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A section of boardwalk damaged in the Lower Grove by a falling hemlock tree.

Avatar Grove Boardwalk damaged by windstorm – Completion launch delayed until Spring

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For Immediate Release
October 28, 2016

Avatar Grove Boardwalk – Winter Storm Damage Delays Completion Launch of Big Tree Showcase Trail until the Spring.

Lower Grove closed until trail clearing and boardwalk repairs can be done, while the Upper Grove remains open to visitors.

Port Renfrew – Damage to the famed Avatar Grove Boardwalk in the Lower Grove due to the hurricane-force winds during the October 15 storm has delayed the completion launch of the Avatar Grove Boardwalk until next spring. The Ancient Forest Alliance had literally just completed the boardwalk a week before the storm, after 3 years of hard work involving a hundred volunteers, and was about to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week to announce its completion – but now the launch will be delayed until the boardwalk can be repaired and the trail cleared, which will take several months due to the wet winter weather. The winter storm resulted in at least 30 trees crashing down over the Avatar Grove Trail in the Lower Grove, damaging sections of the boardwalk. Luckily none of the grove’s famed giant redcedars or Douglas-firs fell during the storm.

The entrance to the Lower Avatar Grove has since been cordoned off for the time being, while the Upper Avatar Grove boardwalk remains open and in decent condition.

Note: For safety reasons the Ancient Forest Alliance asks that members of the public do not attempt to clear the fallen trees on their own. The trail clearing will be undertaken by a team of professional arborists who are trained and certified to undertake such operations.

“After anticipating the launch of the boardwalk’s completion after three years of hard work, this is undoubtedly a bit of a disappointment and setback – but it’s only temporary. We’ll get back to work to clear the trail and fix the boardwalk damage over the ensuing months, and launch the boardwalk in the spring. We’re most grateful for the large community of Avatar Boardwalk supporters and volunteers who’ve taken this project so far and who I know will help get this project back on track to completion”, stated TJ Watt, the Ancient Forest Alliance’s photographer and coordinator of the Avatar Grove Boardwalk project. “Avatar Grove has already become a core attraction for visitors from around the world to visit Port Renfrew and Vancouver Island, and the boardwalk’s completion will only enhance its place as one of the great places in Canada to see.”

A 20 minute drive from Port Renfrew, the Avatar Grove (a popular nickname for its Nuu-cha-nulth Pacheedaht name of “T’l’oqwxwat”) is one of the most spectacular and easily accessible stands of monumental old-growth trees in British Columbia, protected in 2012 after an intense campaign led by the Ancient Forest Alliance in conjunction with the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce. Thousands of tourists from around the world now come to visit the Avatar Grove, hugely bolstering the regional economy with Tall Tree Tourism.

The Ancient Forest Alliance began construction of the Avatar Grove Boardwalk in 2013 to protect the tree roots and understory vegetation from excessive trampling, enhance visitor access and safety, and support the local eco-tourism economy.

This last reason for the boardwalk – to support the local eco-tourism economy in Port Renfrew and beyond – has had a significance far beyond Avatar Grove, acting as a “catalyst” to help to shape the fate of endangered old-growth forests across BC. Driven by Avatar Grove’s economic significance, various Chambers of Commerce – starting with the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce in late 2015, followed by the Sooke and Westshore Chambers of Commerce, and culminating in May with the BC Chamber of Commerce, the province’s premier business lobby representing 36,000 businesses – have called on the province to increase the protection of BC’s old-growth forests to support the economy. Similarly, the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), representing local city, town, and regional district councils across BC, passed a resolution in September calling on the province to amend the outdated 1994 Vancouver Island Land Use Plan to protect the Island’s remaining old-growth forests.

“The Avatar Grove Boardwalk’s real significance is to serve as an example for other communities that protecting old-growth forests is good for the economy, hugely supporting local businesses and jobs. In helping to revitalize Port Renfrew’s economy, it clearly counteracts the old, false narrative that protecting old-growth forests harms rural economies”, stated Ken Wu, the Ancient Forest Alliance’s executive director. “The Avatar Grove has been the most important catalyst in the movement to BC’s endangered old-growth forests in recent times”.

The Avatar Grove Boardwalk has been supported by the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Sitka clothing, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Recreation Sites and Trails BC, and the Pacheedaht First Nation who provided much of the wood.

More Background Info

The catalyst for much of the momentum for protecting old-growth forests on Vancouver Island in recent years has been the small community of Port Renfrew, formerly a logging town, which has been transformed in recent years into a big tree tourism destination (dubbed the “Tall Trees Capital of Canada”) as hundreds of thousands of tourists have come from around the world to visit some of Canada’s largest trees in the nearby Avatar Grove, Big Lonely Doug (Canada’s 2nd largest Douglas-fir tree), the Red Creek Fir (the world’s largest Douglas-fir tree), San Juan Spruce (until recently Canada’s largest Sitka spruce tree – its top broke off in a recent storm unfortunately), the Harris Creek spruce (one of the largest Sitka spruce trees in Canada), and the endangered, magnificent Central Walbran Valley. The Ancient Forest Alliance has been working with the local Chamber of Commerce for years to protect the old-growth forests in the area and to complete the Avatar Grove Boardwalk.

• The Ancient Forest Alliance calling on the BC government to implement a comprehensive science-based plan to protect all of BC’s remaining endangered old-growth forests, and to also ensure a sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry.

• Old-growth forests are vital to sustain endangered species, climate stability, tourism, clean water, wild salmon, and the cultures of many First Nations.

• On BC’s southern coast, satellite photos show that at least 75% of the original, productive old-growth forests have been logged, including well over 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow. See maps and stats on the remaining old-growth forests on BC’s southern coast at: www.ancientforestalliance.org/old-growth-maps.php
 

Avatar Grove Boardwalk Construction – Sept 2016

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Here are some photos from the final volunteer boardwalk construction weekend at the Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew! The group of dedicated volunteers got together and worked two 10 hour days to complete most of the final major projects at the grove. These included two new staircases near the entrance of the Upper Grove which connect to a new walkway and vastly improve ease of access; a new set of stairs and walkway up a steep root section in the Upper Grove; railings around the deck a stairs leading down to the creek; adding rock and gravel to some muddy areas; and more! The feedback we’ve been receiving from folks on the trail has been excellent. Thank you so much to the volunteers and donors who've contributed over the past three years – we couldn’t have done it without you!! A big thanks as well goes to MEC and Sitka for contributing funding and to the Pacheedaht First Nation who donated a large portion of the wood. There will still be periodic upgrades to various spots on the trail but the major work is essentially done. Stay tuned for more!

