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

EIGHT MONTH COUNTDOWN until the BC Election!

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. 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.

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

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.

Local Port Alberni Activist

Land swaps could protect watersheds, official says

Logging on hillsides such as McLaughlin Ridge inevitably affects the water supply of surrounding communities and the province should do more to help protect watersheds, says the chairman of the AlberniClayoquot Regional District.

British Columbia Magazine: Ancient cedars saved

In an ethereal valley near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island, more than 100 remarkable Douglas-fir and red cedar trees have held their ground for centuries. Members of the Victoria-based Ancient Forest Alliance came upon the gnarled titans - some over 60 metres tall and more than four metres in diameter - in December 2009. Soon after, they learned the area was slated for harvest and launched a campaign to save "Avatar Grove."

TOMORROW LUSH "Charity Pot" Celebration Day with the Ancient Forest Alliance

To celebrate the Charity Pot and the Ancient Forest Alliance, LUSH is hosting a party at the downtown location at 1003 Government St. in Victoria TOMORROW, Saturday, September 15th from Noon until 6pm where you can pick up an Ancient Forest Alliance “Charity Pot”, hear more about the AFA's campaigns, enter a draw for a spectacular print by forest campaigner and photographer TJ Watt, or pick up a selection of our greeting cards ($3.00) or a Big Tree Poster ($10 each or 3 for $25).

Flagging tape marked "falling boundary" recently discovered in the Upper Castle Grove.

Action Alert! Canada’s Finest Grove of Old-Growth Cedars under Threat – Speak Up!

Recently, survey tape for logging was discovered in the Upper Castle Grove in the Walbran Valley on Vancouver Island – that is, in Canada’s finest stand of monumental old-growth red cedar trees.  The Castle Grove is an extensive stand of densely-packed enormous cedars which includes the “Castle Giant”, a 16 foot (5 meter) diameter cedar in the Lower Castle Grove that is one of the largest trees in Canada. The flagging tape for the potential logging comes to within 50 meters of the Castle Giant.

San Juan Sitka Spruce

On the big tree trail on Vancouver Island

These days, visitors to Port Renfrew can pick up a map to the area's largest trees and set out to explore what's been coined the Big Tree Capital of Canada. While some of Canada's largest trees are out of reach of a typical rental car, there are still plenty of accessible giants - aided by the recent paving of the Pacific Marine Circle Route, which allows travellers to drive across the interior of the island and pop out on the east coast near Duncan, rather than doubling back along the same route to Victoria.

Hikers walk past a giant Douglas-fir in the Lower Avatar Grove.

Avatar Grove Boardwalk Update

As many of you are aware, the AFA has been planning for several months to build a boardwalk in the Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew. Our goal is to ensure the ecological integrity of this recently protected area, and to enhance visitor safety by building boardwalk on the more sensitive parts of the existing trail. So far we have been steadily working to complete the requisite applications and numerous studies, reviews and stakeholder consultations in order to obtain approval from the BC government for the boardwalk's construction.

Photo by TJ Watt

Letter to the Editor – Pine beetle claims refuted

Re: Kieran Report, Aug. 23-29 In his attempt to blame the NDP government of the 1990s for the pine beetle epidemic in B.C.'s forests, Brian Kieran claims that the "infestation was first detected in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park and could have been contained there if forest companies had been permitted to go into the park and selectively log infested areas” — an argument that has been roundly refuted by everyone with the most rudimentary knowledge of the issue.

Photo by TJ Watt

Long-Term Vision for Forest Management and Forest Economy Missing

“These recommendations will not support sustainable change,” said MLA Bob Simpson. “What I see in this report are politicians on both sides passing the buck to local communities with no long-term strategy for success. They’re willing to let communities decide whether to log their protected forests, but what happens when those are gone? The politicians will have moved on, leaving affected communities holding the bag.”