Photo Gallery: Walbran Headwaters at Risk

‘Before’ images have been recently captured in an active Western Forest Products cutblock in the far upper reaches of the Walbran Valley in Pacheedaht territory. Scores of giant cedars are banded in preparation for falling – and some have already been cut down. These images underscore the urgent need for the BC NDP government to ACT NOW and fulfill its promise to protect old-growth. 

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*Note: the logging here is not taking place in the core part of the Central Walbran Valley where most people camp and which is the most intact, unprotected part of the valley. This cutblock is in a far upper reach of the watershed in a heavily fragmented area. But this whole watershed and all remaining tracts of old-growth on Vancouver Island must be protected at this late stage in the battle for ancient forests.

A beautiful and ancient western redcedar measuring 10ft or 3m wide banded for logging.

Photo Gallery: Before & After Logging – Caycuse Watershed

Shocking before and after images of giant ancient cedars felled in the Caycuse watershed in Ditidaht territory by Teal Jones between April and November 2020.

Photos: Granite Creek Logging Adjacent to Fairy Creek

Images taken in August 2020 from the Granite Creek watershed in Pacheedaht territory, near Port Renfrew. Old-growth logging and road building by Teal-Jones.

Giant redcedar was recently cut down by Teal-Jones.

The future of BC’s ancient forests hangs in the balance of decisions made today

While the NDP government deliberates on the future of BC’s endangered old-growth forests, logging of ancient trees continues at a shocking pace across the island. Teal-Jones is one of the worst offenders, with dozens of old-growth cutblocks spread out across the Walbran, Caycuse, and Gordon River Valleys. They’ve also begun road construction adjacent to the unprotected headwaters of Fairy Creek (about 4km up from the lake) northeast of Port Renfrew and while there are no current cutblock applications at this time, it’s very likely part of their future plans. Teal Jones also plans to log the second-growth forest along the Gordon River, across from Avatar Grove, which will further mar the scenery from the bridge next to the world-famous tourist site.

The same story is playing out across hundreds of other valleys across Vancouver Island as well, often beyond the scrutiny of the public eye. Time is running out for these old-growth ‘hotspots’ of high conservation and recreation value. The BC NDP must enact strong and immediate measures to protect these highly endangered ancient forest ecosystems before the logging industry erases them forever.

TAKE ACTION! ⬇️

TWEET: @DonaldsonDoug @JJHorgan @GeorgeHeyman
EMAIL: Doug Donaldson at FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca
CALL: Doug Donaldson’s office at 250-387-6240
SEND-A-MESSAGE: www.AncientForestAlliance.org/send-a-message

Photos: Taylor River Valley – Old-Growth Under Threat

Our exploration of the Taylor River Valley near Port Alberni in June 2020 exposed BC Timber Sales’ plans to auction off nearly 200 football fields worth of old-growth forest.

Photos: Loup Creek Grove – Port Renfrew

In March 2020, the AFA identified a spectacular grove ancient giants along Loup Creek near Port Renfrew in Pacheedaht territory. This region was heavily logged in the 1970s and 80s, save for a strip of old-growth along the river. Most of the old-growth that remains today along Loup Creek is protected within an Old Growth Management Area and a Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) for marbled murrelets. But a prime section containing dozens and dozens of ancient redcedars, giant amabalis fir, and Douglas-fir trees was left unprotected. We also spotted ribbons marked “Falling Boundary” and “Road Location”, indicating potential future logging plans by Teal-Jones.

The BC government is currently working to expand WHAs for marbled murrelets. We’ve recommended to the Ministry of Forests that this grove should be added to the adjacent WHA, ensuring a contiguous stretch of old-growth is protected along the river, but we don’t know whether they will listen.

See the new photo gallery here: https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/loup-creek/

Photo Gallery: Massive Trees Cut Down on Vancouver Island

In April 2020, Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner and photographer TJ Watt explored and documented old-growth logging totalling over 70 hectares along Haddon Creek in Ditidaht Territory and found monumental redcedar trees over 11 feet in diameter cut down. Some of these trees had previously been photographed by him while still standing. Without question, this is – or was – one of the grandest forests on the South Island, rivalling the renowned Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew or the Walbran Valley, which lies a short distance to the south

See the photo gallery here: https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/photos-media/massive-trees-cut-down/

Photo Gallery: Exploring & Climbing Ancient Giants at Eden Grove

While further exploring Eden Grove in Pacheedaht territory earlier this year, the AFA’s TJ Watt located another epic stand of ancient giants!

See the photos here: https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/photos/exploring-climbing-ancient-giants/

New Photo Gallery: Tahsis – Endangered Old-Growth

See our latest photo gallery featuring an incredible-yet-endangered stand of old-growth Douglas-fir trees growing on the hillside above Tahsis on the west coast of Vancouver Island, BC: https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/photos/tahsis-old-growth/

An incredible grove of old-growth Douglas-firs within one of Western Forest Products planned future cutblocks.
Directions to Avatar Grove and the big trees.

Avatar Grove with BC KAIROS Rolling Justice Bus

Last week, the BC KAIROS Rolling Justice Bus embarked on four day tour to see some of Vancouver Island’s most spectacular ancient forests and learn more about the issues surrounding them. AFA’s TJ Watt and forest ecologist Andy MacKinnon helped kick off day one of the tour at Avatar Grove in Canada’s Tall Trees Capital, Port Renfrew, sharing what makes old-growth forests so unique and why they’re worth more standing than as stumps! Thanks to BC-KAIROS for hosting this informative tour, raising awareness for BC’s ancient forests, and having the AFA along!