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The scarred landscape of an Island Timberlands clearcut along the McLaughlin Ridge from Oct. 2011. Approximately 400 hectares of the original 500 HA of old-growth remains along the ridges' core.

Battle revealed over use of sensitive Island forest near Port Alberni

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An old-growth forest near Port Alberni that had been protected as critical habitat for wintering deer and endangered goshawks is being logged by Island Timberlands – even though newly released documents show Environment Ministry staff strongly disagreed with the company’s harvesting plans.

The documents, obtained by Alberni-Pacific Rim NDP MLA Scott Fraser through a freedom-of-information request, reveal a pitched battle between government biologists and Island Timberlands over protections needed for McLaughlin Ridge, the headwaters for the main source of Port Alberni’s drinking water.

McLaughlin Ridge is privately managed forest land and was removed from a tree farm licence in 2004 by then-owners Weyerhaeuser. The province insisted that critical winter habitat should be protected for two years and a committee should then decide levels of protection.

But the province and Island Timberlands could not agree and meetings were “terminated” by the company in 2009, with government biologists saying harvesting plans were not science-based. Bed bath and beyond coupons

“It is now apparent that it will not be possible to achieve consensus within the committee on how much protected wildlife area is required,” says a letter from the company.

But a letter setting out provincial objections was never sent to Island Timberlands, which has since said its plans are based on ministry input.

That has Fraser questioning whether information was suppressed by the government.

“With all the concerns about the Harper government stifling scientists, it appears it has been happening in BC for years.”

The list of objections was relegated to a memo or “note to file” that says Island Timberlands wanted to log in deer winter ranges and wildlife habitat areas “and [the Environment Ministry] could not scientifically rationalize how the quality of these areas could be maintained.”

“This letter was never released, but does summarize many important opinions of MoE staff,” it says.

Ancient Forest Alliance founder Ken Wu said that indicates political interference.

“These are huge revelations that may be a game changer on how Island Timberlands and the BC Liberals have to deal with the public” regarding how old-growth forests are managed, he said.

Forests Minister Steve Thomson was not available, but ministry spokesman Vivian Thomas said staff were not overruled.

“The Minister of Environment of the time did not prevent the letter from being sent, nor did he direct staff not to send it,” Thomas said in an emailed response.

“The draft letter summa rizes differing points of view between ministry staff and Island Timberlands. However, sending it would not have served any purpose, since an agreement with Island Timberlands on managing critical wildlife habitat/ungulate winter range … could not be reached,” she said.

The company is bound by the Private Managed Forest Land Act, federal Species at Risk Act and Drinking Water Protection Act, Thomas said.

Island Timberlands spokeswoman Morgan Kennah said the company had not previously seen the memo, but it would not have affected logging plans.

“We know there were differing opinions on how the property should be managed. Ministry staff at the time thought the preservation model was the one to have and Island Timberland’s perspective was to look at opportunities for … harvest as well as habitat,” she said.

Logging in McLaughlin Ridge has been completed for this year, Kennah said.

“Next year and subsequent years we may be harvesting, but we haven’t finalized our long-term final strategy for habitat management in that area.”

[Times Colonist article no longer available]

An example of intact ancient temperate rainforest alongside a fresh old-growth clearcut.

EIGHT MONTH COUNTDOWN until the BC Election!

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Please DONATE to help the Ancient Forest Alliance build a much-needed “War Chest” of funding during this crucial pre-election period to shape major provincial policy decisions.

DONATE at: https://16.52.162.165/donations.php

The Greatest Opportunity is NOW for New Forest Policy Commitments

The next eight months will be a crucial time period for the fate of BC’s old-growth forests – in fact, the most important in BC’s history for ancient forests. In May, 2013, there will be a provincial election. During this pre-election period, politicians both in government and in the opposition are highly sensitive to public pressure as they seek power in the upcoming election. This is the time they must listen to the Ancient Forest Alliance and thousands of our supporters calling for new forest policy commitments including a Provincial Old-Growth Strategy that will protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests and that will ensure a sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry.

Times Have Changed

Over the past three decades, the level of public awareness and sympathy for the protection of BC’s old-growth forests has steadily grown…so much so that today, the social expectations that the last of these magnificent ancient forests be protected and a sustainable second-growth forest industry be established is far in the majority of public opinion. However, the fate of ancient forests is not necessarily at the forefront of most people’s minds, and may not be a voting issue for many yet. We need to get it there through a massive campaign now.

All indications are there will be a major shift in the politics of this province in the upcoming election. But there are no guarantees that whoever rules BC next, they will fundamentally change the status quo of old-growth forest liquidation in BC – unless there is massive public pressure coming from BC’s electorate. NOW is the time that we must make the decisive, large-scale, concerted public push for a new provincial plan to protect our endangered forests and jobs.

