West coast old-growth forests recommended for deferral in Vancouver Island’s Barkley Sound at risk of logging.

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VICTORIA (Unceded Lekwungen Territories) – Conservationists with the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) are raising concerns over Interfor’s plans to log 33 cutblocks, totaling 55 hectares, in rare, intact old-growth forest along the coastline of western Vancouver Island and are calling on the BC government to commit conservation funding to support immediate protection of at-risk old-growth forests.

The approved cutblocks, which members of the AFA visited and explored in summer 2021, are located in Vernon Bay, a stunning stretch of coastal old-growth forest in Barkley Sound in the territories of the Uchucklesaht and Tseshaht nations. Conservationists measured unprotected monumental redcedar trees up to 12 feet in diameter.

Some of the ancient forests found here, where the BC government only recently granted approval for logging, have since been identified by the province’s independent Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) for immediate deferral due to their very large old-growth trees. Despite the province having accepted, in principle, the TAP’s recommendation to defer logging in 2.6 million hectares of at-risk old-growth forests across BC last month, logging in the Vernon Bay cutblocks will likely proceed unless the local First Nations and the province immediately enact deferrals.

AFA Photographer and Campaigner TJ Watt beside a monumental redcedar tree measuring 12ft (3.6m) wide, growing unprotected in the ancient forests of Vernon Bay in Barkley Sound in Uchucklesaht and Tseshaht Nation territories.

“These are some of the most remarkable and beautiful coastal old-growth forests we’ve explored this year,” stated AFA campaigner and photographer TJ Watt. “It’s incredibly rare to come across a large, intact stretch of unprotected ancient forest like this today. Allowing logging to proceed would turn these lush forests into a patchwork of ugly clearcuts.”

“Significant conservation funding is needed from the provincial government to support forestry-dependent communities where old-growth forests are protected, which would help ensure that the science panel’s deferral recommendations can be fully implemented. The federal government has put hundreds of millions of dollars on the table for permanent protection. It’s time for the province to meet or exceed that amount.”

Nine of the 33 approved cutblocks are also located within a “non-legal” Old Growth Management Area (OGMA), the result of a legal loophole that allows old-growth forests that have been identified for protection to still be logged.

“Non-legal OGMAs are areas that have been mapped, but haven’t been legalized by a ministerial Order,” stated Watt. “Some of these OGMAs have remained in draft form for as long as a decade, allowing forest companies to cherry-pick the best trees from them in exchange for setting aside forests that are less commercially and ecologically valuable elsewhere. One of the simplest steps the province could immediately take to protect old-growth would be to legalize all non-legal OGMA’s,” stated Watt.

The coastal old-growth in Vernon Bay comprises a habitat for diverse and abundant wildlife, including gray wolves, and is designated as an Important Bird Area for marbled murrelets, an old-growth forest-dependent seabird. Barkley Sound is also a renowned destination for sea kayakers and supports countless marine life, including Orcas, Humpback Whales, and Pacific Gray Whales. With many of the proposed cutblocks located immediately adjacent to the shoreline, the AFA is also concerned the logging will have adverse impacts on the area’s visual quality.
 

Overlooking the unprotected ancient forests of Vernon Bay in Barkley Sound in Uchucklesaht and Tseshaht Nation territories. 33 logging cutblocks have been approved in this region, some overlapping with the newly recommended deferral areas.

“Approaching the coastline by water, you can easily imagine earlier times when the island was blanketed with intact forests,” said Ian Illuminato, AFA Campaigner. “While its remote location has allowed Vernon Bay to remain largely intact for now, this area and others like it could be lost unless the BC government immediately commits funding to support the development of Indigenous Protected Areas through First Nations land use planning initiatives, which first requires logging deferrals,” said Illuminato.

“Recent studies have shown that old-growth forests are worth far more standing than logged, in terms of economics and in terms of climate change. Considering the catastrophic impacts of climate change felt throughout BC this year, it’s hard to imagine why we would choose to continue eliminating one of our best defenses against drought, floods, and fires through destructive old-growth clearcutting.”

Province uses best available science to identify and partially defer logging of at-risk old-growth, critical funding measures still missing

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VICTORIA (Unceded Lekwungen Territories) – Conservationists with the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) commend a BC government announcement made today releasing independent scientific mapping of BC’s endangered old-growth forests, and in principle accepting recommendations to defer logging in 2.6 million hectares of at-risk old-growth forests. The province has also immediately deferred all future BC Timber Sales (BCTS) cutblocks that overlap with identified at-risk forests. However, critical conservation funding to enable the full scale of deferral recommendations is still missing. 

A summary report and new scientific mapping produced by an independent Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel have revealed there are 5 million hectares of unprotected, at-risk old-growth forest across BC. These forests are categorized into ancient, rare, and big tree forests. The panel recommended the province immediately defer logging in 2.6 million hectares of these forests, focusing on the most critically endangered stands. 

Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner Andrea Inness beside an old-growth redcedar tree in BC Timber Sales tenure in the Nahmint Valley near Port Alberni in Hupacasath territory.

“The independent mapping is a major step forward,” stated Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner TJ Watt. “For the first time in history, the province has used the best available science to accurately identify old-growth forests at risk. This mapping confirms what conservation organizations have been saying for years: that much of BC’s forests are at risk of irreversible biodiversity loss and must be protected.”

“The province’s acceptance of the recommendation to defer logging in 2.6 million hectares of the best and most at-risk old-growth forests is also unprecedented,” stated Watt “However, these are not immediate and without a matching provincial commitment of several hundred million dollars in conservation financing, with a primary focus on First Nations economic relief linked to deferrals, the full scale of the deferrals, and eventual permanent protection, will be impossible to achieve. We have the road map in hand, but we’re missing the gas in the tank.”

A highlight of the announcement is that BCTS, which has stood at the centre of considerable controversy for the logging of some of BC’s finest remaining old-growth stands, will see immediate logging deferrals. Covering about 20% of the province’s annual allowable cut, this could represent an area of about 500,000 hectares being placed under temporary deferral. This area is larger than all protected parkland on Vancouver Island put together, vastly exceeding all deferrals in place thus far. Included in this area are some of the most critical old-growth hotspots remaining in BC, such as the Artlish, Tsitika, and Nahmint watersheds, areas that conservationists have struggled to protect for decades.