Metchosin Councillor Andy Mackinnon (left) with AFA's TJ Watt and Ken Wu at Big Lonely Doug.

UBCM Passes Old-Growth Protection Resolution

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For Immediate Release
Sept. 28, 2016
 
Old-Growth Protection Advocates Celebrate as Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Passes Resolution to Protect Vancouver Island’s Remaining Old-Growth Forests! BC Liberal government under increasing pressure to amend outdated 1994 Vancouver Island Land Use Plan
 
Conservationists are celebrating as the members of the Union of BC Municipalities, representing cities, towns, and regional district councils across the province, has passed a resolution with a substantial majority today at their AGM calling on the BC government to amend the 1994 Vancouver Island Land Use Plan to protect the Island’s remaining old-growth forests, which have been decimated from a century of industrial logging.
 
Victoria – Conservationists with the Ancient Forest Alliance are celebrating today as the province’s largest lobby for local governments, the Union of BC Municipalities, passed a resolution with a substantial majority today calling on the BC government to amend the 1994 Vancouver Land Use Plan to protect the remaining old-growth forests. The initiative, sponsored by forest ecologist and Metchosin councillor Dr. Andy MacKinnon, was previously passed last April by the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC).
 
“It’s time that the BC government amend the outdated Vancouver Island Land Use Plan to protect the remaining old-growth forests on Vancouver Island. Our old-growth forests are a non-renewable resource given climate change and the short rotation age of forestry in this province, and the science indicates that we need to protect and restore old-growth forests on much of the coast”, stated Andy MacKinnon, Metchosin councillor, forest ecologist, and champion of the old-growth resolution.
 
“This is a huge leap forward in the campaign to protect the remaining old-growth forests on Vancouver Island! BC largest local governmental lobby now joins the BC Chamber of Commerce, the conservation movement, and hundreds of thousands of citizens asking the BC Liberal government to protect our old-growth forests. The BC government's preferred policy of logging until the end of our unprotected ancient forests is not sustainable – not only for endangered species and tourism, but ultimately for BC’s forestry workers, who need government leadership to ensure a sustainable, second-growth forest industry if they are to have a future”, stated Ken Wu, executive director of the Ancient Forest Alliance.
 
“After the California redwoods, Vancouver Island’s old-growth forests are the grandest on Earth. With 75% of the original productive old-growth forests already logged, including well over 90% of the largest trees in the valley bottoms, it should be a no-brainer for the BC government to protect our last old-growth forests while ensuring a sustainable second-growth forest industry,” stated TJ Watt, Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner and photographer. The resolution by BC’s largest local governmental lobby also follows a resolution earlier this year in May by the BC Chamber of Commerce, the province’s largest business lobby representing 36,000 businesses, calling on the BC government to expand protections for old-growth forests.  See: www.ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=1010
 
The editorial board of the Vancouver Sun, the province’s largest newspaper, on Sunday also called on the BC government to show some conservation leadership around Vancouver Island’s old-growth forests, noting that the status quo of old-growth logging is ramping up conflict and uncertainty in the forest industry. They wrote:
“There is a legitimate discussion to be had about the value of old-growth forests, about whether what remains on the South Coast and Vancouver Island is sufficiently protected, about the extent to which the remaining inventory should be protected, and about resource jobs and the rights of companies to do legal business. Surely, however, there is also a clear role for the provincial government, which has duties of both environmental stewardship and resource management, to serve as an intermediary in such conflicts by providing clear, science-based, arm’s-length evidence as the foundation for an even-handed conversation and to help the two groups whose interests it represents to find common ground. More leadership and less lethargy from Victoria, please.”  See: https://vancouversun.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-victoria-must-intervene-in-renewed-war-in-the-woods
 
The catalyst for much of the momentum for protecting old-growth forests on Vancouver Island in recent years has been the small community of Port Renfrew, formerly a logging town, which has been transformed in recent years into a big tree tourism destination (dubbed the “Tall Trees Capital of Canada”) as hundreds of thousands of tourists have come from around the world to visit some of Canada’s largest trees in the nearby Avatar Grove, Big Lonely Doug (Canada’s 2nd largest Douglas-fir tree), the Red Creek Fir (the world’s largest Douglas-fir tree), San Juan Spruce (until recently Canada’s largest Sitka spruce tree – its top broke off in a recent storm unfortunately), the Harris Creek spruce (one of the largest Sitka spruce trees in Canada), and the endangered Central Walbran Valley. The Ancient Forest Alliance has been working with the local Chamber of Commerce for years to protect the old-growth forests in the area, in the territory of the Pacheedaht First Nations Band, and to complete a boardwalk in the now protected Avatar Grove.
 
The Ancient Forest Alliance and various conservation groups had mobilized their supporters to ask their mayors and councils to pressure the UBCM to allow for a vote on the old-growth resolution, as the UBCM’s Resolutions Committee had originally refused to introduce the resolution for a vote at the AGM, citing misleading statistics from the BC government on the state of old-growth forests (see a rebuttal of their stats and arguments at: www.ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=1052) Metchosin Councillor Dr. Andy MacKinnon and Victoria Councillor Ben Isitt co-championed the resultion on the floor of the UBCM AGM.
 
The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the BC government to implement a comprehensive science-based plan to protect all of BC’s remaining endangered old-growth forests, and to also ensure a sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry.
 
Old-growth forests are vital to sustain endangered species, climate stability, tourism, clean water, wild salmon, and the cultures of many First Nations. On BC’s southern coast, satellite photos show that at least 75% of the original, productive old-growth forests have been logged, including well over 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow. See maps and stats on the remaining old-growth forests on BC’s southern coast at:  www.ancientforestalliance.org/old-growth-maps.php
 
In order to placate public fears about the loss of BC’s endangered old-growth forests, the BC government’s PR-spin typically over-inflates the amount of remaining old-growth forests by including hundreds of thousands of hectares of marginal, low productivity forests growing in bogs and at high elevations with smaller, stunted trees, lumped in with the productive old-growth forests, where the large trees grow (and where most logging takes place). “It’s like including your Monopoly money with your real money and then claiming to be a millionaire, so why curtail spending?” stated the Ancient Forest Alliance’s Ken Wu. 
Ancient Forest Alliance Photographer & Campaigner TJ Watt stands atop an 8ft wide old-growth redcedar stump in a recent clearcut by Teal-Jones on Edinburgh Mt near Port Renfrew.

