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Ancient Forest Alliance

Cathedral Grove threatened by nearby logging, conservationist says

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Canada’s oldest and most-renowned forest is facing new threats as logging on a nearby mountain opens the way for collateral damage to Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island, local conservationists say.

Island Timberlands, based in Nanaimo, is in the midst of clearing a road to a plot of Douglas fir trees on the southwest-facing slope of Mount Horne, a plot of land estimated to be about 40-hectares.

While the land itself is not part of Cathedral Grove, Ken Wu, executive director of the Ancient Forest Alliance, said once the logging is finished Cathedral Grove will feel the after effects.

“They’re not going to log the park itself, but the park is damaged by the activities around its edges,” he said. “Basically these protected areas become islands of extinction.”

According to Wu, logging of Douglas fir trees on Mount Horne will destroy the winter habitat of black-tailed deer, pollute the Cameron River from siltation which runs through Cathedral Grove and feeds the local wildlife and plant life, and destroy part of the Mount Horne Loop Trail, a popular hiking and mushroom-picking area.

“Island Timberlands needs to back off and the government needs to fix the problem because they broke it,” Wu said.

The B.C. government once protected these lands, but in 2004 the lands were deregulated, thereby removing the old-growth, riparian, scenic, wildlife and endangered species habitat protections and the restrictions on raw log exports on those lands.

Wu and many other local conservation groups held a protest two weeks ago to raise awareness of the issue, but logging is still commencing.

“The company needs to hold off until the government can remedy the situation either with land-purchase or regulation,” Wu said.

Port Alberni Watershed-Forest Alliance spokeswoman Jane Morden met with Island Timberlands on Oct. 19, but could reach no agreement to halt logging for further discussion.

“Cathedral Grove is B.C.’s iconic old-growth forest that people around the world love – it’s like the redwoods of Canada,” Wu said. “The fact that a company can just move to log the mountainside above Canada’s most famous old-growth forest – assisted by the B.C. government’s previous deregulation of those lands and their current failure to take responsibility – underscores the brutal collusion between the B.C. Liberal government and the largest companies to liquidate our ancient forest heritage.”

https://metronews.ca/news/vancouver/843268/cathedral-grove-threatened-by-nearby-logging-conservationist-says/

Ancient Forest Alliance

Cathedral Grove, Canada’s Most Famous Old-Growth Forest, Under Threat as Island Timberlands Moves to Log Adjacent Old-Growth Mountainside

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Port Alberni, Vancouver Island – Cathedral Grove, Canada’s most famous old-growth forest, is under threat as one of the province’s largest logging companies, Island Timberlands, began falling a new logging road right-of-way last week towards a stand of old-growth Douglas-fir trees on the mountainside above Cathedral Grove. Cathedral Grove is in the 300 hectare MacMillan Provincial Park, an area smaller than Vancouver’s Stanley Park, located along the Cameron River at the base of Mount Horne where the planned logging would occur.

Last week conservationists with the Port Alberni Watershed-Forest Alliance came across the new road construction activities. Fallers had cleared several hundred metres of a new logging road through a second-growth forest, heading towards a stand of old-growth Douglas firs where the planned logging will take place on Mount Horne. Earlier in March, survey tape marked “Falling Boundary” and “Road Location” was found in the planned cutblock that comes as close as 300 meters from the park boundary. An aerial overflight by Ancient Forest Alliance activists this past Tuesday confirmed the existence of new road construction activities headed towards the grove. See PHOTOS and a MAP of the flagged logging cutblock at: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/cathedral-grove-canyon/

The planned logging will have numerous detrimental effects, including: fragmenting the continuous forest cover and wildlife habitat on the slope above Cathedral Grove; destroying some of the last remaining 1% of BC’s old-growth coastal Douglas-fir trees; destroying the wintering habitat of black-tailed deer in an area previously planned to sustain them; increasing siltation of the Cameron River (which runs through Cathedral Grove) during the heavy winter rains as soil washes down from the new clearcut and logging road; and destroying part of the Mount Horne Loop Trail, a popular hiking and mushroom-picking trail that the cutblock overlaps – Island Timberlands has now closed access to the trail.