What’s at Stake?

The fate of BC’s forests is not just “one among many environmental issues”, but is the overriding, most significant environmental land-use issue in the province for the simple reason that forests are by far the dominant part of BC’s landbase and industrial logging exerts the largest ecological footprint of any land-use activity in BC – 200,000 hectares of forests are logged every year, an area about twenty times the size of the city of Vancouver.  This logging includes tens of thousands of hectares of old-growth forests each year. Logging of BC’s forests heavily impacts the climate, endangered species, water quality, wild fisheries, First Nations cultures, tourism, scenery, recreation, and our quality of lives.

What will we DO?

The Ancient Forest Alliance leads the way among BC conservation groups campaigning for a province-wide forestry overhaul to save ancient forests and forestry jobs. History demonstrates that only large-scale awareness and mobilization of a broad diversity of citizens can ensure major societal shifts, including how the tens of millions of hectares of BC’s forests are going to be managed. Over the next eight months we will:

  • Meet and engage with a large and diverse number of politicians both in government and opposition.
  • Build swing-riding campaigns in communities where politicians are particularly sensitive to public opinion.
  • Organize a province-wide presentation tour to inform and rally communities across BC.
  • Meet with a large diversity of stakeholders to build support among businesses, unions, faith groups, municipal leaders, scientists, and many others.
  • Organize a large array of public events including hikes, rallies, slideshows, and meetings.
  • Garner an unprecedented amount of media coverage to raise public awareness in BC about the centrality of ancient forests and raw log exports as provincial election issues.
  • Produce several vital new reports on the status of old-growth forests (including new maps) and on the economic value of standing old-growth forests.
  • Aim to build a new boardwalk in the Avatar Grove on the existing heavily used trail, once we receive the final permissions from various levels of government to proceed. The Avatar Grove was protected from logging earlier this year by a successful two year campaign led by the AFA.
  • Continue to fight for and support the protection of specific endangered ancient forests, such as the Castle Grove in the Walbran Valley, Mossy Maple Grove, Mclaughlin Ridge, Cathedral Grove Canyon, Stillwater Bluffs, Day Road Forest, Wilson Creek Forest, Christy Clark Grove, Cameron Valley Firebreak, areas within BC’s inland rainforest, areas within the drier old-growth forests of BC’s interior, and many more areas, while emphasizing the need for a province-wide old-growth plan.

…and much more!

We Need Funding to Take Advantage of this Most Opportune Time

Unfortunately the AFA is highly underfunded and we are currently in a very tough financial spot. To top it off, we really need to greatly expand our funding base for the heightened period of intense campaigning over the next 8 months before a BC election!

We can’t let the BEST OPPORTUNITY to ensure the protection of BC’s ancient forests SLIP BY by due to a lack of funding. IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME TO SUPPORT US, IT IS NOW.

Again, you can donate by going to:  https://16.52.162.165/donations.php

With your help, we’re confident now that we’ll change the history of BC’s forests over the coming intense eight months, for the benefit of future generations of human and non-human communities throughout BC.

For the Wild,

Ken Wu, Joan Varley, TJ Watt, Hannah Carpendale

 

Ancient Forest Alliance

Campaign for a $40 million per year BC Park Acquisition Fund Launched

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This week the Ancient Forest Alliance has launched a campaign, including a new petition at www.BCParkFund.com, the distribution of 50,000 new brochures (see https://www.bcparkfund.com/newsletter/June-2012-Parks-Acquisition.pdf) into key communities, and outreach to other conservation and recreation groups, calling on the BC Liberal government to establish a dedicated “BC Park Acquisition Fund” of at least $40 million per year. The fund would raise $400 million over 10 years, enabling the timely purchase of significant tracts of endangered private lands of high conservation, scenic, and recreation value to add to BC’s parks and protected areas system.

“While private land trusts are vital for conservation, they simply don’t have the capacity to quickly raise the tens of millions of dollars needed each year to protect enough endangered lands within the short time spans many areas have left to exist – only governments have such funds,” stated Ken Wu, executive director of the Victoria-based Ancient Forest Alliance (www.ancientforestalliance.org).

In years past, the BC government has designated funds for new park acquisition in the provincial budget; however, the funds have been inconsistent and simply too small.

“While $40 million might sound like a lot, let’s remember that it is only 1/1000th or 0.1% of the $40 billion provincial budget. Surely we can afford to invest 0.1% of the provincial budget to protect our endangered species and invest in BC’s scenic and recreational assets?” Wu asked.