Old-Growth Clearcutting Fragments “Big Lonely Doug’s Mountain” as Calls for Protection Expand during National Forest Week and before UBCM Annual General Meeting

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For Immediate Release
Sept.22, 2016
 
Old-Growth Clearcutting Fragments “Big Lonely Doug’s Mountain” as Calls for Protection Expand during National Forest Week and before UBCM Annual General Meeting
 
New clearcuts and roads are fragmenting Edinburgh Mountain, one of the largest contiguous blocks of old-growth forest left on southern Vancouver Island, home to the spectacular Eden Grove ancient forest (aka “Christy Clark Grove”) and Big Lonely Doug, Canada’s 2nd largest Douglas-fir tree. In addition, the mountainside above Eden Grove and Big Lonely Doug are threatened with two new planned clearcuts. Conservationists are renewing their call for the provincial government to protect Vancouver Island's old-growth forests during National Forest Week (Sept.18 to 24) and before the Union of BC Municipalities AGM (Sept.26 to 30) next week. 
 
See PHOTOS at: https://bit.ly/2d06CsY
 
Port Renfrew – Conservationists with the Ancient Forest Alliance are greatly dismayed to have discovered on a recent hike that the BC government has allowed two old-growth clearcuts of 16 and 18 hectares, totaling 34 hectares (almost 40 football fields), to fragment the old-growth forests on Edinburgh Mountain near Port Renfrew recently. In addition, plans for four new old-growth clearcuts, one approved and three pending approval, and an expanded road network are also underway in the heart of Edinburgh Mountain’s old-growth forests. Two of these clearcuts are planned for the mountainside above Big Lonely Doug, Canada’s 2nd largest Douglas-fir tree (which has become sort of an “old-growth tree mascot” for environmental campaigns) and the spectacular and still intact Eden Grove.
 
Edinburgh Mountain is one of the largest contiguous tract of largely unprotected old-growth forest left on southern Vancouver Island, along with the nearby contentious Central Walbran Valley, and is home to Big Lonely Doug and to the Eden Grove (ie. the Lower Edinburgh Grove, also formerly nicknamed the “Christy Clark Grove” to put pressure on BC’s premier to protect the area). It is near Port Renfrew in Tree Farm Licence 46, held by logging licensee Teal-Jones, in the traditional territory of the Pacheedaht band. See a recent media release: www.ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=1040
 
Ancient Forest Alliance photographer and campaigner TJ Watt came across the two recent clearcuts on Edinburgh Mountain earlier this month after hiking 8 kilometers up a steep logging road that has been closed off by gates that have been locked by the logging company for the past year. The logging sites were too far away and too high up in elevation for the environmental group to have used their remotely-piloted drone to survey the area (see our spectacular drone videos of Big Lonely Doug https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGbiW_Q2lCU and the endangered Central Walbran Valley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyMPXHOjlK0)
 
“Edinburgh Mountain is one of the most significant and impressive tracts of ancient temperate rainforest left in BC – right in the heart of the region that has given Port Renfrew the title as the ‘Tall Trees Capital of Canada’. After cutting some magnificent ancient redcedars and Douglas-firs in the heart of Edinburgh Mountain recently, now they’re aiming to log the mountainside above Big Lonely Doug, Canada’s 2nd largest Douglas-fir tree, and the Eden Grove, one of the finest unprotected ancient forests on Earth,” stated TJ Watt, Ancient Forest Alliance photographer and campaigner. “It’s up to the BC government to stop this and protect not only Edinburgh Mountain, but all of the remaining ancient forests on Vancouver Island because so little remains.”
 
“It’s time that the BC government amend the outdated Vancouver Island Land Use Plan to protect the remaining old-growth forests, such as at Edinburgh Mountain. I’m hoping at the upcoming Union of BC Municipalities AGM next week that we’ll have a chance to consider the old-growth protection resolution that Metchosin introduced and that was supported by the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities AGM last April. Our old-growth forests are a non-renewable resource given climate change and the short rotation age of forestry in this province, and the science indicates that we need to protect and restore old-growth forests on much of the coast,” stated Andy MacKinnon, forest ecologist and Metchosin Councillor.
 
Dozens of old-growth western redcedars – some of them 8 feet (2.5 meters) in diameter -, yellow cedar, western and mountain hemlocks, and very rare, old Douglas-firs (between 500 to 1000 years in age) have been logged in the two recent cutblocks by controversial, Surrey-based timber company, Teal Jones. The two clearcuts took place in a mid-elevation site in an endangered species conservation area, that is, within the designated buffer zone of a “Wildlife Habitat Area” for the endangered Northern Goshawk, a rare, old-growth associated bird of prey.
 
The logging operations on Edinburgh Mountain are still ongoing, as a new road is being pushed towards another approved cutblock about 12 hectares in extent that will take place in the headwaters of a beautiful creek above the Eden Grove and Big Lonely Doug, and another 10 hectare pending cutblock near this area – unless the government halts the logging plans due to public pressure.
 
About 1500 hectares of contiguous old-growth forests cover the slopes of Edinburgh Mountain, of which over half of which is open to logging, while a minority fraction is protected by various designations (Ungulate Winter Range for deer, Old-Growth Management Areas, and a Wildlife Habitat Area for Northern Goshawks with a no-logging core area and a buffer zone that allows logging).
 
This new incursion of old-growth logging into one of the most contentious ancient forests comes just before a push by conservationists and municipal councillors for an old-growth forest protection resolution at the upcoming AGM from September 26 to 30 of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), representing local governments across the province.
Last April, the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC), representing 53 local governments (city, town, and regional district councils), passed a resolution calling on the provincial government to protect Vancouver Island’s remaining old-growth forests. 
 
However, the Resolutions Committee of the UBCM is so far refusing to introduce the old-growth resolution for its members to vote on at their AGM, citing misleading stats from the BC government to downplay the importance of protecting old-growth forests on Vancouver Island (see a debunking of their stats and arguments at: https://16.52.162.165/action-alert-speak-up-for-ancient-forests-to-the-union-of-bc-municipalities-ubcm/)
 
Conservationists and councillors are pushing the UBCM to reconsider their reluctance to allow the AVICC resolution to go to a vote.
 