See the Times Colonist article on the original cutblock discovery, from March: https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/old-growth-near-cathedral-grove-set-for-imminent-logging-activists-1.90194
See the CHEK TV clip from the original cutblock discovery, from March: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3exaYAqSrzw

The flagged cutblock by Island Timberlands is estimated to be about 40 hectares and lies on the southwest facing slope of Mt. Horne on the ridge above the park and highway that millions of tourists visit annually. The logging would take place in an area formerly intended as an Ungulate Winter Range to protect the old-growth winter habitat of black-tailed deer – a plan that was not followed through when the BC Liberal government deregulated the lands in 2004 by removing them from their Tree Farm Licence.

Island Timberlands’ resumption of logging activities adjacent to Cathedral Grove appears to perfectly coincide timing-wise – either by sheer coincidence or by callous intention – with last week’s solidarity rally in Cathedral Grove involving half a dozen community conservation groups. The increased cooperation between diverse conservation groups has been prompted by heightened concerns about Island Timberlands’ widespread escalation of old-growth logging in many areas around Port Alberni recently. See the media release about last week’s rally at: https://16.52.162.165/news-item.php?ID=705

Island Timberlands is currently engaged in multiple logging incursions into other highly endangered old-growth forests besides Mount Horne. This includes recent logging and/or road-building at McLaughlin Ridge, Juniper Ridge, Labour Day Lake, and the Cameron Valley Firebreak in the Port Alberni area (see: https://16.52.162.165/news-item.php?ID=678); plans to log the Stillwater Bluffs near Powell River and the Day Road Forest near Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast; and plans to log old-growth forests at Basil Creek and the Green Valley on Cortes Island. See spectacular PHOTOS of most of these forests at: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/

Until recently much of these lands under threat were regulated to the stronger standards found on public lands. However, in 2004, the BC Liberal government removed 88,000 hectares of Weyerhaeuser’s private forest lands, now owned by Island Timberlands, from their Tree Farm Licences, thereby removing the planned old-growth, scenic, wildlife, and endangered species habitat protections, as well as the riparian protections and the restrictions on raw log exports, on those lands. Alberni-Pacific Rim Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Scott Fraser has repeatedly worked to hold the BC government to account to remedy the situation by getting Island Timberlands to hold-off from logging these hotspots until a political solution can be implemented.

Island Timberlands (IT) is the second largest private land owner in BC, owning 258,000 hectares of private land mainly on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and Haida Gwaii. Conservationists are calling on Island Timberlands to immediately back-off from its logging plans in old-growth and high conservation value forests until these lands can be protected either through purchase or through regulation.

Conservationists are also calling for a provincial plan to protect the province’s old-growth forests, to ensure sustainable second-growth forestry, and to end the export of raw, unprocessed logs to foreign mills. For private lands, conservationists are calling on the BC Liberal government to re-establish and bolster the former BC park acquisition fund (eliminated after the 2008 provincial budget). A dedicated provincial fund of $40 million per year (about 0.1% of the $40 billion annual provincial budget), raising $400 million over 10 years, would go a long way towards purchasing and protecting old-growth forests and other endangered ecosystems on private lands across the province. The fund would be similar to the existing park acquisition funds of various regional districts in BC, such as the $3 million/year Land Acquisition Fund of the Capital Regional District around Greater Victoria, which are augmented by the fundraising efforts of private citizens and land trusts.

BC’s old-growth forests are vital to support endangered species, tourism, the climate, clean water, wild salmon, and many First Nations cultures whose unceded lands these are. About 75% of the original, productive old-growth forests have already been logged on BC’s southern coast, including over 90% of the valley-bottom ancient forests where the largest trees grow, and 99% of the old-growth coastal Douglas fir trees. See maps and stats at: https://16.52.162.165/ancient-forests/before-after-old-growth-maps/

QUOTES:

“On October 19, MLA Scott Fraser and myself met with Island Timberlands’ CEO Darshan Sihota, and asked him if he was intending to save any old-growth Douglas-fir forests – his reply was that it was his legal right to log it ALL. So despite the BC government’s scientists formerly intending these vital wildlife habitats for protection when they were still within the Tree Farm Licence, Island Timberlands sees nothing wrong with harvesting the old growth forests across all their lands. This even includes the mountainside above Cathedral Grove, Canada’s most famous old-growth forest,” stated Jane Morden, coordinator of the Port Alberni Watershed-Forest Alliance.

