Entries by TJ Watt

New BC government must reform forest policies, say environmentalists, businesses, and union

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Today, conservationists with the Ancient Forest Alliance and Sierra Club of BC joined representatives from the Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC) forestry union and the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce at a press conference to shine a spotlight on needed government policies to protect BC’s old-growth forests and ensure a sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest industry, during the 2017 Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) General Assembly in Vancouver.

Thank You to Robinson’s Outdoor Store!

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Thank you to Robinson’s Outdoor Store for hosting an amazing benefit night for the AFA with support from Patagonia, beer provided by Spinnakers, and the “Giant Tree Hunters” provided by Nootka Street Film! We are so grateful for their support and for all the 130 people who showed up to make it a stellar night – together over $3000 was raised for the AFA! Thanks so much to Erin Boggs and Matt King of Robinson's, to Ross Mailloux of Patagonia, to Steve Adams and Sean Horlor of Nootka Street Films, and to Spinnakers Brewpub for their tremendous generosity in supporting our campaign to protect BC's endangered old-growth forests and to ensure a value-added, sustainable second-growth forest industry!

Environmentalists stand in solidarity with BC mill workers as mills experience shutdowns and shift reductions due to log shortages

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VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC – Today at noon the Ancient Forest Alliance will join members of the Public and Private Workers of Canada (formerly the Pulp, Paper, and Woodworkers of Canada) (PPWC at www.PPWC.ca) as they rally at their Long Hoh mill in Errington (at 1125 Clark Road between Qualicum Beach and Port Alberni off Highway 4, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm) on Vancouver Island in protest of raw log exports following the shut down and shift reductions in the mill since last month, with another shutdown and major shift reductions pending this week for their Ladysmith mill, due to a shortage of logs. In total about 130 workers could be affected by the closures and shift reductions.

Shaw TV: Walbran Valley Update

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Check out the latest Shaw TV news piece on the Walbran Valley, Castle Grove, and Eden Grove ancient forests near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island in Pacheedaht First Nation territory, and what a new provincial government could mean for BC's endangered old-growth forests! It features an interview with the Ancient Forest Alliance's executive director Ken Wu and video footage (including drone footage) and photos taken by the AFA's photographer and campaigner TJ Watt. Thanks to Lorraine Scollan and Heather Leary of Shaw TV for covering these local old-growth forest issues again!

Patagonia Film Night for the Ancient Forest Alliance

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Victoria friends! Please come out on Wednesday, September 27 to Robinson's Outdoor Store (1307 Broad Street, Victoria, Doors open 6:30 pm, Presentations begin 7 pm) who will be hosting in conjunction with Patagonia a film night and presentations as an awareness and fundraiser for the Ancient Forest Alliance!

WATCH: Avatar Grove Boardwalk

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Check out the major new Shaw TV piece, featuring the most extensive news coverage on Avatar Grove so far, about the completion of the boardwalk and its significance for Port Renfrew and ancient forest protection! Featuring the Ancient Forest Alliance's TJ Watt and Ken Wu, Dan Hager of the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce, Jon Cash of Soule Creek Lodge, Kristine Pearson and Pamela Jones of the Pacheedaht First Nation band, Matthew Varley and Scott Harris super volunteers, and Alison Sturrock an international tourist who happened to be hiking there. Thanks to Shaw TV's Lorraine Scollan and Heather Leary for putting this piece together!

Avatar Grove boardwalk finally complete

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After four years of work, the boardwalk at Avatar Grove is officially finished and ready to be enjoyed by the public. On Thursday, the Ancient Forest Alliance held a grand opening ceremony in Port Renfrew in celebration of the effort put in to building the boardwalk. 

Avatar Grove Boardwalk Completed – High Quality Boardwalk Showcases One of Canada’s Most Magnificent Old-Growth Forests!

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After 4 years of hard work, with the support of hundreds of volunteers and supporters, the Avatar Grove boardwalk near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island has finally been completed by the Ancient Forest Alliance. The boardwalk protects the tree roots and vegetation from excessive trampling, enhances visitor safety, and supports the booming eco-tourism economy in the region by providing public access to one of the grandest old-growth forests in North America.

Avatar Grove Boardwalk Now Completed and Open

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Now it's open the Ancient Forest Alliance's Ken Wu says it's been great for eco-tourism. "That is a message for other rural communities to stand up for the ancient forest in your area. Maybe take a page out of Costa Rica's book and  take a step towards a sustainable economy and instead log second growth forest sustainably instead of logging the last of our ancient forests as well."