The UBCM Resolutions Committee has stated that “the protection of old-growth forest on provincial Crown land on Vancouver Island is a regional issue, therefore advocacy on the issue would best be pursued by the area association.”  In response to this, conservationists point out that Vancouver Island is one of the largest tourism draws in the province, generating vast amounts of revenues for the province from visitors around the world – many of whom come to visit its old-growth forests. As such, it is a provincially significant issue that the UBCM should vote on.
 
“Big Lonely Doug, Canada’s 2nd largest Douglas-fir tree, will become even lonelier if Teal Jones gets to log more of Edinburgh Mountain. They've already clearcut the forest directly around Big Lonely Doug and now they want to log most of Doug's mountainous homeland. Because of the ideal growing conditions, Canada’s temperate rainforests reach their most magnificent proportions in the region that includes Edinburgh Mountain – that is, the Gordon River Valley, as well as the adjacent San Juan, Walbran, and Carmanah Valleys. They’re Canada’s version of the American redwoods. Given this fact – and that virtually all of the unprotected ancient forests have either been clearcut or fragmented by logging on southern Vancouver Island – it should be a no-brainer that one of largest, contiguous tracts of old-growth forests should be immediately protected”, stated Ken Wu, Ancient Forest Alliance executive director.
 
More Background Info
 
Port Renfrew, formerly a logging town, has been transformed in recent years into a big tree tourism destination as hundreds of thousands of tourists have come from around the world to visit some of Canada’s largest trees in the nearby Avatar Grove, Big Lonely Doug (Canada’s 2nd largest Douglas-fir tree), the Red Creek Fir (the world’s largest Douglas-fir tree), San Juan Spruce (until recently Canada’s largest Sitka spruce tree – its top broke off in a recent storm unfortunately), the Harris Creek spruce (one of the largest Sitka spruce trees in Canada), and the endangered Central Walbran Valley.
 
Recently, the province’s premier business lobby, the BC Chamber of Commerce, passed a resolution calling on the BC government to expand protection for the province’s old-growth forests – see: www.ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=1010
 
 Similarly, the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) representing 53 municipal, town, and regional district councils, passed a resolution recently calling on the province to amend the outdated Vancouver Island Land Use Plan of 1994 to protect the remaining old-growth forests. Conservationists are hoping that the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), representing local governments across BC, will introduce the resolution at their AGM from Sept.26 to 30 this year, which they are refusing to do at this time.  
 
Big Lonely Doug and Eden Grove are just a few kilometers from the now-protected Avatar Grove and the world-famous West Coast Trail of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Eden Grove is one of Canada’s most magnificent old-growth temperate rainforests, consisting of giant western redcedar, Douglas-fir, and hemlock trees. Species at risk include Northern Goshawks and Marbled Murrelets in the forest, while Coho Salmon and Steelhead spawn in the adjacent Gordon River. It is part of the Edinburgh Mountain Ancient Forest (roughly 1500 hectares of contiguous old-growth forest) located on public (Crown) land in Tree Farm Licence 46 near Port Renfrew in Pacheedaht territory.
 
The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the BC government to protect the Edinburgh Mountain’s ancient forests from logging through an expanded Old-Growth Management Area, and the Eden Grove through a proposed new “legal tool” to protect BC’s biggest trees and grandest groves, which the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations is currently developing. 
 
The organization is also calling on the BC government to implement a comprehensive science-based plan to protect all of BC’s remaining endangered old-growth forests, and to also ensure a sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry.
 
Old-growth forests are vital to sustain endangered species, climate stability, tourism, clean water, wild salmon, and the cultures of many First Nations. On BC’s southern coast, satellite photos show that at least 75% of the original, productive old-growth forests have been logged, including well over 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow. See maps and stats on the remaining old-growth forests on BC’s southern coast at:  www.ancientforestalliance.org/old-growth-maps.php
 
In order to placate public fears about the loss of BC’s endangered old-growth forests, the BC government’s PR-spin typically over-inflates the amount of remaining old-growth forests by including hundreds of thousands of hectares of marginal, low productivity forests growing in bogs and at high elevations with smaller, stunted trees, lumped in with the productive old-growth forests, where the large trees grow (and where most logging takes place). “It’s like including your Monopoly money with your real money and then claiming to be a millionaire, so why curtail spending?” stated the Ancient Forest Alliance’s Ken Wu. 
 
See a rebuttal to the BC government’s misleading statistics on the state of BC’s old-growth forests at: https://16.52.162.165/action-alert-speak-up-for-ancient-forests-to-the-union-of-bc-municipalities-ubcm/

Port Renfrew: Walking among ancient giants

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Check it out! New Zealand's largest newspaper has an article about the Ancient Forest Alliance, the importance of old-growth forests for the tourism economy of Port Renfrew, and the campaigns to protect old-growth forests including the Central Walbran Valley.

*****

Visitors to British Columbia, on Canada's Pacific southwest coast, will no doubt be expecting to see some of the thick evergreen forests the area is famous for worldwide. And of course you won't have to go far to see such trees. You will no doubt see plenty as you fly down the coast to Vancouver airport. But the majority of these forests are made up of second-generation trees. The massive giants that can live more than 1000 years are now largely gone from Canada's wooded areas.

On Vancouver Island – a 30-minute flight from downtown Vancouver – 75 per cent of the productive old-growth forests have been logged, including 90 per cent of the valley bottoms, where the biggest trees grow. However, as in New Zealand, small pockets of old growth ancient forest remain, and – like this country – people are rallying to ensure they remain protected from loggers and accessible to visitors keen to view Canada's fascinating botanical heritage.

One such man is T J Watt, who, on a wet spring day, met our small group at an area that has become known as Avatar Grove, a 20-minute drive north of the small coastal settlement of Port Renfrew.

“I came across Avatar Grove in 2009 while looking for old-growth forests and giant trees in the Gordon River Valley near Port Renfrew,” says 31-year-old Watt. “The most accessible old-growth trees usually were logged first, so it's surprising this area still exists, given that it's just a few minutes from the road.”

Watt had to move fast if he wanted to protect the area, which was slated for logging in 2010. He and long-time forest activist Ken Wu had recently formed a group called the Ancient Forest Alliance and, with the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce, lobbied for its protection – which was granted in early 2012.

The group has since been constructing a boardwalk to protect the grove's ecological integrity, enhance visitor safety and access, and support the local economy of Port Renfrew and the Pacheedaht First Nation people. The boardwalk and accompanying hikers trail is expected to be completed this year.

Asked whether his project was named before or after the popular 2009 science fiction movie, Watt laughs, and says the area needed a catchier name than just the cutblock number.