The province also announced its plan to launch a suite of programs to support workers that will be impacted by the deferrals, including connecting workers with short-term employment opportunities, education and skills training, or funds to bridge to retirement. However, the province did not announce economic relief for lost forestry revenues in First Nations communities due to proposed deferrals. $12.69 million over three years was committed to providing capacity funding for First Nations to participate in planning and negotiation, but no money has yet been committed to providing further conservation financing. 

Port Alberni Watershed Forest Alliance’s Jane Morden beside an old-growth redcedar tree in BC Timber Sales tenure in the Nahmint Valley near Port Alberni in Hupacasath territory.

“Today’s announcement is a historic step in the right direction, but there are some critical pieces still missing,” said AFA campaigner Andrea Inness. “Besides a lack of funding, the province has failed to provide timeframes or deadlines for the implementation of deferrals or any of the OGSR recommendations. Meanwhile, at-risk old-growth forests are being left on the chopping block while negotiations take place.”

“The province needs to show leadership in supporting First Nations-led old-growth conservation. The $12 million committed today to support capacity building for First Nations to participate in government-to-government negotiations doesn’t go nearly far enough.”

“It’s about ensuring First Nations in BC have funding made available to support logging deferrals, First Nations-led land-use planning, Indigenous protected areas that conserve old-growth, and economic diversification of First Nations’ communities,” said Inness. “There must also be support for joint decision-making and Indigenous self-determination. Currently, the province doesn’t have the political will to deliver on these pieces. That needs to change.”

The federal government recently committed $2.3 billion to expand protected areas across Canada. Of this, several hundred million dollars are available for the expansion of protected areas in BC, with $50 million specifically allocated to protect old-growth forests in BC. 

The Ancient Forest Alliance is urging the BC government to commit several hundred million dollars in conservation financing to match this federal funding in the upcoming spring budget.

AFA Photographer TJ Watt receives Trebek Initiative grant and named National Geographic Explorer and Royal Canadian Geographical Society Explorer

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The Ancient Forest Alliance’s co-founder and photographer working to protect old-growth forests has been awarded significant support and recognition by receiving a Trebek Initiative grant, naming him a National Geographic Explorer and Royal Canadian Geographical Society Explorer.

“I’m honoured and grateful to have been selected as one of the first grant recipients for the Trebek Initiative and to be named a National Geographic Explorer and a Royal Canadian Geographical Society Explorer,” noted Watt. “Combining art with exploration and environmental education is a lifelong passion of mine and I hope to shed new light on ancient forests to help see them saved.”

Watt’s project will focus largely on creating a new ‘before and after’ series of monumental old-growth trees standing and then cut, building on the impact of his first series captured in the Caycuse Valley that went viral around the world this year. The series garnered recognition in three international photo competitions: the Earth Photo 2021 Exhibition, the LensCulture Art Photography Awards, and Px3 ‘State of the World’ in Paris. The sobering images have also appeared in a number of major magazine publications such as Patagonia, Red Bulletin (Red Bull’s magazine), Outside Magazine, and the cover of British Columbia magazine.

“Seeing before & after images of some of the largest trees in earth’s history turned into massive stumps contrasts the grandeur and destruction of these spectacular ecosystems,‘’ stated Watt. “The province and industry claim they’re practicing ‘sustainable’ forestry, but when 500-1000-year-old trees are being cut down on an industrial scale, the situation is pretty clearcut: this is not sustainable.”

Often exploring remote forests alone with just his camera gear and a GPS in hand, Watt hopes capturing photos of endangered old-growth will bring the attention needed to protect these forests before they’re clearcut.

“Ideally, no ‘after’ photos will have to be taken.”

“I have already captured my first set of ‘before’ images with support from the Trebek Initiative grant, which include giant old-growth redcedar and Sitka spruce trees within a recently approved cutblock along the lower Caycuse River, not far from the location where the previous series was shot,” noted Watt. “If the province doesn’t halt the logging here, the world will witness their unnecessary destruction.”

The solution to BC’s old-growth crisis lies in the need for conservation funding for indigenous communities. The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the province to support First Nations’ old-growth protection initiatives with several hundred million dollars, matching federal funds already allocated for expanding protected areas in BC.

“With our planet facing a global climate and biodiversity crisis, there’s a heightened urgency to ensure some of the world’s most ecologically and carbon-rich forests remain standing for centuries to come,” stated Watt. 

The Trebek Initiative is named after the late Canadian host of Jeopardy! Alex Trebek and is a grantmaking partnership between the National Geographic Society and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society that supports emerging Canadian explorers, scientists, photographers, geographers, and educators with a goal of using storytelling to ignite “a passion to preserve” in all Canadians. This is the first year it has been awarded.

Learn more about the Trebek Initiative.

NGO report card: One year after BC promised action, logging continues in almost all at-risk old-growth forests

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Report card raises alarm about predatory delay contributing to climate and extinction crises, lack of support for First Nations and forestry reforms, fuelling Canada’s biggest act of civil disobedience

VICTORIA (Unceded Lekwungen Territories) — One year after the BC government shared its Old Growth Strategic Review (OGSR) report and Premier John Horgan committed to implementing all of the panel’s recommendations, Ancient Forest Alliance, Sierra Club BC and Wilderness Committee have released a report card assessing the province’s progress on their promise to protect old-growth forests.  

The OGSR’s report, made public on September 11, 2020, called on the province to work with Indigenous governments to transform forest management within three years. 

The panel recommendations include taking immediate action to protect at-risk old-growth forests and a paradigm-shift away from a focus on timber value and towards safeguarding biodiversity and the ecological integrity of all forests in BC. However, old-growth-related headlines in recent months have been dominated by police violence and arrests of forest defenders, rather than protection. As of this week, with at least 866 arrests, the fight to save what is left is now Canada’s biggest-ever act of civil disobedience.   

“The tough reality is that thousands of hectares of the endangered forests that Premier Horgan promised to save a year ago have been cut down since then,” said Torrance Coste, national campaign director for the Wilderness Committee. “We’ve seen pitifully little concrete action to protect threatened old-growth, and ecosystems and communities are paying the price for the BC NDP government’s heel-dragging.”

