Blog Archive Layout

Group names old-growth grove after Christy Clark

Apr 23 2012/in News Coverage

An endangered forests advocacy group has named an old growth grove after Premier Christy Clark in a move to protect the greenery.

Ancient Forest Alliance said one of the giant trees is recorded as Canada’s eighth largest Douglas fir, and named it the “Clark Giant” on Sunday’s Earth Day.

The “Christy Clark Grove” is located on unprotected Crown land on Vancouver Island in the Gordon River Valley. According to the organization — which is asking the province to create an ‘old-growth strategy’ for B.C. — the ‘Giant’ measures in at three metres in diameter. A second tree, a red cedar nicknamed the ‘Gnarly Clark,’ measures in at four metres wide.

“We’re still waiting on the B.C. government to show some leadership to create a conservation legacy in B.C. for our endangered old-growth forests, and to end raw log exports,” said campaigner Ken Wu.

“We want to give credit for good things. But we’re also prepping for a potential major battle in the lead-up to the B.C. elections where there will be no prisoners taken if need be.”

Clark’s office did not return calls by press time.

Read more:[Original article no longer available]

Ancient Forest Alliance asks Victoria to protect grove

Apr 22 2012/in News Coverage

The Ancient Forest Alliance is appealing to the provincial government to protect endangered old-growth forests by dubbing a recently found grove of massive trees Christy Clark Grove.

The grove, which the AFA found on unprotected Crown land near Port Renfrew, boasts a Douglas fir with a circumference of 9.5 metres, making it the eighth widest known Douglas fir in Canada. The group has nicknamed the fir the Clark Giant and a massive red cedar has been dubbed the Gnarly Clark.

“We’re hoping that Christy Clark won’t let the Christy Clark Grove get cut down and will show some leadership by creating a plan to protect B.C.’s endangered old-growth forests,” said AFA co-founder TJ Watt.

The grove is in the Gordon River valley, not far from Avatar Grove, an area which the AFA brought to public attention shortly before some of the grove was due to be harvested. After public pressure the grove was protected by the provincial government.

Big trees have become an integral part of Port Renfrew’s tourist trade and a boardwalk is being built at Ava-tar Grove to accommodate visitors. However, the province is continuing with an unsustainable forest strategy and has not followed through on a commitment to create a new legal tool to protect B.C.’s largest trees and groves, said AFA co-founder Ken Wu.

Eco-group hopes premier will protect eponymous grove

Apr 21 2012/in News Coverage

The Ancient Forest Alliance is appealing to the provincial government to protect endangered old-growth forests by dubbing a recently found grove of massive trees Christy Clark Grove.

The grove, which the AFA found on unprotected Crown land near Port Renfrew, contains a Douglas fir with a circumference of 9.5 metres, making it the eighth-widest known Douglas fir in Canada.

The group has nicknamed the Douglas fir the Clark Giant, while a massive red cedar has been dubbed the Gnarly Clark.

The grove is in the Gordon River Valley, not far from Avatar Grove, an area brought to public attention by the AFA shortly before some of the trees were due to be harvested.

After an increase in public pressure and an influx of tourists wanting to look at the big trees, the grove was protected by the provincial government.

However, AFA co-founder Ken Wu said the province is continuing with an unsustainable forest strategy and has not followed through on a commitment to create a new legal tool to protect B.C.’s largest trees.