“The area is largely untouched and with such amazing old giant trees that were in danger of being cut down, the name Avatar seemed to fit well.”

It is hard to deny that fact, as our group walks among the monumental red cedars, hemlocks, amabilis and douglas firs. The next tree we come across is a gnarled giant that would not be out of place on an alien planet. Its trunk resembles the mottled tubes of a pipe organ and is so tall its upper reaches can barely be seen.

Some of the trees are of such magnificent proportions it is easy see why comparisons are often made with the majestic Californian red woods. One tree, known as the San Juan Spruce, is 62.5m tall with a diameter of 3.7m. The world's largest Douglas fir is also in the area. The red creek fir measures 73.8m high with a 4.2m diameter. Watt has started a company called Big Tree Tours and leads guided hikes to Avatar Grove and the other record-sized trees around Port Renfrew.

“My hope is that the Avatar Grove helps to educate the public about the importance of protecting endangered old-growth forests on other parts of Vancouver Island, like the nearby Walbran Valley and how doing so can not only benefit the environment but the local economy as well,” Watt says.

Asked about the substantial contents of his backpack when the trees are barely 10-15 minutes from the road, Watt says it is mostly emergency gear, food, water and first-aid equipment. “In case anyone gets hurt, you never know. Plus, this a wilderness area. You can still get cougars and bears.”

During our group's hour or so in the grove, no such critters cross our path, but to prove his point Watt says he plans to check a nearby “bear-cam” he set up to see if it has had any large furry visitors.

Also joining our group for the day is Toni Chalk, another young Canadian committed to preserving the local forest areas.

Chalk owns Rainforest Tours, a company that takes guided day-hiking excursions to some of the local sites of scenic beauty. Earlier that day she had taken us to the suitably named Mystic Beach – a beautiful and wild spot that was still shrouded in early morning mist on our arrival. Its remote, unspoilt location attracted US draft dodgers in the 1960s but now it is more popular with hikers and surfers.

The 45-minute walk from the carpark takes us through another heavily wooded area, but this time the trees are all second-generation growth, with little that would be more than 100 years old. Not far from the road she stops to point out three massive tree stumps that would easily be a couple of metres across.

“You can see up there the size of some of the trees that loggers took out of this area”, says Chalk, “but thankfully all this is now part of the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, so what remains will hopefully be here for some time to come.”

The old-growth forests of Vancouver Island are important for sustaining endangered species, climate stability, tourism and clean water, says Chalk. She says many First Nations tribes use naturally falling old-growth red cedars to build canoes, longhouses and other cultural items.

The largest strand of old-growth trees lies just further north of us in a 500ha section of land known as the Central Walbran Valley.

It is for these areas that Port Renfrew has the reputation as the tall tree capital of Canada.

Later that day our group returns for a tasty dinner at the Renfrew Pub, a stone's throw away from the Wild Renfrew – a small eco-resort featuring 11 well-equipped cottages beside the harbour inlet of Snuggery Cove. The cottages are warm and comfortable – exactly what is needed after a damp day's hiking.

After our meal we talk to one of the Pub's owners, Ian Laing, one of four partners who also own the Wild Renfrew resort, The Coastal Cafe, West Coast Trail Lodge and 180ha of surrounding land.

Laing says Port Renfrew used to be solely the domain of loggers and fishermen, but that is changing.

“The whole area is converting from using up primary resources to eco-tourism,” he says, adding that as well as hiking and surfing, the region has some impressive mountain bike trails and a growing kite-surfing community in the harbour.

Read more: https://m.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=11708020

Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce President Dan Hager stands before the Emerald Giant in the Central Walbran Valley.

Protecting Old-Growth Rainforests to the Economic Benefit of Tourism-Based Communities

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Today, May 30, 2016, the BC Chamber of Commerce membership at their Annual General Meeting almost unanimously passed the following resolution calling on the provincial government to expand the protection of old-growth forests across the province where they have or would likely have greater economic value if left standing (this is true throughout most of the southern half of the province…):
 
PROTECTING OLD GROWTH RAINFORESTS TO THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF TOURISM-BASED COMMUNITIES 
 
Opening Statement 
 
Old-growth forests in many parts of the province are important for supporting tourism, recreation, scenery, wildlife, clean water, and wild fisheries, and enhancing nearby property values. Large numbers of tourists from around the world visit the province’s old-growth forests every year. 
 
Perhaps the grandest stand of unprotected old-growth forest in the province is the 500 hectare Central Walbran Valley near Port Renfrew on southern Vancouver Island. Port Renfrew has recently been dubbed as the “Tall Trees Capital of Canada”, and the tourism industry and numerous businesses in Port Renfrew and beyond stand to benefit significantly if the Central Walbran Valley was protected by the province as one of the world’s finest old-growth forest showcases. In many areas of the province, the local economies stand to receive a greater net economic benefit over the foreseeable future by keeping their nearby old-growth forests standing. 
 
Background 
 
Old-growth forests have significant economic, social, and environmental value as tourism resources, wildlife habitat, carbon sinks, clean water sources for fisheries, and are important parts of many First Nations cultures. Old-growth forests today are in scarce supply in much of BC, such as on southern Vancouver Island, where about 90% of the productive old-growth forests have been logged south of Port Alberni. Demand by the tourism industry is high for many remaining old-growth stands. 
 
Port Renfrew has been transformed in recent years into an old-growth forest tourism destination as thousands of visitors are coming from around the world to visit some of the world’s largest trees and grandest groves in places like the Avatar Grove, Central Walbran Valley, Red Creek Fir, Big Lonely Doug, San Juan Spruce, and Harris Creek Spruce. Visitor expenditures by tourists coming to visit old-growth forests near Port Renfrew also generate revenues in other BC communities, including Vancouver, Victoria, Sooke, Lake Cowichan, Duncan, Ladysmith, and Nanaimo. Many tourists fly, boat, or drive into BC from international destinations to see the old-growth forests. The appeal of the tall trees is attracting significant investment into Port Renfrew, including generating a boom in the real estate market as new residents and real estate investors focus their attention on the town with its surrounding natural beauty and enhanced tourism appeal.
 
Near Port Renfrew on Crown land, the Walbran Valley is 13,000 hectares in extent, of which 5500 hectares lie within the Carmanah-Walbran Provincial Park and the other 7500 hectares lie outside the park. A 500-hectare area, known as the Central Walbran Ancient Forest, is the most intact and recreationally significant portion of the valley and lies outside the park. Thousands of people have visited the Walbran Valley for recreation. The valley lies on Crown land in the traditional territory of the Pacheedaht First Nation band and is currently within existing forestry plans. The most heavily visited areas in the Walbran Valley lie outside of the park in the Central Walbran. This includes the Upper and Lower Castle Grove, Emerald Pool, Fletcher Falls, Summer Crossing, Bridge Camp, Tolkien Giant, Karst Giant, and much more. 
 