Across British Columbia many of the most endangered ecosystems are found on private lands. These include the Coastal Douglas-fir and Dry Maritime forests on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, with their Mediterranean-like climates, twisted arbutus trees on rocky outcrops, and extremely scarce ancient groves; dry ecosystems of BC’s southern interior, including the fragrant Ponderosa Pine forests, sage-filled grasslands, and semi-arid “pocket desert”; waterfowl-filled wetlands and rich deciduous forests in the Fraser Valley and along our largest rivers; and other magnificent but endangered ecosystems threatened with encroaching developments.

These private lands are jam-packed with endangered species. They are also usually found closest to BC’s main population centers, making them highly accessible locations for environmental education and nature tourism. As such, they are potentially the highest-value additions to BC’s world-class parks and protected areas system.

Several of the most endangered old-growth forests on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast survive on the hundreds of thousands of hectares of private corporate lands owned by Island Timberlands and until recently, TimberWest, who sold their BC lands in 2011 to two public sector pension funds managed by the BC Investment Corporation (BCIMC) and the federal Public Sector Investment Management Board (PSIMB). Old-growth forests are vital for supporting endangered species, tourism, the climate, clean water and salmon, and many First Nations cultures.

Island Timberlands in particular in 2012 is aggressively moving to log many of its lands with the highest conservation and recreational values. Conservationists are calling on the company to back off from such plans, while at the same time calling on the BC government to help purchase the companies’ contentious private lands.

Earlier this week a meeting between Cortes Island residents and Island Timberlands representatives resulted in a deadlock in negotiations due to fundamental disagreements about the company’s logging plans that might start as soon as this September. See: https://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/earthmatters/no-negotiation-progress-island-timberlands%E2%80%99-plans-log-cortes-island-forests

Contentious old-growth and mature forests (see spectacular PHOTOS in each link) that are threatened by Island Timberlands on their private lands include:

  • About 1000 hectares of forest on Cortes Island (PHOTOS)
  • McLaughlin Ridge near Port Alberni (PHOTOS)
  • The Cameron Valley Firebreak near Port Alberni (PHOTOS)
  • Lands near Cathedral Grove (Macmillan Provincial Park), including the magnificent Cathedral Grove Canyon a few kilometres upstream near Port Alberni (PHOTOS)
  • Stillwater Bluffs near Powell River on the Sunshine Coast (PHOTOS)
  • The Day Road Forest near Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast (PHOTOS)

Contentious forests on former TimberWest lands, now owned by the BCIMC and the PSIMB, include:

  • Mossy Maple Grove or “Fangorn Forest” near Cowichan Lake (PHOTOS)
  • Koksilah Ancient Forest near Shawnigan Lake (PHOTOS)
  • Muir Creek Ancient Forest near Sooke (no photos available yet)

Park acquisition funds already exist on a smaller scale in several Regional Districts in BC, including the Capital Regional District (CRD) in the Greater Victoria region which has a Land Acquisition Fund of about $3.5 million each year. The CRD has spent over $34 million dollars since the year 2000 to purchase over 4500 hectares, including lands at Jordan River, the Sooke Hills, the Sooke Potholes, Thetis Lake, Mount Work, and Mount Maxwell on Salt Spring Island, to expand their system of Regional Parks.

“Studies have shown that for every $1 spent by the BC government on our parks system, another $9 in tourism revenues is generated in the provincial economy,” stated TJ Watt, campaigner and photographer with the AFA. “What better investment can we make than to spend a very modest sum each year to protect Beautiful British Columbia? A BC Park Acquisition Fund would be a win-win for everyone.”

Stillwater Bluffs

Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island Forests under Threat by Island Timberlands! *NEW Photo Galleries*

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Forests across the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island are currently under threat by logging giant Island Timberlands, the second largest private land owner in BC. Local activists in nearby communities are doing everything they can to hold off the company from logging nearby endangered forests until the lands can be purchased for protection. They need your help! The Ancient Forest Alliance has recently been touring and photographing these endangered areas to help bolster their campaigns. See the beautiful photo galleries below, learn what makes each area special, and find out who to link up with to help protect them!

Stillwater Bluffs

New Photo Gallery: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/stillwater-bluffs/
Local Activists: Friends of Stillwater Bluffs. Email: friendsofstillwaterbluffs@gmail.com Web:  https://fosb.blogspot.ca/

This 48 hectare dry maritime forest south of Powell River contains an exceptionally scenic, dramatic stretch of coastline as well as enormous old-growth veteran Douglas-fir and redcedar trees. It is accessible to the public and offers hiking trails, rock climbing, and important wildlife habitat that is perfect for a potential nature park. Local citizens are pushing the Powell River Regional District and the provincial government to assist in funding the area’s purchase, while Island Timberlands in 2012 continues to move forward towards logging this precious area in the near future .

