The B.C. Liberal government stirred up controversy recently by proposing to remove scenic forest protections in the Harrison, Chehalis and Stave Lakes regions near Vancouver. Their “quick-fix” attempt to provide more timber for logging fails to recognize that the coastal forest industry’s 20-year decline has fundamentally been driven by their own resource depletion policies.
To access more timber, the Clark government is floating a plan that includes logging in areas that were previously off limits for environmental or visual quality reasons and changing the boundaries of forest districts to add more timber to the supply. Bercov said that while the focus of the committee is currently on the Interior, he fears that any changes to policy that would allow more logging in protected areas would inevitably apply to the Island.
As a publicly owned resource, British Columbia's forests must be harvested in a manner that promotes sustainability and healthy forests that are ecologically diverse. This would protect and promote existing and new jobs in communities dependent on well-managed forests.
A picture is worth a thousand words: this common adage comes instantly to mind when viewing T.J. Watt's unforgettable photos of lost trees. For years, Watt has been photographing the beauty of Vancouver Island's ancient temperate rainforests, and documenting their loss to clearcut logging.
Vancouver Island is home to some of the largest trees on the planet. From the well-known towering giants of Cathedral Grove to those newly discovered near Port Renfrew, ancient forests have been wowing visitors to Canada’s West Coast for centuries.
There are some places so precious that just standing there makes you proud to be a Canadian. Avatar Grove is one of those.
To access more timber, the B.C. government is floating a plan that includes logging in areas that were previously off limits for environmental or "visual quality objectives" and changing the boundaries of forest districts to add timber to one district at the expense of another.
The B.C. government plans to relax logging restrictions on about 9,500 hectares of Crown land, including the well-loved getaway of Harrison Lake.
A major forest sector union is coming out against proposals from the British Columbia government that could see protected areas opened to logging.
The Ancient Forest Alliance, which brought Avatar Grove into the public eye and lobbied for its protection, has asked the Forests Ministry for permission to build a trail and boardwalk. "We want to improve accessibility and it's vital to protect the ecology and make sure the tree roots don't get worn down," said TJ Watt, the Alliance campaigner who discovered the grove.
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