Significantly greater numbers of visitors can be expected to visit the region if the area is protected. Across British Columbia, many local communities economically would stand to receive a greater net benefit in revenues and jobs over the ensuing decades from the protection of key old-growth forests in their region. 
 
Perhaps a most vital example of the economic value of protecting the old growth forest can be demonstrated in an anecdote from our Community. Port Renfrew has for many years been known as the location on the south coast of Vancouver Island for excellent sport fishing. Fishermen come from all over North America to fish out of San Juan Bay and out to Swiftsure Banks. However, because of its exposure to the open ocean and limited marina facilities the fishing in Port Renfrew is seasonal and until recently the Community was busy only from May long weekend until mid-September. October to April in Port Renfrew was quiet. The restaurants closed or kept limited hours and people moved away for the winter to find work and other opportunities. 
 
In February of 2012, the Ancient Forest Alliance was successful in rallying the BC government to protect a spectacular ancient forest only a few kilometers from Port Renfrew called Avatar Grove. The designation by the Province gathered much media attention and by summer, visitors were flooding to Port Renfrew to see the massive trees and to hike in the pristine old-growth forest. Since that summer, local accommodation providers in Port Renfrew have reported that demand for accommodations has increased 75% to 100% year over year. What is especially noteworthy is that the off-season activity has steadily increased when sport fishing charters are not operating or operating on a limited schedule. Thanks to the trees, Port Renfrew is no longer a one-industry tourism town and has been able to successfully brand itself the “Tall Tree Capital of Canada”. 
 
In 2012 a kayaking company in Discovery Islands did an illuminating economic analysis. It calculated the economic value of 60 hectares of timber scheduled to be logged above and around the kayaking base camp across from the world-famous Robson Bight. It was determined that the value of the 60 hectares of timber was worth about $3,600,000.00. Since the regeneration cycle meant the area could be cut only once every 60 years, the yearly economic value of the timber was $60,000. The economic value to the kayaking company, however, was $416,000 per year, or $24,960,000 for the same 60-year period. In stark contrast to the approximately 300 person-days employment from logging the 60 hectares just once, the kayaking company provided 20,160 person-days of employment during the 60-year cycle. And this simple economic analysis didn’t include the employment and earnings for the 40 other ecotourism businesses using the same area. 
 
THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS That the Provincial Government: 
 
1. Support the increased protection of old-growth forests in areas of the province where they have or can likely have a greater net economic value for communities if they are left standing for the next generation and beyond. 
 
2. Protect endangered old-growth forests by enacting new regulations such as an Old-Growth Management Area, Wildlife Habitat Area, or Land Use Order, with the intent to eventually legislate permanent protection for areas through provincial park or conservancies. 
 
Submitted by the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce 
A climber makes his way up the towering trunk of Big Lonely Doug

New Photo Gallery: Climbing Big Lonely Doug – Round 2!

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The Ancient Forest Alliance has once again teamed up with members of the Arboreal Collective to ascend Big Lonely Doug, Canada’s second largest Douglas-fir tree near Port Renfrew! 

See the photos here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1016073868487200.1073741898.823970554364200&type=3

Over the March long weekend, climbers Matthew Beatty, Aaron Kinvig, Elliot Wright, and James Frystak, worked with AFA photographer TJ Watt to capture some stunning images and incredible drone footage. Photographers Martin Gregus Jr & Sr from the One 50 Canada Society were also present to document the climb for a future book publication!

In order to get the first ropes in place, the climbers use a 12-foot slingshot to launch a weighted line precisely over one of the top branches. Then, using techniques that allow you to climb the actual ropes and not the tree, they're able to ascend to the top without impacting the tree.

Big Lonely Doug measures 66 m (216 ft) high, 4 m (13 ft) wide, and 12 m (39 ft) around. It stands alone in a 2012 clearcut on Crown lands in Tree Farm Licence 46 held by the logging company Teal-Jones, in the unceded traditional territory of the Pacheedaht First Nation band. Big Lonely Doug is a clear example of both the incredible granduer and terrible destruction of BC’s endangered old-growth forests. Photos by TJ Watt

2014 Avatar Grove Boardwalk Progress and Photo Galleries

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The Ancient Forest Alliance has nearly completed the preliminary phase of boardwalk construction at the Avatar Grove in essential areas such as the steep and slippery slopes, the roots around the biggest trees, and over creeks and other obstacles. More upgrades can still be done in the future but the toughest parts are almost compete. A big thanks goes out to our volunteers and donors! Fundraising for the boardwalk project will continue as we still have more work to complete in the new year.
 
To donate towards the boardwalk please visit: https://16.52.162.165/avatar-grove-boardwalk-now-completed-and-open/ $100 helps to build 1 metre of boardwalk and you’ll receive a thank-you certificate with your name on it!
 
 
Volunteers this summer worked tirelessly to complete many things including two sets of much-needed steps up the slope towards the Gnarly Tree; many gravel steps leading into the Lower Grove; a bidge over the creek in the Upper Grove; various platforms and steps over obstacles in the Lower Grove; adding metal traction to the boardwalk surface; blocking off old trails and edging the path with logs; and more!! All of this work will help to protect the forest's delicate understory from excessive trampling, improve visitor access and safety, and help support the local economy of Port Renfrew and the Pacheedaht First Nation Band through eco-tourism.
 
A big thanks goes out to all the volunteers who have helped out so far; to the generous donors who have supported the boardwalk project; to Slegg Lumber for providing a discounted rate on many tools and supplies; and to the Port Renfrew Marina for allowing us use of their facilities. 
 
If you would like to help out with future boardwalk events, please send an email with your availability, any related experience or special skills, and physical limitations we should be aware of, to Avatar Boardwalk coordinator TJ Watt at: info@16.52.162.165 Volunteers must be able to follow instructions accurately, be in good physical condition to do the work, and act safely, responsibly and respectfully without exception.

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

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For Immediate Release
June 6, 2014

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

Conservationists with the Ancient Forest Alliance are collaborating with the Arboreal Collective, a group of professional tree-climbers working to raise awareness, facilitate research, and help protect British Columbia’s biggest trees and endangered old-growth forests.

