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Forests minister to protect ancient trees

The minister's acknowledgment that more needs to be done to protect monumental trees is not exactly a revelation. Environmental groups, particularly the Ancient Forest Alliance and the Wilderness Committee have been pushing for it for years.
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Old-growth clearcut near the Avatar Grove in the Gordon River Valley.

Photo of Old-Growth Clearcut on Vancouver Island Takes Top Prize

“As a photographer working for a cause you’re always looking for that elusive shot that truly captures both the emotional and the factual aspects of the issue in one image. It’s difficult to get both together but this picture is quickly proving to have done just that. Of the hundreds of thousands of photos I have taken, as sad as it is, this is the one I am most proud of,” notes Watt.
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Old-growth clearcut near the Avatar Grove in the Gordon River Valley.

Photograph of Vancouver Island clearcut wins national competition

Ancient Forest Alliance photographer T.J. Watt took first place in Outdoor Photography Canada magazine's "Human Impact" photo contest with an image taken in the Gordon River Valley near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island.
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The stump of a 14ft diameter old-growth redcedar freshly cut in 2010 found along the Gordon River near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island.

B.C.’s Best Old-Growth Forest Slideshow Visits Salt Spring

“Time is running out for our endangered old-growth forests and B.C.’s coastal forestry jobs. Salt Spring Island is famous as a hub of environmental consciousness — it may very well have the highest density of tree-huggers in North America. It’s a key place for us to build support and expand our strong campaign to protect our ancient forests, ensure sustainable second-growth forestry and to ban raw log exports to foreign mills,”
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Liberal MP Keith Martin stands on top of a massive

Ancient forest group continues push for old-growth

AFA members spent the last year hunting the south Island for old-growth stands to document and photograph. It’s trying to put pressure on the B.C. government to protect old-growth stands for future generations.
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Ancient Forest Alliance

CFAX Radio Interview (on Youtube): Climate and Old-Growth Forests with Sierra Club of BC’s Jens Wieting

Link to video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXIcjHP8knE Tweet
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Ancient Forest Alliance

Canada’s Gnarliest Tree – Save the Avatar Grove

The 50 hectare stand of lush old-growth temperate rainforest on public (Crown) lands near Port Renfrew has become a major attraction due to the ease of access to its giant, alien shaped redcedars and enormous Douglas-firs. Yet, despite requests for protection from all corners, the BC government has not stepped up to the plate to ensure that the area is spared from logging by the Surrey-based Teal-Jones Group.
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Old-growth forests store 2-3 times more carbon per hectare than the ensuing second-growth tree plantations but are still threatened by logging in BC.

Searching for the ‘sweet spot’ in the carbon debate

The valuable contribution intact forests make in conserving natural carbon stores to help in the fight against climate change has been largely overlooked in BC. Like a bank account that can store carbon away for hundreds of years, the service of keeping carbon in the ground and out of the atmosphere, is provided free of charge by our intact forests.
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Ken James of the Youbou TimberLess Society (YTS)

Film series turns eye to Youbou closure

Its goals from 10 years ago remain strong today, according to group stalwart Ken James. "With over 200 paid up members we continue to work with other groups, often behind the scenes now, to promote our ideas of sustainable, profitable, forestry that will leave a standing forest behind for future generations," he said this week.
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Ancient Forest Alliance’s One Year Anniversary, Organization Prepares for Province Wide Tour

Since then the non-profit environmental organization has become perhaps the fastest growing environmental group in BC, snowballing to 18,000 supporters through Facebook and by email, and garnering hundreds of news stories in the media on its campaigns.
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AFA’s office is located on the territories of the Lekwungen Peoples, also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.
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