In their report card, the organizations issued new grades on the BC government’s progress in five key areas, crucial for implementation of the panel recommendations: immediate action for at-risk forests (F), the development of a three-year work plan with milestone dates (D), progress on changing course and prioritizing ecosystem integrity and biodiversity (F), funding for implementation, First Nations and forestry transition (D), and transparency and communication (F).

“Our assessment is as devastating as a fresh old-growth clearcut. The ongoing ‘talk and log’ situation combined with police violence and the escalating climate and extinction crisis can only be described as predatory delay,” said Jens Wieting, senior forest and climate campaigner at Sierra Club BC. “Premier Horgan’s failure to keep his promise has now fueled the largest act of civil disobedience in Canada’s history, larger than Clayoquot Sound, with no end in sight. People know that clearcutting the last old-growth is unforgivable”

Clearcut logging in the Klanawa Valley in Ditidaht and Huu-ay-aht territory.

“In the last six months, the BC government has failed to allocate any funding toward protecting old-growth, instead funnelling millions into police enforcement to clear a path for old-growth logging,” said Andrea Inness, forest campaigner for the Ancient Forest Alliance. “Without funding to support old-growth protection, the BC NDP government is forcing communities to make the impossible choice between revenue and conservation. They’re choosing inaction while the conflict in BC’s forests worsens.” 

In July, the province created a technical expert panel to inform the next announcement of old-growth deferral areas. Repeated government remarks about new deferrals in the summer, that are yet to be announced, have sparked a glimmer of hope for science-based interim protection for all at-risk old-growth forests in BC in the near future.

Ancient Forest Alliance, Sierra Club BC and the Wilderness Committee will continue to mobilize their tens of thousands of supporters and hold the government accountable for its old-growth promises. The next report card will be issued on March 11, 2022.

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For more information, please contact:

Jens Wieting, Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner/Science Advisor, Sierra Club BC

604-354 5312, jens@sierraclub.bc.ca

Andrea Inness, Campaigner, Ancient Forest Alliance

778-953-5983 (text only), andrea@15.222.255.145 

Joe Foy, Protected Areas Campaigner, Wilderness Committee

604-880-2580, joe@wildernesscommittee.org

“Sustainable” forestry claims are false and misleading: citizen complaint

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Canadian citizens call for an investigation into Canadian Standards Association’s Sustainable Forest Management Standard, say it misleads buyers of forest products

VANCOUVER/UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (MUSQUEAM), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (SQUAMISH) AND səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH) TERRITORIES  – As forestry companies continue to log endangered old-growth forests in British Columbia, six Canadians today requested the federal Competition Bureau to investigate the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) for promoting its forestry certification standard as an assurance of sustainability.

The “Sustainable Forest Management” standard (CSA SFM) certifies and promotes wood products from logging operations – including in BC’s old-growth forests – as sustainable, which the citizens call patently false and misleading.

The signatories on the complaint come from diverse backgrounds and vocations, but all have had their lives and livelihoods impacted by unsustainable forestry practices in Canada. They are foresters, scientists, First Nations leaders, tourism operators, environmentalists, and municipal leaders, with first-hand knowledge of CSA-certified logging.

“CSA is certifying the logging of our last ancient forests and calling it sustainable, and this is only possible because of its incredibly weak standards. This is completely unacceptable and will not only lead to the extinction of our ancient forests, but infringements and violations of Indigenous Title and Rights as First Nations seek to sustainably protect, manage, and steward the forests they hold jurisdiction over. In these times of renewed focus on the need to protect old-growth forests and their crucial importance for biodiversity and the climate, it’s clear that this logging is not remotely sustainable and is at odds with B.C.’s commitment to implement the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act,” says Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs.

CSA has certified as “sustainable” the logging of some of BC’s most contentious old-growth forests, including Fairy Creek and the surrounding tenure on southwest Vancouver Island, the site of Canada’s longest-running logging blockade.

“What serious standards organization would certify the logging of the remaining three per cent of our most valuable, big tree forests as “sustainable”? This certification is meaningless, designed to fool consumers into thinking they’re doing the right thing by buying these products,” says environmentalist and conservation advocate Vicky Husband, another signatory.

Ecojustice, a non-profit environmental law firm, filed the request for an investigation with the federal Competition Bureau at the request of the signatories, supported by Stand.earth and Ancient Forest Alliance. The complainants seek an investigation and, if the Bureau finds the CSA’s sustainability claims are indeed false, recommend the organization be required to publicly retract the sustainability claims, and pay a $10 million fine, which could go towards supporting conservation projects such as the Indigenous Leadership Initiative for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas.

The CSA, most often associated with consumer product safety and quality control, ventured into certifying logging practices in Canada in 1996 at the request of provincial and national forest industry associations. Canada currently has 13 million hectares of forest certified to the CSA standard, two million of which are in BC. Canada has more certified forest area than any other country in the world, mostly to industry-led systems.

The complaint sets out how CSA certified companies are using the term “sustainable” to promote wood products, even though the CSA Standard does not require logging practices to meet any definition of “sustainable” nor “sustainable forest management.”

“Canada’s weak forestry laws give logging companies control over the forests, and they justify this by saying that the logging is ‘certified sustainable.’ This complaint clearly demonstrates that’s not true,” says Devon Page, Executive Director at Ecojustice. “Weaknesses in the CSA’s forest certification system make it incapable of guaranteeing that forest management is sustainable, resulting in destructive logging practices being sold as sustainable to consumers.”

Click here to see the inquiry submission.

About

Ecojustice: Ecojustice uses the power of the law to defend nature, combat climate change, and fight for a healthy environment. Its strategic, public interest lawsuits and advocacy lead to precedent-setting court decisions and law and policy that deliver lasting solutions to Canada’s most urgent environmental problems. As Canada’s largest environmental law charity, Ecojustice operates offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Halifax.

Stand.earth: Stand is an advocacy organization that brings people together to demand that corporations and governments put people and the environment first.

Ancient Forest Alliance: The Ancient Forest Alliance is a non-profit organization working to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests and to ensure sustainable, second-growth forestry jobs.

