to donate at: 250-896-4007

THANK YOU for continuing to stand up for BC’s magnificent Ancient Forest Heritage!

– Ken Wu, TJ Watt, Joan Varley, Hannah Carpendale, Chris Lambden
Ancient Forest Alliance