Powell River Peak news articles: Bluffs receive high-profile focus, Hike raises awareness of bluffs

Lower Sunshine Coast

Day Road Forest

New Photo Gallery: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/day-road-forest/
Local Activists: Elphinstone Logging Focus in Roberts Creek. Email: loggingfocus@gmail.com Web: www.loggingfocus.org

This beautiful second-growth forest includes important stands of old-growth veteran Douglas-firs and redcedars, a gorgeous waterfall, a beautiful box canyon, and extensive mature Douglas-fir stands. Cougars, deer, bears, red-legged frogs, and ensatina salamanders roam the forest. The area is heavily used by local hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers, and as an area for environmental education for local children and youth. Island Timberlands owns these lands and is planning to log the area’s recovering mature forests, to the chagrin of local citizens and property owners.

Wilson Creek Forest (*note – this area is not on Island Timberlands’ private land but is on unprotected Crown lands)

New Photo Gallery: https://16.52.162.165/elphinstone-logging-focus-wilson-creek-forest-under-threat/
Local Activists: Elphinstone Logging Focus in Roberts Creek. Email: loggingfocus@gmail.com Web: www.loggingfocus.org

This beautiful old-growth and mature forest near Roberts Creek on the Lower Sunshine Coast is proposed by local residents for protection in an expanded Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park. This area has never been logged. A forest fire swept through the area over a century ago, but significant stands of old-growth trees survived the fire and still grow throughout the forest. The area is on Crown lands and is one of the only low elevation ancient forests remaining on the Sunshine Coast and is home to cougars, bears, deer, and the threatened red-legged frog. The Wilson Creek Forest is threatened to be logged by the local Community Forest, which unfortunately at this time lacks a strong conservation vision which in a Community Forest in particular should include protection of the highest conservation-value lands like the Wilson Creek Forest.

Vancouver Island

Cameron Valley Firebreak

New Photo Gallery: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/cameron-valley-firebreak/
Local Activists: Port Alberni-based Watershed-Forest Alliance.  watershedforestalliance@gmail.com

The Cameron Valley Firebreak is a beautiful 150 hectare old-growth forest on Vancouver Island that is a 20 minute drive from the town of Port Alberni, and several kilometres upstream from the world-famous Cathedral Grove. In late April, 2012, Island Timberlands began logging this ancient forest of extremely high recreation and ecological value – filled with ancient coastal Douglas-firs (99% of which have been logged), wintering elk and deer, and Culturally Modified Trees. The area is heavily used by Roosevelt elk and was formerly intended for protection as an Ungulate Winter Range by the BC government for elk – until the land was removed from the Tree Farm License in 2004, and planned protections were never implemented.
Ancient Forest Alliance: Press release
Alberni Valley Times: Groups make appeal to save forest
Times Colonist: Environmental groups decry logging near Cathedral Grove

Some Other Forests Threatened by Island Timberlands

Cathedral Grove Canyon: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/cathedral-grove-canyon/
McLaughlin Ridge: https://16.52.162.165/our-work/old-growth-campaigns/mclaughlin-ridge/
Cortes Island: https://16.52.162.165/the-ancient-forests-of-cortes-island-2-the-carrington-bay-childrens-forest/

TAKE ACTION

Here are a few things you can do right now as the campaign snowballs to protect the endangered forests on Island Timberlands lands:

1. WRITE A LETTER TO ENVIRONMENT MINISTER TERRY LAKE:

5 minutes is all it takes to write a short letter requesting that the provincial government establish a BC Park Acquisition Fund of at least $40 million per year, raising $400 million over 10 years, to purchase old-growth forests and other endangered ecosystems on private lands across the province.

Send your letter to: terry.lake.mla@leg.bc.ca (*Be sure to include your full name and address so you they know you’re a real person!)
or phone him at: 1.250.387.1187
or ask him on Twitter: @terrylakemla

2. SIGN AND CIRCULATE OUR ONLINE PETITION TO SAVE BC’S ANCIENT FORESTS AND FORESTRY JOBS:

ancientforestalliance.org/ways-to-take-action-for-forests/petition/

Also sign the Friends of Stillwater Bluffs petition at:  https://www.change.org/petitions/island-timberlands-ltd-of-nanaimo-five-year-moratorium-on-any-logging-of-stillwater-bluffs

3. SUPPORT THE LOCAL ACTIVISTS WORKING TO PROTECT FORESTS THREATENED by ISLAND TIMBERLANDS:

Stillwater Bluffs
Friends of Stillwater Bluffs near Powell River: friendsofstillwaterbluffs@gmail.com Website:  https://fosb.blogspot.ca/

Lower Sunshine Coast
Elphinstone Logging Focus in Roberts Creek: loggingfocus@gmail.com Website:  www.loggingfocus.org

Cameron Valley Firebreak, McLaughlin Ridge
Jane Morden of the Watershed-Forest Alliance in Port Alberni:  watershedforestalliance@gmail.com

Cathedral Grove, Cathedral Grove Canyon
Annette Tanner, Wilderness Committee Mid-Island Chapter in Qualicum Beach: wcwcqb@shaw.ca

Cortes Island
Zoe Miles or Sabina Leader-Mense of Wildstands at: wildstands@gmail.com Website: wildstands.wordpress.com

San Juan Spruce tree and the Red Creek Fir - some of the Canada's largest trees found right nearby!