For media inquiries:

Thais Freitas, communications specialist at Ecojustice

tfreitas@ecojustice.ca, 1-800-926-7744 ext. 277

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs
250-490-5314

Tegan Hansen, forest campaigner at Stand
tegan@stand.earth

TJ Watt, campaigner and photographer at Ancient Forest Alliance
tj@15.222.255.145

Andrea Inness, campaigner-executive team at Ancient Forest Alliance
andrea@15.222.255.145

Profiles of Complainants

Anthony Britneff, RPF (Ret), worked for the B.C. Forest Service for 40 years, holding senior professional positions in inventory, silviculture and forest health. Now, he is devoted to replacing the status quo in B.C.’s forestry with a new paradigm based on the principles of conservation of soil, water, biodiversity, and carbon to address the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip has served as the President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs for 23 years. During his presidency, and his previous 24 years on the Penticton Indian Band Council, Phillip has dedicated himself to advancing and safeguarding inherent Indigenous Title and Rights, including in the context of forest management.

Vicky Husband, Conservation advocate, is one of British Columbia’s best-known environmentalists. She has long fought for the protection of the ancient rainforests of BC, including Clayoquot Sound, and played a lead role in establishing Canada’s first grizzly bear sanctuary in the Khutzeymateen Valley. Her work has earned her numerous honours, including the Order of Canada, Order of BC, and a United Nations Global 500 Award for environmental achievement.

Dr Andy MacKinnon is a University of Victoria professor in Botany, following a 30-year career as an ecologist in the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources. He is the co-author of six guidebooks to BC plants, and is a councillor in Metchosin on Vancouver Island. 

Ben Geselbracht is a Nanaimo City Councillor, and currently co-chairs the Environment Committee. He also serves as a Director of the Nanaimo Regional District, Director-at-Large for the Union of BC municipalities; and on the Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities Climate Leadership Strategy Steering Committee.

Natasha Baert is the owner of Tofino Sea Kayaking, a business operated by her family in Clayoquot Sound for more than 30 years. She has been involved in conservation efforts throughout this time, and supports the work of local First Nations to establish a Tribal Park. Her family played a major role in building the local non-extractive economy, and can speak to the value of old growth forests in light of this.

Background information for media

The complaint

  • was submitted for consideration by the Competition Bureau of Canada. It claims that the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is making false and misleading representations regarding the use of the term “sustainable forest management.”
  • alleges that weaknesses in the CSA’s forest certification system make it incapable of guaranteeing that forest management is sustainable, resulting in destructive logging practices being sold as sustainable to consumers.
  • sets out how CSA, federal and provincial governments, forest industry associations, and individual forestry companies have misused the terms “sustainable” and “sustainability” to promote wood products from forests certified to the CSA standard. Numerous illustrative examples are provided.
  • establishes how the CSA’s misrepresentations are false and materially misleading, based on both reviewing the wording of the CSA Standard and in the context of old-growth logging in British Columbia’s forests.
  • references the Competition Act, which provides that both the “general impression” as well as the literal meaning shall be considered in determining whether or not a misleading claim has been made. The Supreme Court has interpreted “general impression” to mean  that which “a credulous and inexperienced person has after an initial contact with the entire advertisement.” (I.e. the Competition Bureau will have to determine whether CSA’s standard and associated claims would meet an average person’s understanding of what “sustainable” means, as well as looking at more technical definitions of the word).
  • is grounded in a detailed analysis of the definition of the word “sustainable,” and internationally accepted definitions of the term “sustainable forest management.”
  • shows that the CSA Standard does not require practices to meet any definition of “sustainable” nor “sustainable forest management,” and that it is highly discretionary, ultimately leaving it up to each company to determine the level of performance it wishes to meet. It even suggests that if a company is consistently not meeting the targets that it has set for itself, then it should set “more realistic goals.”  
  • highlights that although the CSA standard contains criteria, including for values such as biological diversity and ecosystem condition, there are no performance requirements connected to these, and this is left to the discretion of the company seeking certification.
  • demonstrates how the CSA Standard is incapable of even guaranteeing that timber harvest levels will be maintained over time, let alone other values, such as endangered species and ecosystem function. While it states that “for many people, sustainability involves limiting actual timber harvest levels to within the long-term capability of the forest to grow wood,” it only states that this is something that managers “might wish” to ensure, with no firm requirement.

Desired Outcome

  • The Competition Bureau should conduct an inquiry into whether the CSA is making “false and misleading representations” and, if upheld, require CSA to remove all claims of “sustainable” and “sustainability” from its public communications. In addition, the CSA should be required to pay a $10 million fine, to go towards conservation efforts (such as the Indigenous Leadership Initiative for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas).

FAQ

What is forest certification?

  • Forest certification is a system intended to enable consumers to select forest products based on whether they were produced sustainably, as set out in certification standards. Forest management practices are evaluated by an independent third party against these standards.
  • The first forest certification system was created by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in 1994, by a broad spectrum of environmental, Indigenous, social, and economic organizations. In response, a number of industry-led certification systems were developed as a way to compete with the FSC, including by the CSA (in response to a request from a coalition of forest industry associations). These industry-led systems were criticized for not requiring changes to status quo practices, but expanded rapidly in terms of the volume of wood products and area certified.
  • The credibility of these industry-led systems has been called into question before, with reports issued as far back as 2001 (Behind the Logo) and 2004 (Footprints in the Forest).
  • Government has looked to forest certification as a way to justify reduced government oversight of the forest industry, citing the independent third-party audits as evidence of compliance with regulations.

Who funds the CSA?

  • The development of the CSA SFM system and standard was supported by the Forest Products Association of Canada and the Federal Government of Canada. Companies that wish to get certified pay an accredited certifying body (e.g. KPMG) to audit them against the CSA standards.

How much certified forest is there in Canada? How much of that is CSA?

  • Industry-led forest certification systems have expanded rapidly in Canada, requiring little change to status quo practices. Canada currently has 164 million hectares of forest certified to one or more systems (13 million to CSA), more than any other country in the world (36% of global total certified area). BC leads Canada, at 50 million hectares certified (2 million to CSA).

New study reveals old-growth forests are worth more to BC economy standing than logged

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Old-growth forests in BC contribute far more economic benefit to society when kept standing, according to a new independent study released today by the Ancient Forest Alliance.