“Cathedral Grove is BC’s iconic old-growth forest that people around the world love – it’s like the redwoods of Canada. The fact that a company can just move to log the mountainside above Canada’s most famous old-growth forest – assisted by the BC government’s previous deregulation of those lands and their current failure to take responsibility – underscores the brutal collusion between the BC Liberal government and the largest companies to liquidate our ancient forest heritage,” stated Ken Wu, executive director of the Ancient Forest Alliance. “Island Timberlands needs to back off from Cathedral Grove and other endangered old-growth forests, while the BC Liberal government must take responsibility for allowing this destruction to happen. They broke it, now they have to fix it, either by purchasing or re-regulating these lands.”

“This is not about a company just wanting the right to log its own private lands unfettered, as the government and industry PR-spin suggests. These corporate private lands were previously regulated to public land standards for over half a century in exchange for the BC government’s granting of free Crown land logging rights to the companies back then – what has happened is that the regulations on private lands were removed recently, while the companies were still allowed to keep their Crown land logging rights,” stated TJ Watt, Ancient Forest Alliance photographer and campaigner.

“Cathedral Grove is the mascot of old-growth forests in Canada. If we can’t ensure its ecological integrity because of the BC government’s inaction – or complicity – it really gives a black eye to BC’s environmental reputation in the international community,” stated Annette Tanner, chair of the Mid-Island Wilderness Committee, who has led the fight for the ecological integrity of Cathedral Grove for over a decade.

Ancient Forest Alliance

Conflict Escalates with Island Timberlands as Conservation Groups Rally in Cathedral Grove in Solidarity

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October 22, 2013
For Immediate Release

Conservation Groups Rally in Solidarity in Cathedral Grove against Island Timberlands’ Coastal Old-Growth Logging

Island Timberlands’ recent expansion of logging operations in multiple endangered old-growth forests on Vancouver Island has prompted diverse community conservation groups to call on the company to immediately back-off and for the BC Liberal government to be responsible and protect these lands.

Diverse community conservation groups rallied together in Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island today calling on Island Timberlands to immediately back away from its ongoing and planned logging of old-growth and high conservation value forests on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and Cortes Island, and for the BC Liberal government to be responsible and protect these lands.

Almost 60 protesters rallied in the parking lot of Cathedral Grove near Port Alberni, unfurling banners and leafletting tourists in the Grove. The rally included representatives and supporters from half a dozen local conservation groups, including the Port Alberni Watershed-Forest Alliance, Save the Day based in Roberts Creek, Wildstands Alliance based on Cortes Island, Friends of Stillwater Bluffs near Powell River, Wilderness Committee Mid-Island Chapter based in Qualicum Beach, and Ancient Forest Alliance based in Victoria.

Island Timberlands is currently engaged in multiple logging incursions into highly endangered old-growth forests. This includes recent logging and/or road-building at McLaughlin Ridge, Juniper Ridge, Labour Day Lake, and the Cameron Valley Firebreak in the Port Alberni area (see: www.ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=678); flagging Mount Horne, the mountainside above Cathedral Grove, for potential logging (see: www.timescolonist.com/news/local/old-growth-near-cathedral-grove-set-for-imminent-logging-activists-1.90194); plans to log the Stillwater Bluffs near Powell River and the Day Road Forest near Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast; and plans to log old-growth forests at Basil Creek and the Green Valley on Cortes Island. See spectacular PHOTOS of most of these forests at: www.ancientforestalliance.org/galleries.php

Extremely rare groves of old-growth Coastal Douglas-firs, of which only 1% remain, constitute much of these contentious forest lands. Most such stands in the Port Alberni area were previously intended to become Ungulate Wintering Ranges for Roosevelt elk and deer, or Wildlife Habitat Areas for endangered species like the Queen Charlotte Goshawk – until the BC Liberal government deregulated these lands in 2004 by removing them from their Tree Farm Licence. Conservationists believe that there may be less than 900 hectares left of these forests that were formerly intended for protection in the Port Alberni area – less than half of what stood until just a few years ago (2400 hectares).

