Blog Archive Layout

BCTS drops headwaters block from future plans

Nov 11 2013/in News Coverage

BC Timber Sales (BCTS) has decided to drop the cutblock known as the Roberts Creek headwaters ancient forest from its future harvesting plans, BCTS planning forester Norm Kempe has confirmed.

The 15-hectare cutblock, designated as DK045, had been removed from the current timber sale for Mount Elphinstone after a team of scientists identified “unique ecological/cultural attributes.”

“We did that in late August, and as a result of that and concerns we heard from the public, we decided to let this one go,” Kempe said Wednesday in an interview.

After Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) “managed to elevate the issue in the public’s eye,” Kempe said his office was contacted by “a number of individuals” requesting the cutblock be permanently set aside.

“And we said OK. It’s part of the consultation process,” he said, noting the status of the cutblock had been “a running issue” for more than two years.

ELF hailed the decision in an Oct. 30 press release.

“For three years we held back logging plans, and so it’s very rewarding now to know that this magnificent stand will remain for its own sake and for future generations to appreciate,” Ross Muirhead said.

Containing culturally modified trees, more than 340 rare Pacific yews, and yellow cedar and hemlock that are up to 1,800 years old, DK045 is “a very special forest,” Muirhead added.

“We’d like to thank all those who supported the campaign, including BCTS staff who considered new information we brought forward about this block,” he said.

While DK045 was removed from the current sale, about 53 hectares of old growth forest in Dakota Bowl is still included in the BCTS harvesting plan for Mount Elphinstone.

This Monday, Nov. 4, Kempe said he would be accompanying a carnivore specialist from the Ministry of Environment into Dakota Bowl to evaluate the area for bear dens. ELF has called for BCTS to designate two of the remaining four cutblocks as a wildlife habitat area, due to the high number of black bear dens.

“That’s something we manage anyway,” Kempe said. “If we encounter a den that’s active, then we’re stopping. We’re not cutting right through.”

Kempe said BCTS’s logging plans for Dakota Bowl address concerns about slope stability and impacts on the Dakota Creek community watershed.

“We think at this stage we have a pretty good plan,” he said.

He also noted that BCTS, in its 10 years of existence, has not logged any old growth on Mount Elphinstone, although about 150 hectares had been identified for logging.

Of the 150 hectares, he said, about half has been dropped from future harvesting plans, largely due to concerns from the public and the Sunshine Coast Regional District.

“We are not just managing for timber values on Mount Elphinstone. We get it, that there are other issues,” he said.

Read more: https://www.coastreporter.net/article/20131102/SECHELT0101/311029999/-1/sechelt/bcts-drops-headwaters-block-from-future-plans

Roberts Creek Headwaters Ancient Forest Receives Protection

Nov 10 2013/in Announcements

Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) is pleased to announce that they’ve been informed by BC Timber Sales (BCTS) that Cutblock DK045, which ELF has been lobbying to protect, has been canceled from future BCTS logging plans. DK045 was part of a larger TFL A79517 (Dakota Bowl, lower Sunshine Coast) consisting of Yellow-cedar and hemlock where the trees range in age from 800-1,800 years old. This key headwaters forest (17.6Ha/43.4acres) is located on the north slope of Mt. Elphinstone, and acts as corridor with 2 Wildlife Habitat Areas.

ELF flagged a trail through the forest to allow for easier access and gave it the name ‘Roberts Creek Headwaters Ancient Forest’.

In an October 22nd email from Norm Kempe, Senior Forest Planner for BCTS’ Georgia Straight Division, he states that ELF brought forward enough“compelling reasons for preserving this stand of timber that we considered and concluded had reasonable merit.”

“In 2010, when we snowshoed into this surveyed block, I thought to myself there’s no way this forest should be destroyed.” said Ross Muirhead of ELF. “For 3 years, we held back logging plans and so it’s very rewarding now to know that this magnificent stand will remain for its own sake, and for future generations to appreciate. When we completed a count of 340+ Pacific Yews growing on the upper half of the block, it reinforced that we had found very special forest. We’d like to thank all those that supported this campaign, including BCTS staff who considered new information we brought forward about this block.” Muirhead continued.