Port Renfrew, Vancouver Island – “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.

See spectacular photos at: https://16.52.162.165/new-photo-gallery-climbing-big-lonely-doug-round-2/ (News media are free to reprint photos. Credit to “TJ Watt” if possible)

Watch On YouTube here (News media are free to reuse.)

“We hope that our work to help highlight, research, and document the biggest trees and grandest groves in British Columbia will aid in their legal protection,” stated Matthew Beatty, spokesman with the Arboreal Collective. “Colossal trees like Big Lonely Doug are like the ‘redwoods of Canada’ that inspire awe in people around the world due to their unbelievable size and age. BC’s endangered old-growth forests urgently need protection before they become giant stumps and tree plantations.”

The Arboreal Collective’s Matthew Beatty, Tiger Devine, Dan Holliday, and the Ancient Forest Alliance’s TJ Watt, were also joined by Will Koomjian from Ascending the Giants, a similar research and awareness-raising organization of tree-climbers based in Portland, and by photographer James Frystak. The Arboreal Collective also collaborates on research with the BC Big Tree Registry, run by the University of British Columbia, a register of the largest measured trees in the province. See: https://bigtrees.forestry.ubc.ca/

“The Arboreal Collective have provided us with the unique ability to photograph and document these giant trees and their surroundings from a birds-eye view, 200 feet up in the canopy!” stated Ancient Forest Alliance photographer TJ Watt. “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 BC will help to ignite the interest and raise awareness of people around the world about these highly endangered ecosystems. The BC government must act to save our last unprotected ancient forests, which are a global treasure.”

The group recently climbed to the top of Big Lonely Doug in order to directly measure its height by dropping a line from the top of the tree down to its base. Big Lonely Doug was found to be 66 metres (216 feet) in height, slightly shorter than its previously measured height of 70 meters (230 feet) using a clinometer (a tree-height measuring device taken from the ground using trigonometry – less accurate than direct measurements, of course). However, Big Lonely Doug still remains as the second largest Douglas-fir tree in Canada in total size. Big Lonely Doug’s width has been officially measured to be 12 meters (39 feet) in circumference or 4 meters (12 feet) in diameter by BC Big Tree Registry coordinator Dr. Andy MacKinnon. See: https://16.52.162.165/news-item.php?ID=782

The climbers also collected samples of moss and canopy soil accumulated on the massive limbs of Big Lonely Doug, which have been given to entomologists (bug biologists) who will examine the sample for new species of spiders, insects, and mites (arthropods). Many unique species of arthropods have been found only in the old-growth forest canopies of Vancouver Island, where thick matts of mosses, ferns, and other plants form layers of soil on the branches high up in the forest canopies.

Ancient Forest Alliance photographer, TJ Watt, also climbed the giant tree once the ropes were set-up, and has taken phenomenal, birds-eye view photos of the tree, the tree-climbers, and the surrounding clearcut landscape.

The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the BC government to protect our endangered old-growth forests, ensure the development of a sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry (second-growth forest now constitutes the vast majority of productive forest lands in BC), and to end the vast export of raw, unprocessed logs to foreign mills.

“The days of colossal trees like Big Lonely Doug are quickly coming to an end as the timber industry cherry-picks the last stands of unprotected, lowland ancient forests left in southern BC where giants like this grow. Today the vast majority of BC’s remaining old-growth forests are at higher elevations, on rocky sites, and in bogs where the trees are much smaller and in many cases have low to no commercial value”, stated Ken Wu, Ancient Forest Alliance executive director. “We’re really encouraging the BC government to move forward with its proposed legal protection of the biggest trees and grandest groves in BC, as well as to ultimately protect old-growth ecosystems across the province on a more comprehensive scale to support endangered species, the climate, clean water, tourism, and many First Nations cultures.”

BACKGROUND INFO

Big Lonely Doug grows in the Gordon River Valley near the coastal town of Port Renfrew on southern Vancouver Island, known as the “Tall Trees Capital” of Canada. It stands on Crown lands in Tree Farm Licence 46 held by the logging company Teal-Jones, in the unceded traditional territory of the Pacheedaht First Nation band. It was first measured and recognized as exceptionally large by Ancient Forest Alliance campaigners in March of this year.

Big Lonely Doug stands alone among dozens of giant stumps – some 3 meters wide – of old-growth western redcedars and Douglas-firs, in a roughly 20 hectare clearcut that was logged in 2012. One of its largest branches was recently torn off in a fierce wind/snow storm in February, with a 50 centimeter wide base (the size of most second-growth trees) and still fresh needles lying on the ground adjacent to the tree.

The world’s largest Douglas-fir tree is the Red Creek Fir, located just 20 kilometers to the east of Big Lonely Doug in the San Juan River Valley. The Red Creek Fir has been measured to be 13.28 meters (44 feet) in circumference or 4.3 meters (14 feet) in diameter, and 73.8 meters (242 feet) tall.

Big Lonely Doug was likely left behind as a seed tree or as a wildlife tree, and was also used by the loggers as a cable anchor to yard other trees across the clearcut, judging by the long horizontal lines scarred into its bark. Judging by the growth rings on nearby stumps, Big Lonely Doug may be 1000 years in age.

The BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations is currently working on following up on a 2011 promise by then-Forests Minister Pat Bell to develop a new “legal tool” to protect the province’s biggest old-growth trees and grandest groves. Such a legal mechanism, if effective and if implemented, would be a greatly welcome step forward towards protecting BC’s finest stands. More comprehensive legislation would still be needed to protect the province’s old-growth ecosystems on a larger scale, to sustain biodiversity, clean water, and the climate, as the biggest trees and monumental groves are today a tiny fraction of the remaining old-growth forests.

The stand of ancient trees in which Big Lonely Doug grew was part of a 1000 hectare tract of provincially-significant, largely intact old-growth forest on Edinburgh Mountain, home to species at risk including the red-listed or endangered Queen Charlotte Goshawk. While some of the area has been reserved as a core Wildlife Habitat Area for the goshawk and as an Old-Growth Management Area, more than half of the forests there – including the finest, valley-bottom stands with the largest trees, such as the stand where Big Lonely Doug once grew in – are open to clearcut logging. This area was nicknamed the “Christy Clark Grove” in 2012 after BC’s premier to put her on the spot and in the spotlight to have to take responsibility for the fate of this spectacular ancient forest. So far, the premier has failed to ensure the area’s full protection.