Conservationists are calling on Island Timberlands to immediately back-off from its logging plans in old-growth and high conservation value forests, while calling on the BC Liberal government to re-establish and bolster the former BC park acquisition fund (eliminated after the 2008 provincial budget). A dedicated provincial fund of $40 million per year, raising $400 million over 10 years, would go a long way towards purchasing and protecting old-growth forests and other endangered ecosystems on private lands across the province. The fund would be similar to the existing park acquisition funds of various regional districts in BC, such as the $3 million/year Land Acquisition Fund of the Capital Regional District around Greater Victoria, which are augmented by the fundraising efforts of private citizens and land trusts.

Island Timberlands (IT) is the second largest private land owner in BC, owning 258,000 hectares of private mainly on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and Haida Gwaii.

Old-growth forests are vital to support endangered species, tourism, clean water, wild salmon, climate stability, and many First Nations cultures whose unceded territories these are.

QUOTES:

“‘No Community Stands Alone’ is about all of our groups dealing with Island Timberlands’ ongoing and planned logging of endangered old-growth forests,” stated Jane Morden, coordinator of the Port Alberni Watershed-Forest Alliance. “At a recent meeting we asked Island Timberlands ‘will Island Timberlands save any old growth forest?’ and their reply was that it is their private land and they intend to log it. But, the government should also take responsibility for allowing this to happen. It was their legislation in 2004 that cancelled any existing and planned protections.  The government has an obligation to protect these lands for generations to come.”

“This is not about a company just wanting the right to log its own private lands unfettered, as the government and industry PR-spin suggests. The fact is that these lands once had stronger environmental regulations and planned designations to protect protect elk and deer winter ranges, old-growth forests, scenery, riparian forests for salmon and clean water and that restricted raw log exports, until the BC Liberal government removed or did not implement them,” stated Ken Wu, executive director of the Ancient Forest Alliance.  “That is, these corporate private lands were previously regulated to public land standards for over half a century in exchange for the BC government’s granting of free Crown land logging rights to the companies back then – what has happened is that the regulations on private lands were removed recently and intended regulations were never put in place, while the companies were still allowed to keep their Crown land logging rights.”

“I believe that major public and markets pressure has so far helped to keep Island Timberlands from logging on Cortes Island,” stated forest activist Zoe Miles, from Cortes Island's Wildstands Alliance. “But we don’t know how long this will last, and it certainly hasn't stopped them from carrying out the same destructive, short-term logging projects in other small communities.”

“No community stands alone. That's the new reality. Forest management has become unprofessional and coastal communities have had enough. We now stand together, and call on the BC government to reinstate integrity and public oversight of forestry on private lands as well as public lands,” stated Cec Robinson of Wildstands Alliance on Cortes Island.

“’Save the Day’ felt it was important to show our support to the Vancouver Island groups trying to protect special areas from the Island Timberland style of logging. We have seen their methods of logging in our own neighbourhood and are currently trying to protect a beautiful forest that they are threatening to log in the near future, home to a double 40 foot waterfall and is a place used by many members of our community for recreation and connecting with the natural world,” stated Brett Heneke of Save the Day, a Roberts Creek organization working to protect the Day Road Forest on the Sunshine Coast.

“Island Timberlands is logging Labour Day Lake, which is a community recreation area and is the headwaters of the Cathedral Grove, the official drinking watershed for the Town of Qualicum Beach, and the community of Dashwood,” stated Annette Tanner, Chair of the Mid-Island Wilderness Committee chapter based in Qualicum Beach.  “We have been gathering petitions to stop the logging of the Cathedral Grove watershed since 2000.”