“The Roberts Creek Headwaters Ancient Forest was important to protect for several natural and cultural reasons. It contains 7 archaeological sites protecting culturally modified trees (CMTs) – a first for the Sunshine Coast, and protects 2 tributaries that make up the main Roberts Creek channel.” states Hans Penner of ELF. “We’ve not heard back from BC Timber Sales on the exact legal protective status this forest will receive. ELF believes that this forest should be granted Ecological Reserve status, with community members serving as Reserve Wardens.” says Penner.

In August ‘13, Friends of Ecological Reserves (Victoria) conducted an exhaustive flora inventory of the area and then made a recommendation to have this forest become a new Ecological Reserve to highlight its bio-diversity. In Sept, Ancient Forest Alliance (Victoria) conducted a photographic expedition documenting the ancient cedars and the proliferation of Pacific Yews.

Read more: Elphinstone Loggin Focus (ELF) https://www.loggingfocus.org/

Old-growth forest near Cathedral Grove to be logged, groups fear

Nov 6 2013/in News Coverage

A new logging road through a formerly protected old-growth forest near Cathedral Grove has conservation groups, and one area MLA, worried that the area’s habitat is under immediate threat.

“I was in the area last [month] and saw they started logging a road,” said Jane Morden of the Port Alberni Watershed-Forest Alliance. “Once it’s in, they can basically log it any time they want.”

Island Timberlands, the company that owns the land, also has closed south-ridge access to the Mount Horne trail — a popular hiking and mushroom-picking area.

The area of concern is a marked 40-hectare cutblock, 300 metres from MacMillan Provincial Park and directly upstream from Cathedral Grove, an international tourist destination known for its ancient Douglas fir trees.

“This will fragment a forest cover and could damage wildlife habitat,” said Ken Wu of the Ancient Forest Alliance. The organization joined others last month in a demonstration against the logging expansion. They’ve also started a campaign to pressure lumber producers to stop buying old-growth wood.

The area is part of 88,000 hectares of privately held land the provincial government allowed to be removed from a tree farm licence in 2004 — with the agreement that critical winter habitats be protected.

Scott Fraser, NDP MLA for Alberni-Pacific Rim, said that when the land went to Island Timberlands, the agreement was cast aside.

“These areas were supposed to be left,” said Fraser, who has been working since 2006 to protect the land, including the Port Alberni watershed. “I have so many outraged constituents, including retired loggers who have never seen this kind of forest activity.”

Fraser said he has met with Steve Thomson, minister of forests, lands and natural resource operations, but has not seen any progress.

“At the speed they’re doing this, it will be gone in two years,” Fraser said. “All we’re asking is to slow down so we can try to protect this area.”

Thomson said he has responded to concerns about logging in the area. “I’ve explained to them that the land in question is privately owned by Island Timberlands, and that the company entitled to log its private forest land,” he said in an email.

He added that the company must comply with provincial acts protecting land, water, fisheries and species at risk while complying with heritage-conservation laws.

Thomson said that while he has had extensive discussions with Island Timberlands about continuing to protect winter ranges for hoofed animals, “this was not a mandatory requirement and, unfortunately, the parties were unable to reach an agreement.”

He said the province would have preferred to have a formal agreement with Island Timberlands to manage wildlife, but the company has indicated that it has its own plan in place.

Island Timberlands did not respond to requests for comment.

Read more, including a map of the estimated cutblock boundary: https://www.timescolonist.com/old-growth-forest-near-cathedral-grove-to-be-logged-groups-fear-1.686058

2025 Activity Report & Financials

Apr 30 2026

2025 was a milestone year for the Ancient Forest Alliance and the old-growth campaign. Despite the BC government's backsliding on many of its old-growth commitments, there was still much work to be proud of, including celebrating our 15th year working to protect ancient forests. Check out our 2025 Activity Report & Financials to see the impact YOU made on 2025, plus, find out what we have in store for 2026!

Announcements