The study, conducted by environmental consulting firm ESSA Technologies, compares ecosystem services including carbon storage/sequestration, recreation, tourism, coho salmon habitat, non-timber forest products like floral greenery and mushrooms, and research/education opportunities to timber harvest and concludes that society is better off when old-growth forests are protected rather than logged.

Read the full report: https://16.52.162.165/old-growth-economic-report/

Using old-growth forests located in Pacheedaht and Ditidaht territories near Port Renfrew – where independent protesters have been blockading old-growth logging for ten months – as a case study, the analysis is the first of its kind on Vancouver Island and provides a striking example of the tremendous economic benefits should the province fulfil its commitment to protect old-growth forests. 

The study uses computer modelling, provincial forest harvest data, and both market and non-market values for ecosystem services to compare the net benefits of protecting old-growth forests across 17 different scenarios ranging from minimal (30%) to full (100%) old-growth protection. 

The analysis shows society would be better off under all 17 old-growth protection scenarios, with the main economic drivers being carbon storage/sequestration (which reduces the significant costs of mitigating climate change), tourism, and recreation. For example, protecting all old-growth forests in the study area would contribute an additional $40 million in net economic benefits over the next 100 years compared to business as usual, more than making up for the economic losses from forgone timber harvest. Forest carbon emissions would be reduced by 569,250 tonnes of carbon and tourism and recreation alone would contribute almost $11 million in net benefits to society. 

Because the study is based on only a portion of harvestable old-growth near Port Renfrew and isn’t inclusive of all ecosystem services, like cultural values, the study’s findings are underestimates of the true value of standing old-growth. Nevertheless, they present a strong economic case for keeping old-growth forests standing. 

A secondary analysis was also done to assess the impact to the provincial economy of old-growth protection in the area by comparing the effects of the 17 scenarios on GDP and jobs from timber harvest and tourism. Results show that, if all old-growth forests were protected in the study area, tourism alone would nearly make up for any losses from not harvesting by adding an equivalent number of jobs and covering 66% of the losses to GDP. While not considered in the study, local benefits of old-growth protection from additional revenue streams like carbon offsets, sustainable fisheries, and value-added wood manufacturing could also increase.

With the NDP government having committed to implementing all of the Old Growth Strategic Review Panel’s recommendations and overhauling BC’s forest policies, there is a critical window of opportunity for the province to begin to manage old-growth forests in a way that benefits all British Columbians, not just special interests. 

The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the province to immediately halt logging in BC’s most at-risk old-growth forests and commit significant funding for First Nations’ sustainable economic development, as an alternative to old-growth logging, and Indigenous protected areas that conserve old-growth forests. 

QUOTES:

Walt Judas, CEO, Tourism Industry Association of BC – “Tourism is one of BC’s core industries and I’m confident that, as travel restrictions ease, we’ll see the sector begin to recover from the devastating impacts of the pandemic. Virtually every community throughout the province relies on tourism and the revenues and employment opportunities generated by visitors. Much of this growth is driven by international tourists keen to experience BC’s natural beauty, including our rare and majestic old-growth forests. With much existing and potential tourism value to be gained from old-growth, it makes economic sense to keep what’s left standing.” 

Scott Benton, Executive Director, Wilderness Tourism Association of BC – “Scores of wilderness tourism businesses in BC rely on healthy, functioning ecosystems, including intact and protected old-growth forests and monumental trees, for their revenues. Continued logging of these irreplaceable forests not only adversely affects the wilderness tourism sector, it damages BC’s reputation as a wilderness destination through the loss of wilderness experience.”  

Karl Ablack, President, Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce. In 2016 the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce put forth a resolution to the BC Chamber to support the protection of old growth forests in areas where these forests had greater tourism value left standing. This resolution was unanimously adopted.  – “This new study is consistent with what we’re seeing on the ground here in Port Renfrew. Thanks to increased international and domestic tourism and recreation tied to old-growth forests, tourism business revenues in town have gone up dramatically in the last decade. And as a developer, I’ve seen how increased interest in purchasing property, opening new businesses, and building homes has led to higher real estate values in the region.” 

Jim Pojar, Ph.D., R.P.Bio., forest ecologist – “Old-growth temperate rainforests, including those found here in BC, store more carbon per hectare than any other forest type on Earth. As this new economic analysis illustrates, some of the enormous costs associated with mitigating climate change and the massive carbon emissions from old-growth logging could be avoided if we simply stopped cutting down these valuable carbon stores.”  

Duncan Knowler, report co-author, Simon Fraser University associate professor – “When the province makes decisions to log old-growth forests without considering the many ecosystem services they provide like clean water, tourism and recreation, habitat, greenhouse gas mitigation, and more, they’re essentially saying these other benefits are worth nothing. This paints an incomplete picture of what ancient forests are truly worth and, in the face of the climate and biodiversity crisis, it’s not how land-use decisions should be made.” “This exciting new study builds upon our 2008 work to assign an economic value to old-growth spotted owl habitat in the Lower Mainland’s Fraser Timber Supply Area. It shows that there are innovative valuation tools for ecosystem services at our fingertips that can and should be used to make better decisions about how our irreplaceable old-growth forests are managed.” 

Andrea Inness, Campaigner, Ancient Forest Alliance – “This study shows that local economies – and the broader provincial economy – both stand to benefit when we protect old-growth forests. It directly contradicts the BC Forest Minister’s argument that it’s too costly to halt logging in at-risk old-growth due to its timber value. It’s now up to the province to decide whether they’ll use this new information to improve decision-making and whether they’ll support communities in realizing the economic value of intact, protected old-growth forests.”

TJ Watt, Campaigner and Photographer, Ancient Forest Alliance – “The BC government is failing to manage old-growth forests in the public’s best interests. By continuing to allow status quo old-growth logging, they’re putting the interests of the timber industry ahead of other sectors and the BC economy as a whole. The province must step forward with significant funding for First Nations and forest-based communities in order to support new protected areas and sustainable economic diversification.” 

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BC government’s forestry announcement fails to address old-growth crisis

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Victoria, BC – The Ancient Forest Alliance is highly critical of yesterday’s announcement by the BC government of its intentions to modernize BC’s forest policies while at the same time failing to address the ongoing old-growth crisis. 