“These forested lands are being fought for by a united group of activists because so much is at stake,” said Jason Addy of the Friends of Stillwater Bluffs near Powell River. “These lands and their trees provide immeasurable value to their communities, and for all the people of BC, as integral parts of a living forest ecosystem.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ancient Forest Alliance

Global TV News – Cathedral Grove & the NDP on Forestry

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Direct link to video: https://youtu.be/NOz232HDx3Y

Conservationists are calling for much stronger, comprehensive old-growth protection policies in BC after having discovered a major logging threat to Canada's most famous old-growth forest, Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. Conservationists came across survey tape marked “Falling Boundary” and “Road Location” in an old-growth Douglas fir and hemlock forest only 300 meters from the park boundary.

Ancient Forest Alliance

Today’s CHEK TV news clip on the battle to stop Island Timberlands from logging the mountainside above Cathedral Grove!

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https://bcove.me/la6w1bkg – link to CHEK TV news clip on the battle to stop Island Timberlands from logging the mountainside above Cathedral Grove!

Jane Morden

Old growth near Cathedral Grove set for imminent logging: activists

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An old-growth forest, close to Cathedral Grove and formerly protected as a critical wildlife corridor, is ringed with logging tape and conservation groups fear harvesting is imminent.

The marked 40-hectare cutblock, part of Island Timberlands private lands that government agreed could be removed from a tree farm licence in 2004, is about 300 metres from the boundary of MacMillan Provincial Park on the Alberni Highway. It is one of Vancouver Island’s most popular tourist attractions because of giant Douglas firs.

Island Timberlands did not return calls Monday or Tuesday, but company spokeswoman Morgan Kennah wrote in an email: “We have no comment on the planned story.”

The logging tape and road markings were found by members of the Ancient Forest Alliance. Ken Wu, founder of the environmental group, said logging would affect tourism and wildlife populations.

Wu wants both the Liberals and NDP to commit to re-regulating lands removed from the more stringent rules of tree farm licences.

“And we want to see a provincial park acquisition fund of $40 million a year to purchase endangered ecosystems on private land,” he said.

Alliance campaigner TJ Watt said Cathedral Grove is B.C’s iconic old-growth forest.

“It’s like the redwoods of Canada,” he said.“The fact that a company can just log the mountainside above Canada’s most famous old-growth forest underscores the B.C. government’s deep failure to protect our ancient forest heritage.”

The cutblock intersects the Mount Horne Loop Trail, which connects with Cathedral Grove.

“It’s a circle trail, so a lot of people walk up it,” said Jane Morden of Port Alberni Watershed-Forest Alliance.

The planned logging is the latest in a series of proposed cutblocks on lands that were supposed to be protected as critical habitat for wintering deer and other species.

When the government agreed to allow then-owners Weyerhaeuser to remove 88,000 hectares of private land from Tree Farm Licence 44, the province insisted that critical winter habitat should be protected for two years and a committee should then decide on further levels of protection, according to documents obtained through a freedom of information request by Alberni-Pacific Rim NDP MLA Scott Fraser.

But, after the private lands went to Island Timberlands, meetings with the government were “terminated” by the company in 2009, with government biologists saying the company’s harvesting plans were not science-based, the documents show.

There is no doubt that logging in the winter range would have an adverse effect, said independent biologist Mike Stini, a former government contractor.

“They are totally wrong to do this,” he said. “Habitat means it is the animals’ home. If someone takes your house away and you have to live on the streets, you won’t die right away, but your life will be short and your reproductive chances are going to be slim.”

Fraser, who has met with Forests Minister Steve Thomson about the breakdown in the original protection agreement, said the government signed the document and must take responsibility for enforcing it.

“The government gave away public control and that’s what caused this problem,” he said.

Fraser acknowledges it will be tough to regain control of private lands, but, if the NDP forms the next government, he would like to see changes to the Private Managed Forest Lands Act, possibly giving more say to local governments, and more public representation on the Private Managed Forest Lands Council, which is now made up of two industry representatives, two government appointees and a chair chosen by the other four members.

“But some of this might be very simple. Having a government that protects the public interest may be all it takes,” he said.

