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Avatar’s beauty exists in our world, too

Apr 1 2010/in News Coverage

So I finally went to see Avatar in 3-D. It was breathtaking, of course. But what struck me the most was at the end; I realized that I had viewed this epic story of environmental degradation through plastic 3-D glasses made in China.

There was a box to “recycle” them at the exit, but when I asked an attendant what happened to the 3-D glasses in that box, she said they got shipped to Toronto to meet an unknown fate.

The 3-D glasses are one product among millions that are used once and then discarded every day, without a thought about where the materials came from or where the product will end up, let alone what we could do to reduce waste. Because of this mindless consumption, we are making our planet uninhabitable.

Recently, I visited one of the few remaining areas of low-elevation old-growth forest on southern Vancouver Island, aptly nicknamed Avatar Grove. Breathtaking beauty exists in the real world too. However, the largest ancient trees are marked for logging. If everyone in B.C. who enjoyed Avatar stood up to save our few remaining ancient forests, that just might offset the environmental cost of all those 3-D glasses.

Old-growth forest worth preserving

Apr 1 2010/in News Coverage

I had the pleasure last Sunday to experience the small grove of old-growth trees near Port Renfrew known informally as the Avatar Grove.

This amazingly rare site, which comprises approximately10 hectares, holds some of the oldest and largest trees remaining on Vancouver Island, some of which are 10 or more metres around and stand 30 metres or more tall, many 500 to 800 years old. I was shocked and deeply saddened to see survey tape surrounding the grove, including tape that indicated a proposed new logging road, as well as cut lines.

It is extremely important that this small grove of trees is preserved, as it is one of the last such stands of ancient old-growth trees on the Island. With the recent decline in fishing, Port Renfrew is in serious need of additional sites that will attract tourism, and the Avatar Grove would be an ideal addition to what they offer the travelling public. Acquiring this grove of trees would be a win for all concerned, especially our children — who we are forcing to live in a world greatly diminished in natural wonders such as these magnificent cedar, spruce and Douglas fir trees, which are among the oldest living things on Earth.

Waterfront property with old-growth forest for sale in BC's Cape Scott provincial park.

Old growth forest for sale in Cape Scott Provincial Park

Apr 1 2010/in News Coverage

Old growth forest for sale in Cape Scott Provincial Park

For just over $1.8 million, you can own 60 hectares of old growth forest and white sand shoreline within the boundaries of Cape Scott Provincial Park, just three kilometres off the world-famous Cape Scott Trail. If a more sheltered retreat is more your thing, $349,000 will buy about 16 hectares of old growth forest bordering the salmon-bearing Fisherman River – which is even closer to the Trail.

But you will have to move fast, according to real estate broker NIHO Land & Cattle Inc., given the pristine location on the emerald tip of north-western Vancouver Island, and the fact that both properties are thick with merchantable old growth trees.

The properties are just two of a number of privately-owned parcels that exist in Cape Scott Park, remnants of lands originally settled by Scandinavian settlers in the 19th century. Most of the pioneer lands were abandoned long ago, and gradually bought up by the province. But not all of the land.

News of the property sales came as a surprise to the Regional District of Mount Waddington, the regional municipality on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Mount Waddington’s Planner Jeff Long later confirmed that there is nothing the municipality can do to protect the old growth forests on either parcels, or to restrict any development plans on the parcels.

Recognizing the value of the old growth timber on the waterfront property in particular, the broker has hired a private company to do an “aerial overview,” estimating on its website that there is almost 30,000 cubic metres of merchantable timber up for grabs on that one site alone.

“Almost all of the property is covered in old growth timber which consists of cedar, hemlock, balsam, spruce, pine and cypress,” says the NIHO website. “There some big diameter trees on the property.”

Suntanu Dalal, a spokesman for the B.C. Ministry of Environment says the government is aware that the Cape Scott Park “in-holdings” are for sale, adding that there are at least 14 separate private pieces in Cape Scott Park covering about 150 hectares of land.

Dalal described the forests on the lands as “low-quality trees for harvesting,” an assessment at odds with both NIHO and their forestry surveyor.

Will the province consider buying this land to maintain the integrity of the park and Cape Scott Trail?

“The lands are on the Ministry’s regional acquisition list,” says Dalal. “But there are no immediate plans to purchase them.”

Link to article: https://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Environment/2010/03/31/Old-growth-forest-for-sale-in-Cape-Scott-Provincial-Park/