TONIGHT! Natural History Presentation: Ancient Forests of BC – Ecology and Politics

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The Victoria Natural History Society invites you to join the Ancient Forest Alliance¹s Ken Wu and TJ Watt for a spectacular slideshow and talk on the ecology, wildlife, and politics of old-growth forests including Avatar Grove, Walbran Valley, Clayoquot Sound, McLaughlin Ridge, and the newly found Mossy Maple Rainforest (aka “Fangorn Forest”). We will also discuss the status of various old-growth dependent species-at-risk in BC, such as the Spotted Owl and Mountain Caribou, as well as the possibly extirpated Vancouver Island wolverine, and the push for new provincial policies to protect old-growth forests.

When: Tuesday, April 10th. 7:30 p.m.

Where: Room 159 of the Fraser building at UVic.

Everyone is welcome. Bring a friend and a coffee mug!

Ken Wu and Jason Addy at a press conference at the Sooke Potholes on Mar. 1.

Park acquisition fund wanted

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Different conservationist groups, at the Sooke Potholes on March 1, called on the B.C. government to form a land acquisition fund that would be dedicated to protecting park land.

Ken Wu, co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance, said the B.C. government had been negligent in protecting old-growth forests in the southern part of the province.

“One of the most important planks in a conservation platform that the B.C. Liberal government must commit to before a provincial election before 2013, is to commit to a B.C. park acquisition fund,” Wu told reporters.

The environmental groups are calling for a provincial acquisition fund of $40 million a year, over 10 years, amounting to $400 million. The fund would be used to purchase valuable private land at risk of logging and deforestation.

According to Wu, the acquisition fund could provide continued protection of the Muir Creek watershed, which is located12 km west of Sooke.

The Ancient Forest Alliance had a recent victory over the protection of old-growth cedars in Avatar Grove, near Port Renfrew, on Feb. 16. The provincial government protected 59.4 hectares of Crown land in the area from harvesting, which Wu called a start, but he added much more action was needed from the provincial government.

The conservationists also requested Island Timberlands, the second largest private land owner in B.C., to halt any plans for logging in contentious areas until funds can be acquired to purchase the private lands.

Joining Wu, in representation of different conservationist groups along the southern B.C. Coast, was Jason Addy, of the Friends of Stillwater Bluffs from Powell River.

Addy said the 48 hectares of private land that comprises Stillwater Bluffs has been listed as a protection priority for the Powell River Regional District. The Friends of Stillwater Bluffs is currently asking Island Timberlands for a five-year moratorium to stop future logging until the appropriate funds can be accumulated to purchase the land.

Other old-growth forests and sensitive ecosystems at risk of being logged by Island Timberlands are: Cortes Island near Campbell River, Cathedral Grove Canyon in MacMillan Park, and Cameron Valley Firebreak and McLaughlin Ridge near Port Alberni.

Island Timberlands did not return calls by press time.

Read article in the Sooke News Mirror:  https://www.sookenewsmirror.com/news/141606583.html

 

Gary Murdoch stands beside flagged redcedar trees in the Cathedral Grove Canyon. Environmentalists are calling on the government to create a BC Park Acquisition Fund which would help purchase old-growth forests and sensitive ecosystems on private lands.

B.C. conservationists call for provincial park acquisition fund

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Forest advocates from all over the coast press the B.C. government for a conservation fund, urging private owner Island Timberlands to delay logging until they can purchase priority lands

At a press conference in Sooke, B.C. this afternoon, environmental advocates called on the provincial government to create a new park acquisition fund that could help save threatened coastal forests from logging.

• At B.C. forestry conference, Cortes Island youth voice logging concerns
• Hand-delivered petition urges Island Timberlands to reconsider logging pristine B.C. forest
• Ancient Forest Alliance confirms vital old growth in threatened Cortes Island woods

The fund, which conservationists say should raise at least $40 million per year, could be combined with the fundraising efforts of organizations and individuals to purchase lands from private owners and ensure the survival of key forest areas. Groups campaigning for forests in various parts of the province joined today to make the request, as part of an attempt to protect a number of lands slated for logging by B.C. forestry firm Island Timberlands.