Read More: https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/old-growth-near-cathedral-grove-set-for-imminent-logging-activists-1.90194

Ancient Forest Alliance

CHEK News – Cathedral Grove Threatened by Logging

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Direct Link to video: https://youtu.be/3exaYAqSrzw

Conservationists are calling for much stronger, comprehensive old-growth protection policies in BC after having discovered a major logging threat to Canada's most famous old-growth forest, Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. Conservationists came across survey tape marked “Falling Boundary” and “Road Location” in an old-growth Douglas fir and hemlock forest only 300 meters from the park boundary last week. See photos and a map (based on some GPS points) at: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/cathedral-grove-canyon/ The planned cutblock by Island Timberlands is about 40 hectares and lies within an area formerly intended for protection as an Ungulate (deer) Winter Range. It lies on the southwest facing slope of Mt. Horne on the ridge above the park and highway that millions of tourists pass through each year. Logging the area would further fragment the forest that is contiguous with the small park, destroying an important wildlife corridor from mountain ridge to valley bottom in an area that conservationists once hoped the park could include for the deer winter range. The logging would also threaten eco-tourism in the area, by destroying a major section of the popular hiking trail, the Mt. Horne Loop Trail, which the cutblock overlaps. The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the BC Liberals and NDP to commit to a provincial plan to protect the province's old-growth forests, to ensure sustainable second-growth forestry, and to end the export of raw, unprocessed logs to foreign mills. For private lands, the organization is calling for a provincial “park acquisition fund” of $40 million/year to purchase endangered ecosystems on private land for protection, similar to the park acquisition funds of various regional districts, like the Capital Regional District around Victoria.

Planned Old-Growth Logging by World Famous Cathedral Grove Highlights Need for New Provincial Forest Policies

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Port Alberni – Conservationists are calling for much stronger, comprehensive old-growth protection policies in BC after having discovered a major logging threat to Canada’s most famous old-growth forest, Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. Conservationists came across survey tape marked “Falling Boundary” and “Road Location” in an old-growth Douglas fir and hemlock forest only 300 meters from the park boundary last week.  See photos and a map (based on some GPS points) at:  https://www.ancientforestalliance.org/photos.php?gID=24

The planned cutblock by Island Timberlands is about 40 hectares and lies within an area formerly planned to be protected as an Ungulate (deer) Winter Range. It lies on the southwest facing slope of Mt. Horne on the ridge above the park and highway that millions of tourists pass through each year. Logging the area would further fragment the forest that is contiguous with the small park, destroying an important wildlife corridor from mountain ridge to valley bottom in an area that conservationists once hoped the park could include for the deer winter range. The logging would also threaten eco-tourism in the area, by destroying a major section of the popular hiking trail, the Mt. Horne Loop Trail, which the cutblock overlaps.

“Cathedral Grove is BC’s iconic old-growth forest that people around the world know – it’s like the redwoods of Canada. The fact that a company can just log the mountainside above Canada’s most famous old-growth forest underscores the BC government’s deep failure to take action to protect our ancient forest heritage,” stated TJ Watt, campaigner and photographer with the Ancient Forest Alliance. “More than ever we need the BC Liberals and NDP to commit to comprehensive new legislation to protect our old-growth forests on Crown lands, and to create a fund to save endangered ecosystems on private lands.”

The lands are privately owned by Island Timberlands but until recently were regulated to the stronger standards found on public lands. However, in 2004, the BC Liberal government removed 88,000 hectares of Island Timberlands’ private forest lands from their Tree Farm Licences, thereby exempting the area from the intended old-growth, scenic, and wildlife habitat protections, and removing the existing restrictions on raw log exports and real estate development on those lands.

 “The BC government removed the environmental protections on these lands a few years ago and exempted the area from other planned protections, putting these lands in jeopardy. Now they need to clean up this mess by protecting these lands, either by purchasing them or re-regulating them,” stated Jane Morden, coordinator of the Port Alberni Watershed-Forest Alliance.

“Cathedral Grove is the mascot of old-growth forests in Canada. If we can’t ensure its ecological integrity because of the BC government’s inaction – or complicity – it really gives a black eye to BC’s environmental reputation in the international community,” stated Annette Tanner, chair of the Mid-Island Wilderness Committee, who has led the fight for the ecological integrity of Cathedral Grove for over a decade.