“Today’s announcement on forest sector modernization widely misses the mark in terms of what steps are critically needed to ensure the ecological sustainability and long-term economic viability of BC’s forests,” stated AFA campaigner Andrea Inness. “Truly modernized forest policies would include ending the outdated, unsustainable, and massive industrial logging of the grandest remaining stands of ancient forests.”  

Haddon Creek – Vancouver Island. TFL 46 – Teal-Jones

“As protests continue to erupt across southern Vancouver Island and beyond in response to the BC government’s destructive old-growth liquidation policies, Premier Horgan has missed a critical opportunity to build public trust and prove the NDP are serious about the forestry paradigm shift that they promised last fall by halting logging in contentious, at-risk old-growth forests. Instead, they peddled more highly misleading figures on how much old-growth forest is protected and blamed climate change, not logging, for the loss of these forests.” 

The new intentions paper outlines a suite of forest policy changes, including tenure re-distribution that will give First Nations greater access to forest resources in their territories, increased emphasis on value over volume in the forest sector, and a “strengthened” annual allowable cut for BC’s controversial logging agency, BC Timber Sales. 

Near logging roads constructed by Teal-Jones approach the unprotected headwaters of the Fairy Creek Valley.

“Transferring tenures while failing to fund and support economic alternatives that help leave ancient forests standing will only further entrench the status quo of old-growth logging and leave forestry-dependent communities, including First Nations, with few options to diversify their economies,” stated AFA campaigner TJ Watt. “While we welcome policy that allows for greater decision-making in line with communities’ interests, values, and aspirations, how will communities be able to adequately address those various needs when the only economic option on the table is more old-growth logging?” 

“The BC government’s forestry plan must be accompanied by funding to support expanded deferrals in the most at-risk forest ecosystems, Indigenous-led protected areas, and sustainable economic alternatives to old-growth logging, while taking advantage of the $2.3 billion in federal funding that’s recently been committed to expand protected areas across Canada, including for new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas.”

“The plan must also be coupled with legislation to protect remaining old-growth forests, the adoption of an ecosystem-based management approach in BC’s forest sector, and lower annual allowable cuts that respect ecological limits.” 

“The BC NDP keeps saying they’re committed to implementing the recommendations from their Old Growth Strategic Review Panel,” stated Inness, “but they have failed to make the connection between these proposed policy changes, the declining state of old-growth forests, and the need to transition to a value-added, second-growth forest sector.” 

“A vision for BC’s forests that isn’t firmly rooted in ecological health does no favours for communities. This path continues to rob British Columbians of old-growth forests and the critical ecological services they provide while driving communities ever closer to the looming economic cliff ahead of them.” 

The intention paper – and Premier Horgan’s speech during yesterday’s announcement – did little to reassure British Columbians that his government is taking the old-growth crisis seriously. 

“It’s beyond frustrating to hear Premier Horgan continue to repeat false and misleading claims about the amount of old-growth remaining in BC, how much is protected, and what the steps the province has taken. It seems almost every day he’s doing more to damage public trust and undermine the province’s credibility on the old-growth issue.” 

Background info

  • Premier Horgan has repeatedly claimed that 200,000 hectares of old-growth forest have been “protected” through the BC government’s September 2020 deferral announcement. However, the vast majority of these forests were either already protected or contain low productivity forests with smaller trees. In reality, only 3,800 hectares of previously unprotected, high productivity old-growth forests – with big trees and which scientists say are critically endangered – were temporarily deferred.
  • Premier Horgan also stated during yesterday’s press conference that 1,500 “groves” had been protected through the BC government’s Special Tree Regulation. That regulation is estimated to protect up to 1,500 of BC’s biggest trees with one-hectare buffer zones around them. This does not equate to protecting entire groves of trees except in the rare circumstance that the buffer zones of two or more trees that meet the province’s exceptionally high size thresholds overlap.
  • Premier Horgan also made a highly misleading claim on the status of old-growth forests, stating that 10 million hectares of old-growth forests are “protected” in BC. However, this includes vast swathes of low productivity forests that have little to no commercial value, as well as forests outside the Timber Harvesting Land Base, which are frequently logged and much of which could be logged in future as forests within the THLB are depleted.
  • According to independent scientists, the government’s own data shows that over 97% of BC’s highest productivity forests with the biggest trees have been logged and most of what remains is slated to be logged in coming years. 

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Forestry Watchdog finds BC Timber Sales failing to protect old-growth, biodiversity in Nahmint Valley

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Forest Practices Board investigation into Ancient Forest Alliance complaint reveals non-compliance by BC government logging agency in Nahmint Valley, putting ecosystems at risk, and systemic flaws in BC’s forestry legislation.

 

For immediate release
May 12, 2021

 

Victoria, BC – BC Timber Sales’s logging plans for the Nahmint Valley have consistently failed to comply with legally-binding land-use objectives for biodiversity protection, according to a long-awaited Forest Practices Board report following an investigation into old-growth logging in the Nahmint Valley near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island.

The report, released today, comes three years after the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA), together with members of the Port Alberni Watershed Forest Alliance, exposed the clearcutting of some of Canada’s grandest remaining old-growth forests and biggest trees – including Canada’s ninth widest known Douglas-fir – in the Nahmint Valley, located in Hupacasath and Tseshaht territory. The discovery prompted the AFA to submit a complaint to the Board, as well as the Ministry of Forests’ Compliance and Enforcement Branch (CEB), in summer 2018.

The Board’s nearly three-year investigation confirms one of the key findings from the CEB investigation – that BCTS’s 2017 Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) for the Nahmint Valley fails to comply with legal biodiversity objectives set under the Vancouver Island Higher Level Plan Order.

“With the Forest Practices Board’s investigation now complete, the evidence is irrefutable: BC Timber Sales are failing to adequately protect old-growth in the Nahmint Valley,” stated Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner Andrea Inness. “This failure exposes the gross inadequacies and lack of accountability that are inherent in BC’s forest system and the need for immediate, systemic change.”

The Board’s investigation found that BCTS did not follow good conservation design, use available ecosystem mapping, or ensure forest ecosystems were adequately represented at the landscape level through Old Growth Management Areas. As a result, not only is BCTS’s FSP non-compliant, according to the Board’s report, these issues have “occurred over a long period of time and are creating real risks to ecosystems.”

