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The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) is a registered charitable organization working to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests and to ensure a sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest industry.
Authorized by Ancient Forest Alliance, registered sponsor under the Election Act, 250-896-4007.
AFA’s office is located on the territories of the Lekwungen Peoples, also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.
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Big Lonely Doug: Canada’s loneliest tree still waiting on help
“It was odd to be standing in this giant, record-size tree in the middle of a clear-cut and watching stuff fall not too far away,” he said. Mr. Watt said it was “kind of sad” too, because he suspected there were more trees like Big Lonely Doug that might be stumps by the time his crew finds them. “It shows the need to have legislation in place as quickly as possible to protect remaining old-growth forest so we don’t have to keep coming across these things too late,” said Mr. Watt. Three years ago, the provincial government promised it would bring in regulations to protect the best and biggest groves of B.C.’s dwindling stock of giant old-growth trees. Mr. Watt, Mr. Wu, and Big Lonely Doug are still waiting .
Tree-Climbers Scale to the top of “Big Lonely Doug,” Canada’s 2nd Largest Douglas-fir Tree, to highlight BC’s Endangered Old-Growth Forests
“Big Lonely Doug”, the recently found, second-largest Douglas-fir tree in Canada, has been scaled by a team of professional tree-climbers. The climbers with the Arboreal Collective are collaborating with the Ancient Forest Alliance, a BC-based conservation organization, to highlight, research, and document the largest old-growth trees and grandest groves in British Columbia. Big Lonely Doug stands alone in a 2012 clearcut, hence its name.
Climbers scale Canada’s ‘Big Lonely Doug’
For a few hours last month Big Lonely Doug was a little less lonely. On may 25, a group of climbers and environmentalists scaled the giant tree, which was confirmed as Canada’s second-largest Douglas Fir earlier this year. “It’s a humbling experience exploring the tops of centuries-old trees and in a place no human has been before. I hope the novel images that come from this initiative to climb and document the largest trees and grandest groves in B.C. will help to raise awareness… about these highly endangered ecosystems,” said T.J. Watt of the Ancient Forest Alliance.
Tree Climbers Scale Canada’s 2nd Largest Douglas-Fir
Many of us have climbed a tree or two in our lives, but how many of us can say that tree was as tall as an 18-storey building? A group of professional tree climbers scaled Canada's second-largest Douglas-fir — fondly referred to as Big Lonely Doug — and there are some amazing photos to prove it. Climbers from Arboreal Collective partnered with Ancient Forest Alliance, a B.C.-based conservation organization that discovered Big Lonely Doug, to complete the ascension of the tree near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island.
Gallery: Tree climbers scale Big Lonely Doug
View gallery at: https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/gallery-tree-climbers-scale-big-lonely-doug-1.1118808
Photo of Burnt Vancouver Island Clearcut Chosen for Exhibition in International Photography Competition in London
Tragic photo of a logged and burnt old-growth forest on Vancouver Island, taken in January by Ancient Forest Alliance photographer TJ Watt, highlights the environmental destruction taking place in British Columbia’s “Tree Farm Licences” (TFL’s). The BC government’s plan to expand TFL’s to give exclusive logging rights to major logging companies on BC’s public lands is in its final week of public input. The image has chosen by the Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year competition to be featured in an exhibition this summer at the Royal Geographical Society in London and around national forest venues across England.
Opinion: Tree-farm licences a failure in forest management
"The only evident plan [of the BC government] is to keep the rates of timber harvesting unsustainably high, thereby making the eventual collapse of available timber even more painful for forest-dependent communities, a policy based on the premise that it is better to have more jobs today and none tomorrow rather than fewer jobs today and some tomorrow. ...the government is preoccupied with rewarding an oligopoly of companies with exclusive timber rights over public forests within quasi-private timber farms (Tree Farm Licences) In its zeal to justify further enclosure of The Commons and increased corporate control over the commoners’ timber, the government’s twisted thinking becomes so bent that it defines mountebank politics."
B.C. forest giveaway threatens to speed up collapse
"How did we get to this point? It is no secret that this redressed proposal is especially aimed at companies operating in the Interior. After the mountain pine beetle epidemic, the province allowed a significant increase to the annual cut to deal with massive quantities of dead or dying trees in this region. But that process has almost run its course: dead wood is running out and forest companies are cutting down more and more living trees, also known as green timber. In a headline-making case, West Fraser and Canfor took one million cubic metres of green timber over and above the allocated cut, without penalty by the B.C. government."
Echo Lake BIODIVERSITY BLITZ! Sat May 31 – Sun June 1, 2014
THIS WEEKEND, join the Ancient Forest Alliance along with a group of biologists and environmental experts for a weekend of biodiversity surveys, a guided walk and nature talks at Echo Lake. Located between Mission and Agassiz east of Vancouver, Echo Lake is a spectacular and endangered lowland old-growth forest. Come out to experience and learn about this unique ecosystem and find out more about the birds, amphibians, mammals, plants, fungi, and other living things that make Echo Lake their home! Saturday, May 31st, 1:30pm-5pm: Citizens Science Day • Searching for Amphibians! with Barb Beasley • Fungi Walks! with Erin Feldman, and Adolf & Oluna Ceska • Mossome Mosses and Other Awesome Plants! Sunday, June 1st, 1:30pm-5pm: Biodiversity Nature Walk Learn about old-growth forest characteristics and ecology, plant ID, forest-canopy research, and more! **See details for meeting times & locations!** **Participants should pre-register for either or both days by sending an email to info@15.222.63.112 and indicate which day (either or both) they would like to attend.
Forest Giveaway Plan for Timber Companies Threatens BC’s Public Forest Lands! Please SPEAK UP Now – May 30 noon Deadline!
In April, the BC Liberal government revived their proposal to allow major logging companies to receive exclusive logging rights over vast areas of public forest lands through the expansion of Tree Farm Licences. Despite being killed by widespread public opposition in 2013, they’ve resurrected this “forest giveaway scheme” like a zombie, in a bid to increase property rights for timber corporations on our public lands. These lands are vital for wildlife, recreation, scenery, clean water, wild salmon, First Nations, and small forestry operators. Go to www.BCForestMovement.com and see here for more ways to speak up!