“Christy Clark’s BC Liberal government must step forward with a funding solution, a BC Park Acquisition Fund similar to those of many regional districts, to purchase old-growth forests, sensitive ecosystems, and other important areas on private lands for protection – particularly Island Timberlands’ contentious lands,” said Ken Wu, co-founder of the Victoria-based Ancient Forest Alliance.

“At the same time, Island Timberlands needs put the brakes on their plans to log the last old-growth stands and contentious areas until those lands can be purchased for protection.”

Areas set to be logged by private owner Island Timberlands include large swaths of land on Cortes Island, in addition to the Stillwater Bluffs near Powell River, McLaughlin Ridge and the Cathedral Grove Canyon by Port Alberni. In each of these locations, citizens have initiated aggressive campaigns to try to negotiate with the company and prevent harmful clear-cutting practices.

Zoe Miles, a forest activist who grew up on Cortes Island, says so far public support for local conservation efforts have had a significant impact. Miles was one of the advocates behind a 6,000-signature petition that Cortes community members delivered to IT just weeks ago.

“There has been an incredible amount of public pressure about the situation on Cortes, which I think is a major factor in Island Timberlands’ recent decision to postpone their logging plans for 6 months,” she said.

“It’s a temporary victory, but it does give us more time to raise funds for land purchase. If Island Timberlands is genuinely willing to consider land sale at fair market value, then it’s the responsibility of our provincial government to listen to its electorate and help make that happen.”

Regions like the Capital Regional District around the south end of Vancouver Island have already put acquisition funds in place to create new parks from endangered areas. Partnering with citizens and organizations like the Land Conservancy of B.C., the Capital Region has managed to purchase almost 4,500 hectares of land since 2000.

With the support of the province, advocates at today’s event hope to see similar successes in places like Cortes Island. In addition to the acquisition fund, the Ancient Forest Alliance is also urging the B.C. government to implement a Provincial Old-Growth Strategy to protect endangered old-growth forests, to ensure sustainable second-growth forestry, and to ban raw log exports to foreign mills.

Read article in The Vancouver Observer: https://www.vancouverobserver.com/sustainability/2012/03/01/bc-conservationists-call-provincial-park-acquisition-fund

 

 

Cathedral Canyon

Environmentalists Call for a BC Park Acquisition Fund and for Island Timberlands to Back Off until Contentious Lands can be Purchased for Protection

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Conservationists are standing in solidarity today calling on coastal logging giant Island Timberlands to back off from their plans to log forests with high recreational and environmental values, including old-growth forests and sensitive ecosystems, while calling on the BC government to help purchase the company’s contentious private lands.

At McLaughlin Ridge near Port Alberni, on Cortes Island near Campbell River, at Stillwater Bluffs by Powell River, at Cathedral Grove Canyon adjacent to McMillan Provincial Park, and at the Cameron Valley Firebreak near Port Alberni, Island Timberlands’ corporate private lands include some of the most contentious forests of high conservation value in British Columbia – old-growth forests, sensitive ecosystems, and mature second-growth forests of high recreational value.

Conservationists are calling on the provincial government to establish a BC Park Acquisition Fund of at least $40 million per year, raising $400 million over 10 years, to purchase old-growth forests and other endangered ecosystems on private lands across the province. The fund would be similar to the park acquisition funds of various regional districts in BC which are augmented by the fundraising efforts of private citizens and land trusts.

“Christy Clark’s BC Liberal government must step forward with a funding solution, a BC Park Acquisition Fund similar to those of many regional districts, to purchase old-growth forests, sensitive ecosystems, and other important areas on private lands for protection – particularly Island Timberlands’ contentious lands,” stated Ken Wu, Ancient Forest Alliance co-founder. “At the same time, Island Timberlands needs put the brakes on their plans to log the last old-growth stands and contentious areas until those lands can be purchased for protection.”

“There has been an incredible amount of public pressure about the situation on Cortes, which I think is a major factor in Island Timberlands’ recent decision to postpone their logging plans for 6months,” says forest activist Zoe Miles, who grew up on Cortes Island. “It’s a temporary victory, but it does give us more time to raise funds for land purchase. If Island Timberlands is genuinely willing to consider land sale at fair market value, then it’s the responsibility of our provincial government to listen to its electorate and help make that happen.”

“Stillwater Bluffs has been identified as a priority parcel for protection as a regional park by the Powell River Regional District. It contains sensitive ecosystems and veteran old-growth trees and is a popular area used by local people for recreation,” said Jason Addy of the Friends of Stillwater Bluffs. “It is a no-brainer for a new park and Island Timberlands needs to stay away until the lands can be purchased at fair market value.”