“BCTS has logged too much old-growth forest in some ecosystems, including in rare and underrepresented plant communities, putting biodiversity at risk,” stated Inness. “What’s worse is they have no plan in place to ensure even more of these forests aren’t destroyed.”

Despite these issues, the FSP was given ‘rubber stamp’ approval by the district manager and when the CEB’s investigation identified possible compliance issues in fall 2018, nothing was done to amend the FSP to bring it into compliance.  

The Board’s report also reveals inherent inadequacies in the Forest and Range Practices Act – namely that there is no mechanism through which changes can be made to non-compliant FSPs once they’re approved – and loopholes that allow forest companies to substitute younger, smaller trees for older, bigger trees in retention areas, combine protection targets for old-growth and mature forests together, and stack forest reserves like Old Growth Management Areas and Wildlife Habitat Areas on top of each other.

“BC’s deeply flawed forest system not only lacks accountability, it allows forest companies and BCTS to protect the lowest possible amount of productive old-growth forests while always targeting the very best stands for logging,” stated AFA campaigner and photographer TJ Watt.

“At the end of the day, it’s not enough that BC Timber Sales amend their landscape unit plan and their FSP, as the Board suggests, so they can continue logging old-growth while adhering to BC’s outdated and inadequate forestry laws. Those laws need to be revised to reflect advancements in conservation science and the ecological crisis facing BC’s ancient forests.”

“Public trust in BC Timber Sales is already abysmal,” stated Inness. “Knowing they’re failing to meet the BC government’s grossly inadequate standards for old-growth protection is further proof of the urgent need for sweeping, systemic change in BC’s forest system.”

In its 2020 report, the NDP government-appointed Old Growth Strategic Review Panel concluded that productive old-growth forests are endangered across most of BC and a complete paradigm shift in BC’s forest sector, as well as immediate steps to protect the most at-risk old-growth forests, are urgently needed. In October, Premier Horgan committed to implementing the Old Growth Panel’s recommendations “in their totality,” but very little has been done thus far and the province is falling far behind on the panel’s suggested timeline.

In light of the panel’s recommendations and the Board’s findings, the AFA is calling on the BC government to direct BCTS to immediately stop auctioning off cutblocks in old-growth forests and instead champion conservation solutions and sustainable second-growth harvesting practices.

Brenda Sayers of the Hupacasath First Nation in Port Alberni is also urging the province and BC Timber Sales to end the destructive logging of old-growth in the Nahmint.

“The Nahmint Valley is not only beautiful, its ancient forests and biodiversity are critical to our people’s culture, our identity. Yet, the BC government is sanctioning the destruction of these ecosystems through its own logging agency, which have shown themselves to be incapable of responsibly managing our sacred lands.”

“The province needs to enact the paradigm shift that Premier Horgan committed to last October so that biodiversity and ecosystem integrity – which are what sustain First Nations cultures – are given the highest priority, not just in the Nahmint, but everywhere in BC.”

Background information

  • The Nahmint Valley, recognized for its high biodiversity, important wildlife and conservation values, was designated a “low intensity area” in the 1994 Vancouver Island Land Use Plan (VILUP) and a special management zone with “high biodiversity” priority in the ensuing VILUP Higher Level Plan Order in 2000.
  • The Board found BCTS failed to meet legal-binding protection targets for many old-growth ecosystems in the Nahmint. In some cases, the gap between the legal retention targets and how much old-growth remains is significant. For example, for four rare and underrepresented ecosystems in the Nahmint, BCTS has only achieved between 20 and 55 per cent of the targets.
  • The Nahmint Valley is considered a “hotspot” of high-conservation value old-growth forest by conservation groups, with some of the largest tracts of remaining old-growth forests on Vancouver Island outside of Clayoquot Sound. The Nahmint River supports significant salmon and steelhead spawning runs and the area is also home to Roosevelt elk, black-tailed deer, cougars, wolves, and black bears as well as old-growth dependent species like marbled murrelet and northern goshawk.
  • Old-growth forests are vital to sustaining unique endangered species, climate stability, tourism, clean water, wild salmon, and the cultures of many First Nations. On BC’s southern coast, satellite photos show that at least 75% of the original, productive old-growth forests have been logged, including well over 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow. 

 

Conservationists decry absence of funding for old-growth, forestry paradigm shift in BC Budget

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Victoria, BC – The Ancient Forest Alliance is disappointed the NDP government’s provincial budget, released yesterday, fails to allocate funding to protect endangered old-growth forests or enact the necessary paradigm shift in BC’s forest sector. 

“The BC government has missed a critical opportunity to show British Columbians it’s serious about its old-growth commitments,” stated Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner Andrea Inness.  

“Despite promising a complete paradigm shift in the way BC’s forests are managed, the NDP government’s 2021 budget is bereft of meaningful solutions to make it happen. In fact, the Ministry of Forests budget is being slashed by $41 million this year and a further $30 million in 2022.” 

“How does the province expect to protect ancient forest ecosystems, support communities, and overhaul its forest management regime with less funding than it had before?” 

The provincial budget comes six months after Premier Horgan committed to the full implementation of the 14 recommendations set out by the BC NDP-appointed Old Growth Strategic Review Panel, which submitted its final report one year ago. The recommendations include an immediate halt to logging in BC’s most at-risk old-growth forests within six months; a new, science-based approach to forest management that prioritizes biodiversity; and proactive, adequately funded local and provincial transition plans.

Since the panel’s report was released publicly in September, the BC government introduced a regulation to protect an estimated maximum of 1,500 of BC’s biggest trees and deferred logging in nine areas encompassing 353,000 hectares. However, only 3,800 of those hectares are previously unprotected, at-risk old-growth forest, leaving the majority of BC’s remaining productive old-growth forests open to logging.

While Budget 2021 does include increased funding for land-use planning modernization (an inadequate $7.3 million over three years), $180 million to support negotiations with First Nations communities, which ideally will include engagement on the Old Growth Panel recommendations, and $17 million to enact the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), it’s missing critical funding pieces needed to fully implement the Old Growth Panel’s recommendations.  