Government data from 2012 show that about 75% of the original, productive old-growth forests on BC’s southern coast (Vancouver Island and Southwest Mainland) have been logged, including over 90% of the highest productivity, valley bottom ancient stands where the largest trees grow. 99% of the old-growth Douglas-fir trees on BC’s coast have also been logged. The BC government often grossly overinflates the amount of remaining ancient forests in BC by releasing statistics that include vast tracts of bog and subalpine forests consisting of small, stunted old-growth trees of little to no commercial value, combined with the less extensive tracts of the large, old-growth trees growing on more productive sites at risk of being logged. See recent “before and after” maps and stats at: https://16.52.162.165/photos-media/

BC’s old-growth forests are important to sustain numerous species at risk that can’t live or flourish in second-growth stands; to mitigate climate change by storing two to three times more atmospheric carbon than the ensuing second-growth tree plantations that they are being replaced with; as fundamental pillars for BC’s multi-billion dollar tourism industry; to support clean water and wild salmon; and for many First Nations cultures who use ancient cedar trees for canoes, totems, long-houses, and numerous other items.

VIDEO: “Big Lonely Doug,” Canada’s 2nd largest Douglas-fir tree!

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Port Renfrew, Vancouver Island, 2014 – “Big Lonely Doug,” a recently found old-growth Douglas-fir tree standing alone in a clearcut on southern Vancouver Island, has been officially measured to be the second largest Douglas-fir tree in Canada. Last week, renowned forest ecologist Andy MacKinnon, who manages the BC Big Tree Registry run by the University of British Columbia and is also the co-author of the best-selling “Plants of Coastal British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon,” measured the goliath tree.
Click here to watch on AFA’s YouTube channel.

For Immediate Release
April 24, 2014
“Big Lonely Doug” Officially Measured and Confirmed as Canada’s 2nd Largest Douglas-fir Tree
Port Renfrew, Vancouver Island – “Big Lonely Doug”, a recently found old-growth Douglas-fir tree standing alone in a clearcut on southern Vancouver Island, has been officially measured to be the second largest Douglas-fir tree in Canada. Last week, renowned forest ecologist Andy MacKinnon, who manages the BC Big Tree Registry (see: https://bigtrees.forestry.ubc.ca/) run by the University of British Columbia and is also the co-author of the best-selling “Plants of Coastal British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon”, measured the goliath tree. The results are as follows:
Big Lonely Doug dimensions:

  • Height: 70.2 meters or 230 feet
  • Circumference: 11.91 meters or 39 feet
  • Diameter: 3.91 meters or 12.4 feet
  • Canopy Spread: 18.33 meters or 60.1 feet
  • Total Points (“AFA Points” – American Forestry Association, NOT Ancient Forest Alliance!): 714.24 AFA points.

This makes Big Lonely Doug the second largest Douglas-fir tree in British Columbia and Canada in terms of total size, based on its “points” (ie. a combination of circumference, height, and crown spread) and the second largest in circumference. Big Lonely Doug was first noticed by Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner TJ Watt several months ago as being an unusually large tree, and the organization returned several weeks ago to take preliminary measurements. Official measurements were taken last Friday.
The world’s largest Douglas-fir tree is the Red Creek Fir, located just 20 kilometers to the east of Big Lonely Doug in the San Juan River Valley, and is 13.28 meters (44 feet) in circumference, 4.3 meters (14 feet) in diameter, 73.8 meters (242 feet) tall, and has 784 AFA points.
Conservationists estimate that Big Lonely Doug may be 1000 years old, judging by nearby 2 meter wide Douglas-fir stumps in the same clearcut with growth rings of 500 years. Big Lonely Doug grows in the Gordon River Valley near the coastal town of Port Renfrew on southern Vancouver Island, known as the “Tall Trees Capital” of Canada. It stands on Crown lands in Tree Farm Licence 46 in the traditional territory of the Pacheedaht First Nation band.
Conservationists are calling for provincial legislation to protect BC’s biggest trees, monumental groves, and endangered old-growth forests.
“We’re encouraging the province to keep moving forward with its promise to protect BC’s largest trees and monumental groves, and to also protect BC’s endangered old-growth ecosystems on a more comprehensive basis,” stated Ken Wu, AFA executive director. “The days of colossal trees like these are quickly coming to an end as the last unprotected lowland ancient forests in southern BC where giants like this grow are almost all gone.”
The BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations is currently working to follow up on a 2011 promise by then-Forest Minister Pat Bell to develop a new “legal tool” to protect the province’s biggest old-growth trees and grandest groves. Such a legal mechanism, if effective and if implemented to save not just individual trees but also the grandest groves, would be an important step forward in environmental protection and for enhancing the eco-tourism potential of the province. More comprehensive legislation would still be needed to protect the province’s old-growth ecosystems on a larger scale, to sustain biodiversity, clean water, and the climate, as the biggest trees and monumental groves are today a tiny fraction of the remaining old-growth forests which remain mainly on more marginal growing sites with smaller trees.
BC’s old-growth forests are important to sustain numerous species at risk that can’t live or flourish in second-growth stands; to mitigate climate change by storing over twice as much atmospheric carbon per hectare than the ensuing second-growth tree plantations that they are being replaced with; as fundamental pillars for BC’s multi-billion dollar tourism industry; to support clean water and wild salmon; and for many First Nations cultures who use ancient cedar trees for canoes, totems, long-houses, and numerous other items.
“The vast majority of BC’s remaining old-growth forests are at higher elevations, on rocky sites, and in bogs where the trees are much smaller and in many cases have low to no commercial value. It’s the productive valley-bottom stands where trees like the Big Lonely Doug grow that are incredibly scarce and are of the highest conservation priority right now,” stated TJ Watt.
See previous media coverage on Big Lonely Doug at:
• Global TV https://globalnews.ca/news/1235236/canadas-second-largest-douglas-fir-tree-may-have-been-found-near-port-renfrew
• Times Colonist https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/vancouver-island-douglas-fir-may-be-canada-s-second-biggest-1.916676
• Vancouver Observer https://www.vancouverobserver.com/news/canadas-second-largest-douglas-fir-discovered
• CHEK TV https://www.cheknews.ca/?bckey=AQ~~,AAAA4mHNTzE~,ejlzBnGUUKY1gXVPwEwEepl35Y795rND&bclid=975107450001&bctid=3374339880001
• Huffington Post https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/03/26/big-lonely-doug-tree_n_5038519.html?1395881730
• MetroNews [Original article no longer available]