Many regional districts in BC, such as the Capital, Nanaimo, Cowichan Valley, Strathcona, and Powell River Regional Districts have park acquisition funds to protect lands of high ecological and recreational value. The Capital Regional District’s (CRD) Land Acquisition Fund has spent over $34million dollars to purchase over 4500 hectares of land around Victoria since its establishment in the year 2000.

See https://www.crd.bc.ca/parks/preservation/newparks.htm and https://www.crd.bc.ca/media/2010/2010-01-13-land-acq-fund.htm . The CRD fund is raised through an average $14-per-household levy (increasing to $20-per-household by 2015) each year, raising roughly $3 million per year between 2010 to 2019, and has been pivotal for protecting lands of high environmental and/or recreational value at Jordan River, the Sooke Hills, the Sooke Potholes, lands adjacent to Thetis Lake Park, and at Burgoyne Bay on Salt Spring Island.

Island Timberlands (IT) is the second largest private landowner in BC, owning 258,000 hectares of private lands (https://www.islandtimberlands.com/our-company/our-present.htm)mainly on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and Haida Gwaii.

Some of the most contentious sites on Island Timberlands’ private lands include:

Cortes Island – IT owns about 1000 hectares of land on this northern Gulf Island, including the Children’s Forests, Whaletown Commons,and extremely rare old-growth “dry maritime” forests at Basil Creek and the Green Valley. As a result of community pressure, the company has temporarily backed off from plans to log on the Island until September, while the community submits ecological inventory information and proposals to the company. For more info contact Zoe Miles at wildstands.press@gmail.com  See the spectacular photo gallery at: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/

Stillwater Bluffs – IT owns a 48 hectare dry maritime forest by Powell River which contains a rugged stretch of dramatic coastline. It is accessible to the public and offers rock bluffs, hiking trails, and unspoiled wildlife habitat that is perfect for a nature park. It is heavily used by local people and could be the local residents’ version of West Vancouver’s famous Lighthouse Park. The parcel, known as DL 3040, includes sensitive ecosystems of arbutus/rocky outcrops, second-growth Douglas fir and cedar of high community recreation and scenic value, and scattered old-growth “veteran” trees. The Powell River Regional District has expressed an interest in protecting the Stillwater Bluffs as a park. Local citizens say that Island Timberlands has committed to not log the Stillwater Bluffs within the next 6 months, but plan log it within 2 years. Formore info contact Jason Addy at jasonaddy@hotmail.com

McLaughlin Ridge – IT owns about 500 hectares (about 100 hectares of which they’ve logged in recent years) of critical old-growth wintering habitat for black-tailed deer and nesting and foraging habitat of the endangered Queen Charlotte Goshawk in this section of the China Creek water shed near Port Alberni. This area was previously planned to become a Wildlife Habitat Area and Old-Growth Management Area until the BC Liberal government removed Weyerhaeuser’s (now Island Timberlands) private forest lands on Vancouver Island from their Tree Farm License in 2004. So far IT is still planning to move ahead and log this area in the near future. For more info contact Jane Morden at janemorden@gmail.com See the spectacular photo gallery of photos by the AFA’s TJ Watt at: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/mclaughlin-ridge/

Cathedral Grove Canyon and the Cameron Valley Firebreak – IT owns old-growth and second-growth forests adjacent to the famed Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park near Port Alberni, including the spectacular Cathedral Grove Canyon along the Cameron River where giant old-growth Douglas firs and red cedars stand. A public outcry about the marking of these old-growth trees for potential logging seems to have put a hold on the company’s logging plans. Further up the Cameron Valley is the “Cameron Valley Firebreak”, one of the last major tracts of old-growth forest left in the valley that local communities recently learned is also being targeted for logging by IT. For more info contact Annette Tanner at wcwcqb@shaw.ca See an incredible photo gallery of Cathedral Grove Canyon at:

https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/cathedral-grove-canyon/

The Ancient Forest Alliance is also calling on the BC government to implement a Provincial Old-Growth Strategy to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests, to ensure sustainable second-growth forestry, and to ban raw log exports to foreign mills.

Call to write letters

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Hello friends, there is an urgent need for your voice on numerous endangered ancient forests in BC right now! Please take a moment to assist with each area – if you commit just 30 minutes, you could help each area listed below right now: Avatar Grove, Cortes Island, the Great Bear Rainforest, Flores Island, McLaughlin Ridge, and Mossy Maple Grove:

AVATAR GROVE

GOOD NEWS! The BC government this morning declared the Avatar Grove legally off-limits to logging through a new, 59 hectare Old-Growth Management Area! We’re aiming that eventually the Avatar Grove will be protected through legislation as a park or conservancy, but this keeps out the chainsaws now! The Avatar Grove campaign has been an “old-growth campaign on steroids”. Thousands of people have visited this incredible monumental stand of extremely rare valley-bottom ancient redcedars and Douglas firs near Port Renfrew in a campaign spearheaded by the Ancient Forest Alliance. The Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce played a pivotal role by joining our call for the area’s protection. Unfortunately the logging company, Teal-Jones will be compensated with 30 hectares of second-growth and 27 hectares of old-growth (57 hectares) in the area – the AFA opposes compensation since the company does not own the land nor the trees, these are public forests. Lets remember too that THOUSANDS of hectares of old-growth forests are logged

EVERY year on Vancouver Island, tens of thousands of hectares are logged across BC, and millions of hectares remain unprotected and endangered in the province – this is a campaign to end logging of ALL endangered forests and to ensure sustainable second-growth forestry in BC.

CORTES ISLAND

Over 1000 hectares of endangered “dry maritime” forests are threatened with logging by Island Timberlands. Determined local residents on this northern Gulf Island have built different teams to undertake petition and letter-writing drives, fundraising, negotiations, mapping, and potentially blockades – which may happen shortly. BC’s Ministry of Environment has responded to our first round of letters calling on them to help protect these lands that it has “no funds available”.

Let’s ramp-up the call by targeting Premier Christy Clark now at premier@gov.bc.ca (include your full name and mailing address so they know you are a real person). Write her a quick letter to let her know it is the province’s responsibility to help purchase the endangered forests, sensitive ecosystems, and rare old-growth groves on Island Timberland’s private lands on Cortes Island. Only 1% of BC’s old-growth coastal Douglas firs remain!

GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST

The central and northern mainland coast of BC is massive, twice the size of Vancouver Island and bigger than many European countries. It is home to numerous First Nations communities and the towns of Prince Rupert, Kitimat, Bella Bella, and Bella Coola. It is also home to hundreds of ancient forest valleys with grizzlies, spirit bears, wolves, cougars, and salmon. BC made headlines six years ago when the province promised to save the largest intact temperate rainforest left on Earth. Today 50% of its forests are off-limits to logging while the rest remains at risk.

  • Please SIGN ONLINE to help the campaigners to “Take it Taller” to reach their goal of 5000 supporters at: www.TakeItTaller.ca [Original article no longer available]

FLORES ISLAND

Flores Island in Clayoquot Sound is Heaven on Earth. It is one of the most extensive intact ancient rainforests left in southern BC. Located near Tofino in Nuu-cha-nulth territory, it is home to wolves, cougars, deer, and black bears on the land, and gray whales, humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, and sea otters in its marine waters. Unfortunately it is under threat from logging.

MCLAUGHLIN RIDGE

Near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island, this 400 hectare tract of extremely rare old-growth Douglas firs and hemlocks is considered to be the finest deer wintering range on southern Vancouver Island and is critical habitat for the endangered Queen Charlotte goshawk. Island Timberlands is still intransigent and won’t commit to not logging the ridge.

MOSSY MAPLE GROVE, a.k.a. “Fangorn Forest”

This unique, newly located stand of magnificent, massive mossy maple trees near Cowichan Lake on Vancouver Island is just about the most beautiful forest you could imagine – straight out of a fairy tale!

  • See NEW HD video of the grove here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzOefJnAENI
  • Watch for calls to action to ensure this forest’s protection!
  • Directions will be made available to visit the Grove in the not distant future, for all those who are asking! Please be patient.

MOST of ALL please SIGN and FORWARD our online petition to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests and forestry jobs at: ancientforestalliance.org/ways-to-take-action-for-forests/petition/

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Support the Ancient Forest Alliance!

We are a new organization and greatly need your support.

Please DONATE securely online at https://donate.ancientforestalliance.org

Visit the Ancient Forest Alliance online at:
Web: www.ancientforestalliance.org
Email: info@16.52.162.165
Petition: https://16.52.162.165/ways-to-take-action-for-forests/petition/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ancientforestalliance
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ancient_forest
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/BCAncientForest

Ancient Forest Alliance

UVic Slideshow Featuring BC’s Most Spectacular Old-Growth Rainforests!

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Date: Tuesday, February 7
Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: Clearihue Building Rm A202, UVic.
FREE!

Come for a spectacular slideshow presentation with the Ancient Forest Alliance’s Ken Wu and TJ Watt about BC’s largest trees and the newly-found “Fangorn Forest” (or “Canada’s Mossiest Rainforest”) near Lake Cowichan, Avatar Grove, Walbran Valley, McLaughlin Ridge, Cortes Island, and Flores Island. Learn about the current government policies, geography, and ecology of BC’s old-growth forests. Find out how YOU can help the UVic Ancient Forest Committee in this pivotal year of 2012!

For more info contact the UVic Ancient Forest Committee at: uvicancientforest@gmail.com