“The provincial budget lacks funding to relieve economic pressure faced by BC First Nations so that logging deferrals become an economically viable option for them,” stated Inness.

“There’s also no funding for new Indigenous Protected Areas that conserve old-growth forests, no conservation financing to support the economic diversification of First Nations communities while old-growth is protected, and no funding to help workers and communities transition away from old-growth logging. In terms of funding sustainable forestry solutions, this budget is as bleak as an old-growth clearcut.”  

The Ancient Forest Alliance, other conservation groups, and hundreds of British Columbians sent feedback to the BC government’s Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services last year, calling for funding for old-growth protection in Budget 2021. That feedback was reflected in the Standing Committee’s final report, in which it recommended the BC government “fund a transition to second growth harvesting and away from primary forests” in Budget 2021. 

An additional 4,200 messages were also sent in the weeks leading up to the budget announcement, illustrating British Columbians’ expectations that the province follow up its old-growth commitments with timely and adequate funding. 

“The Standing Committee’s recommendation and British Columbians’ wishes seem to have fallen on deaf ears,” stated campaigner TJ Watt. “By failing to fund the Old Growth Panel’s recommendations, the NDP government will be severely limited in how far they can go to protect old-growth, setting the stage for more of BC’s endangered ancient forests to fall.” 

“That the BC government also failed to fund old-growth protection and sustainable economic development in Clayoquot Sound is particularly disappointing, especially after the federal government in 2019 committed matching funds for the implementation of the Tla-o-qui-aht and Ahousaht land-use visions, which set the vast majority of those Nations’ territories in Clayoquot Sound aside from industrial development,” stated Watt. 

“On Monday, the federal government committed $2.3 billion – in addition to the $1.3 billion it committed in 2018 – to protect one million square kilometers of Canada’s land and freshwater and to support Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, Indigenous Guardians programs, provincial and territorial protected areas, and to protect species at risk.” 

“The NDP government has a unique opportunity to obtain matching funds from the federal government. They’re missing a golden opportunity to support Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas while delivering the paradigm shift that was promised.”

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BC not on track to meet milestones for old-growth, First Nations and forestry transition

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Environmental organizations issue report card six months after publication of old-growth panel recommendations

View the old-growth report card
Read the old-growth report card backgrounder

VICTORIA/unceded Lekwungen territories — Ancient Forest Alliance, Sierra Club BC and Wilderness Committee issued a report card today assessing the B.C. government’s progress on protecting old-growth forests. Today marks exactly six months since the provincial government published the report from its independent old-growth panel. Premier John Horgan promised to implement the panel’s recommendations “in their totality” shortly after.

The panel called for a paradigm-shift to safeguard the biodiversity of B.C.’s forests with a three-year framework, including logging deferrals for all at-risk old-growth forests within the first six months. Half a year later almost all at-risk forests remain open for logging and the B.C. government has not developed a plan with milestone dates and funding. 

“Government promised a ‘new direction’ for old-growth forests and then spent six months dragging its heels and refusing to protect the most endangered stands,” said Andrea Inness, campaigner for the Ancient Forest Alliance. “The government published the recommendations six months ago, but it received the report containing them on April 30, 2020 — by any measure they’ve missed this crucial deadline.” 

Endangered old-growth stands across the province continue to be targeted by logging companies and the exact forests the panel called for urgent action to protect are being lost. At the same time, the lack of a concrete plan is leaving First Nations and forestry workers with uncertainty about whether conservation, economic diversification and the transition to sustainable second-growth forestry will be adequately funded. 

“As long as we continue to rely on a dwindling supply of endangered old-growth forests, B.C.’s forest sector will continue to face uncertainty and instability,” said Cam Shiell, environmental sustainability officer with the Public and Private Workers of Canada, a union that represents thousands of workers in the B.C. forest industry. 

“The provincial government can’t delay action any longer, it must take meaningful steps to protect old-growth forests, lead the transition to sustainable, value-added second growth forestry and create the forest industry of the future.”

The organizations’ report card grades progress on five key areas related to the 14 recommendations: immediate action for at risk forests (D), three-year work plan with milestone dates (F), charting a new course prioritizing ecosystem integrity and biodiversity (F), funding for implementation, First nations conservation and forestry transition plans (F) and transparency and communication (F).

“Promising a new direction and then avoiding any meaningful action to ensure the most at risk old-growth forests are protected is not a ‘paradigm shift,’ it’s the same old talk and log,” said Jens Wieting, forest and climate campaigner at Sierra Club BC. “The Horgan government is getting terrible grades on old-growth, and is currently failing to keep one of its key election promises.”

In its initial response in September, the province acknowledged status quo management of old-growth forests had “caused a loss of biodiversity,” recognized the “need to do better” and announced nine deferral areas encompassing 353,000 hectares. Horgan and the BC NDP have claimed these deferrals ‘protected old-growth,’ but a closer review revealed most of this area is either already under some form of protection or is second growth forest and still open to logging.

According to independent experts, as of 2020, only about 415,000 hectares of old-growth forest with big trees remain in B.C., mostly without protection. Only 3,800 hectares, or one per cent of the remaining fraction of this kind of forest was included in the government’s deferral areas. Old-growth logging continues at an average rate of hundreds of soccer fields per day, always targeting the biggest accessible trees that remain. 

Reflecting polling results show more than 90% support for old-growth protection, the old-growth panel report found broad agreement for a paradigm-shift to respond to the biodiversity crisis in B.C.’s forests. The lack of social license for continued old-growth logging in the province is also highlighted by the ongoing blockades at Fairy Creek on unceded Pacheedaht territory (southern Vancouver Island), which have been in place for seven months.

“Nothing the Horgan government has done so far is preventing the most endangered old-growth forests in the province from being mowed down, and the public knows it,” said Torrance Coste, national campaign director for the WIlderness Committee. “The BC government must immediately defer logging in at-risk old-growth and commit substantial funding to support the economic diversification of First Nations and forestry communities to ensure the long term sustainability of both jobs and the environment.”

Ancient Forest Alliance, Sierra Club BC and the Wilderness Committee will continue to mobilize their tens of thousands of supporters and hold the government accountable on it’s old-growth promises. The next report card will be issued on Sep. 11, 2021.