"Big Lonely Doug" is covered in a Chinese-language newspaper, the Epoch Times.
"The AFA also warned that the number of tall trees similar to Big Lonely Doug are growing scarce in the Pacific Northwest. 'The days of colossal trees like these are quickly coming to an end as the timber industry cherry-picks the last unprotected, valley-bottom, lower elevation ancient stands in southern B.C. where giants like this grow.'"
Judging from the rings on nearby stumps, the tree could be nearly 1,000 years old. "These types of colossal growth trees historically built B.C.'s logging industry. Now they're just about gone," Wu said. The group is calling for legislation to protect old-growth ecosystems and the big trees they contain. Wu noted the area where Big Lonely Doug was found now has even greater claim as the tall tree capital. The world's largest recorded Douglas-fir stands in the nearby San Juan River Valley and is measured to be 73.8 metres tall and 13.28 metres in circumference. "The biggest spruce is also there, there's the biggest cedar in Cheewhat Lake, and then there's Avatar Grove."
The Ancient Forest Alliance has spent years tracking down Vancouver Island’s largest trees in an effort to bring awareness to the plight of old growth forests. Claiming only 10 per cent of the productive, old growth forest on the Island is under protection, Wu believes more protection is needed. “Second-growth forests in B.C. are logged every 50 years, so if you lose something that doesn’t come back for another 1,000 years, it’s gone for good,” he said. “And all the creatures associated with these ancient forests lose their habitat.” Wu said the forest around Big Lonely Doug would have served as habitat for the endangered Queen Charlotte goshawk.
Here's a news clip by CHEK TV on Big Lonely Doug, the 2nd largest Douglas-fir in Canada, featuring the photos of the AFA's TJ Watt.
Newly-measured “Big Lonely Doug” is a gargantuan, old-growth Douglas-fir tree now standing alone in a recent logging clearcut on southern Vancouver Island. Conservationists call for comprehensive provincial legislation to protect BC’s biggest trees, monumental groves, and endangered old-growth forests on the International Day of Forests today, according to a press release from Ancient Forest Alliance.
Newly-measured “Big Lonely Doug” is a gargantuan, old-growth Douglas-fir tree now standing alone in a recent logging clearcut on southern Vancouver Island. Conservationists call for comprehensive provincial legislation to protect BC’s biggest trees, monumental groves, and endangered old-growth forests on the International Day of Forests today.
Come to Robinson's Outdoor Store (1307 Broad St.) this Saturday March 8th from 10am-4pm and stop by our Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) booth to chat to our friendly staff, sign our petition, make a donation, or buy our beautiful posters, cards, stickers, and other items to help support the cause! Let this business know you are grateful to them for giving the AFA space to set up our booth!
Government scientists Darryn McConkey and Erica McClaren stated "negotiations ceased because we could not agree on the management regime within these boundaries. Island Timberlands wanted to extract timber resources from within UWRs [Ungulate Winter Ranges] and WHA 1-002 [Wildlife Habitat Area for endangered Queen Charlotte Goshawks]
and Ministry of Forests could not scientifically rationalize how the quality of these areas could be maintained." Ministry scientists go on to say that Island Timberlands's proposed management "did not incorporate any input from the Ministry of Environment" and "is not supported by the best available science."
This short video, part of the series “Heartwood: A West Coast Forest Documentree” by Daniel Pierce of Ramshackle Pictures, features groups coming together in solidarity in Cathedral Grove in October 2013 to fight Island Timberlands’ old-growth logging near Port Alberni.
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