The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the BC Liberals and NDP to commit to a provincial plan to protect the province’s old-growth forests, to ensure sustainable second-growth forestry, and to end the export of raw, unprocessed logs to foreign mills. For private lands, the organization is calling for a provincial “park acquisition fund” of $40 million/year to purchase endangered ecosystems on private land for protection, similar to the park acquisition funds of various regional districts, like the Capital Regional District around Victoria.

The Ancient Forest Alliance is planning a major “Pre-Election Rally for Ancient Forests and BC Forestry Jobs” this Saturday, March 16 at 12 noon at the Legislative Buildings. Already over 900 people have pre-confirmed their attendance for the rally on their website and almost 400 people via Facebook.  See www.BCForestMovement.com

So far the BC Liberal government has been defending continued, large-scale old-growth logging and raw log exports in the province, often citing highly misleading statistics to convey the false message that old-growth forests are not endangered. They’ve also introduced a bill in the legislature, Bill 8, that would empower the Minister of Forests to give logging companies exclusive logging rights over massive areas of Crown forest lands by converting their “volume-based” logging rights (ie. in cubic metres) into “area-based” licences or Tree Farm Licences. Increasing private property rights for major timber companies on Crown lands is a central bone of contention for the province’s conservation organizations – and a massive fight is underway. See:  https://www.ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=564

The NDP opposition has so far stayed silent on a previous commitment by leader Adrian Dix in 2011 during his leadership bid that he would, “Develop a long term strategy for old growth forests in the Province, including protection of specific areas that are facing immediate logging plans” if elected.

See:  https://conservationvoters.ca/past-endorsements/leadership-race-2011/ndp-candidates/adrian-dix

BC’s old-growth forests are vital to support endangered species, tourism, the climate, clean water, wild salmon, and many First Nations cultures. On Vancouver Island, satellite photos show that about 75% of the original, productive old-growth forests have already been logged, including 90% of the valley-bottom ancient forests where the largest trees grow and most biodiversity resides. Only about 10% of Vancouver Island’s original, productive old-growth forests are protected in parks and Old-Growth Management Areas (OGMA’s).  

See: https://www.ancientforestalliance.org/old-growth-maps.php

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cameron Valley Firebreak

Environmental groups decry logging near Cathedral Grove

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Environmental groups are horrified that Island Timberlands is logging old-growth Douglas fir trees, close to Cathedral Grove, in an area that used to be protected.

Cameron Valley Firebreak was formerly protected as an ungulate winter range for Roosevelt elk and black-tailed deer, but lost that protection in 2004 when the provincial government allowed Weyerhaeuser to remove 88,000 hectares of private-managed forest land from tree farm licences.

Island Timberlands subsequently bought much of Weyerhaeuser’s private managed forest land, including the Cameron Valley Firebreak. The area was previously left unlogged to slow the spread of forest fires.

Morgan Kennah, manager of sustainable timberlands and community affairs for Island Timberlands, said at one time it was necessary to leave large strips forested, like the one in the Cameron Valley, to minimize the spread of fire. That is no longer necessary, she said.

TJ Watt, Ancient Forest Alliance co-founder, said, “The grove is just jam-packed with elk signs and ancient coastal Douglas firs – 99 per cent of which have already been logged.”

Kennah said the company manages hundreds of hectares of mature timber in the Alberni area for deer winter habitat. They recognize that this area provides good winter habitat for deer, along with many other areas across their private managed forest land.

“From Island’s perspective, the area being harvested is some of the least used during winter months by ungulates,” she said.

There are also culturally modified trees, stripped for their cedar bark, she said.

The Port Alberni-based Watershed-Forest Alliance and Ancient Forest Alliance are appealing to Island Timberlands to stop logging the grove until funds can be raised to save it.

“Island Timberlands does not plan to halt current harvest plans underway, at the request of the Ancient Forest Alliance,” Kennah said.

Jane Morden, Watership-Forest Alliance coordinator, said: “This old-growth forest, that stretches from mountaintop to valley bottom, is of monumental importance to deer and elk and is incredibly beautiful to wander through.”

Logging began last week, Kennah said, and will continue for about three-and-ahalf months.

[Times Colonist article no longer available] 

"Canada's gnarliest tree" grows in Avatar Grove

Avatar Grove, the Cathedral Grove of Port Renfrew, under increasing threat due to BC Government intransigence

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The BC Ministry of Forests and Range recent rejection of the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce’s and the Sooke Regional Tourism Association’s request that the Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew be spared from logging (see https://www.vancouversun.com/travel/chops+down+protect+Avatar+Grove/3361175/story.html) has the Ancient Forest Alliance preparing for a ramped-up battle. The organization already has over 2000 members on its “Save the Avatar Grove” Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=480609145246#!/group.php?gid=480609145246&v=wall) and 7000 members on its main Facebook Groups, and will be working to ramp-up membership in the Avatar Grove Group in preparation for a future “Ancient Forest Week of Action” of protests, events, and rallies (dates to be announced) at various BC government offices in numerous communities.

“The Avatar Grove is like the Cathedral Grove of Port Renfrew. It is the most easily accessible of the monumental, endangered old-growth stands on the South Island. If the Avatar Grove falls, Port Renfrew and southern Vancouver Island won’t get another chance like this for another thousand years,” stated Brendan Harry, Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner. “The BC government could quickly protect the Avatar Grove by enacting a Land Use Order that would make the area off limits to logging. The existing Old-Growth Management Area covers only a small fraction of what is a small area to begin with, and it excludes the vast majority of the largest trees.”

The Avatar Grove grows in the Gordon River Valley about a 15 minute drive from Port Renfrew, only a couple minutes past the end of a paved road, on gentle terrain. It is full of large numbers of giant, ancient redcedars and some Douglas firs, including “Canada’s Gnarliest Tree”, an old-growth redcedar with an enormous, contorted burl. The area is within Tree Farm License 46 and is threatened with being logged by the Teal-Jones Group. The Minister of Forests and Range states that one-fourth of the Grove is protected in an Old-Growth Management Area. The Grove enjoys widespread support, including from local Liberal MP Keith Martin (who is proposing the area’s inclusion in his proposed expansion of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve), local NDP MLA John Horgan, and many businesses and community groups in Port Renfrew and Sooke.

See photos of the Avatar Grove (photos can be reprinted with credit to TJ Watt) at:
https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=480609145246#!/group.php?gid=480609145246&v=photos

and in the new photogallery (along with other big tree photos from southern Vancouver Island) at:
https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/

“Why would the BC Liberal government jeopardize millions of dollars in potential tourism revenues and long-term local jobs for a few weeks of logging work for maybe half a dozen people? The vast majority of the forests on the South Island are second-growth now, they should be sustainably logging and value-adding them instead of trying to cut down the last tiny remnants of old-growth here,” stated Harry.

On Vancouver Island, there were over 2.3 million hectares of productive old-growth forests at the time of European colonization – only 600,000 hectares remain unlogged today. About 200,000 hectares of this has been protected in parks and Old-Growth Management Areas, while another 400,000 hectares remain unprotected. The BC government recently announced the protection of 39,000 hectares of old-growth forests on northern and central Vancouver Island, which the Ancient Forest Alliance is commending them for – however, the protections do not extend to southern Vancouver Island and still exclude 90% of the endangered ancient forests.

In percentages, about 75% of Vancouver Island’s original, productive ancient forests have been logged, including 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow, and 87% of the productive ancient forests on the South Island south of Port Alberni. Less than 10% of the original, productive ancient forests on Vancouver Island are protected.

Old-growth forests are important for tourism, wildlife, the climate, clean water, and many First Nations cultures.

“We have so little old-growth forests left. The BC government needs to undertake a Provincial Old-Growth Strategy that will protect our remaining endangered ancient forests across Vancouver Island and BC, ensure the sustainable logging of second-growth forests, and end the export of raw logs to foreign mills.”