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TJ Watt2026-03-03 09:07:112026-03-04 14:36:34NOW HIRING: Forest CampaignerRelated Posts
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TJ Watt2026-03-03 09:07:112026-03-04 14:36:34NOW HIRING: Forest Campaigner
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TJ Watt2026-02-26 11:49:362026-02-26 11:49:36It’s AFA’s 16th Birthday!
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TJ Watt2026-02-20 16:43:192026-02-20 16:45:09Budget 2026 Shortchanges Nature Protection and Sustainable Forestry Transition At a Critical Time for British Columbia
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TJ Watt2026-02-20 11:35:152026-02-20 13:08:24Welcome, Zeinab, our new Vancouver Canvass Director!Take Action
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Protection of Avatar Grove will boost tourism
/in Media ReleaseKen Wu called it a “campaign on steroids,” and Rose Betsworth called it a “soft approach,” but whatever it was called, the provincial government listened.
On Feb. 16, Steve Thomson, Minister for the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, announced that all of Avatar Grove is now protected from harvesting.
Wu, co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance, said he would like to commend the B.C. government for protecting this key old growth forest.
“Eventually we would like to see it as a legislated park or conservancy,” said Wu.
Rose Betsworth, president of the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce is understandably pleased. For her community it means Avatar Grove will be made more accessible with upgrades to the trails and tidying up the area leading to increased tourism to the area.
“Now we can make it better for everybody… we can put a trail in and do upkeep,” said Betsworth.
She said the Ancient Forest Alliance had the right approach which was a soft one where they educated people and gained respect out of that. The AFC included forestry workers and the small business community’s comments and concerns in their efforts to save the grove.
“They’re not a bunch of radicals,” said Betsworth in referring to the way the AFA conducted their campaign.
The campaign led to a public review and comment period during the fall of 2011, where 232 out of 236 comments expressed support for preservation of the grove.
The unique stand of old-growth cedar, 15 minutes from Port Renfrew, is now protected in an expanded old-growth management area, totaling 59.4 hectares,
TJ Watt, the other co-founder of AFA, came across the grove in December 2009, popularized it and began the goal of preserving the monumental stand of valley-bottom ancient red cedars and Douglas fir.
“We commend the B.C. government for protecting this key tract of extremely rare valley bottom ancient forest – virtually all of the valley bottoms on southern Vancouver Island where the biggest trees grow have been logged, literally 95 per cent of them, ” stated TJ Watt. “At the same time, thousands of hectares of old-growth forests are being logged every year on Vancouver Island, and millions of hectares of old-growth forests are endangered across B.C. Our main goal is to see a new provincial plan to protect all of B.C.’s endangered old-growth forests and to ensure a sustainable second-growth forest industry instead.”
To fulfil the province’s obligation to Teal-Jones Group, which holds the logging rights for Tree Farm Licence 46 where Avatar Grove is located, the boundaries of other old-growth management areas were adjusted by removing 57.4 hectares. They were compensated with 30 hectares of second-growth forests and 27 hectares of old-growth.
“We’re opposed to compensation for the company, as they don’t own the land or the trees on Crown lands – all they have are access rights to the resource through their license. If government enacts conservation regulations to protect deer or trout in areas where their populations are down, those with hunting or fishing licenses don’t get compensation for not being able to take all the deer or trout in those areas. Neither should logging companies on publicly-owned Crown forests,” said Ken Wu.
The province states in their press release, “Of the 862,125 hectares of old-growth forests on Crown land on Vancouver Island, it’s estimated that over 520,000 hectares will never be harvested.”
Read the article in the Sooke News Mirror: https://www.sookenewsmirror.com/news/139871533.html
TWO YEAR Anniversary of the Ancient Forest Alliance – Mon., Feb 27th!
/in AnnouncementsPlease Donate! https://ancientforestalliance.org/donations.php
Mon., Feb.27: 100 MILE DINNER ((SOLD OUT)) and CELEBRATION! ((TICKETS LEFT)) (Victoria) *info further down page*
The AFA is almost two years old!! February 24, 2010, was our official incorporation date as a registered not-for-profit society in British Columbia.
It has been an intense two years! With nothing more than a gmail account when we started, and with almost no funding, we quickly ramped up the scale of our campaigns to include tens of thousands of supporters in BC and major media coverage around the world.
Now, in 2012, with just over one year left before a BC election, the ruling BC Liberals and the opposition NDP who will likely form the next government are highly sensitive to public pressure. We need YOUR support during this MOST critical year.
Can you support us with a donation of any amount? We are limited by a lack of funding at this point, but have just about the lowest overhead of any major environmental organization. To donate go to: https://ancientforestalliance.org/donations.php
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Mon., Feb.27: 100 MILE DINNER & CELEBRATION – 2 YEAR ANNIVERARY of the ANCIENT FOREST ALLIANCE!
To celebrate the Ancient Forest Alliance’s 2 year anniversary, Social Coast is organizing a 100 Mile Dinner for the AFA with locally-produced, delicious gourmet foods prepared by renowned Vancouver Island chefs Landon Crawford and Andrew Bisson! The dinner features a “Mossy Maple” theme, in reference to the AFA’s new campaign to protect BC’s ancient bigleaf maple groves and with BC bigleaf maple syrup used with several delicious course items. Afterwards, there will be a celebration with music, drinks, speakers, a silent auction, and hob-nobbing with fellow tree-huggers!
The Ancient Forest Alliance will be two years old at the end of this month! In that time the organization has hugely grown in size and influence. Recently the BC government protected the famed Avatar Grove from logging as a result of the AFA’s campaign! See: Times Colonist article and AFA press release
DATE: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27
LOCATION: Norway House, 1110 Hillside Avenue (near Graham St.), Victoria
TIMES:
6:00-7:30 pm: 100 MILE DINNER ((SOLD OUT)) *** SEE FULL DINNER DETAILS and MENU BELOW***
Includes BC Bigleaf Maple-Glazed Wild Salmon, Ancient Forest Lichen Crisps (unique and new!), homemade BC Bigleaf Maple-Drizzled Ice Cream, and more!!
Music by renowned Victoria musician Mike Edel!
7:30—9:30 pm: CELEBRATION ((TICKETS LEFT))
AFA’s 2 year overview presentation with Ken Wu, TJ Watt, and Joan Varley!
Words from renowned forest activists Valerie Langer (tentative) and Vicky Husband!
Music by renowned Victoria musician Mike Edel!
Drinks!
Silent auction of donated goods and services from local businesses!
Door prizes!
Hob-nob with fellow tree-huggers!
***100 Mile Dinner tickets are SOLD OUT***
$10 Celebration only tickets are still available for the 7:30-9:30pm portion of the night!
BUY TICKETS:
100 MILE DINNER DETAILS from SOCIAL COAST
This dinner will be created using all ingredients that are sourced no farther than 100 miles from Victoria.
The dinner will feature the professional cooking skills of Landon Crawford (Nourish Bistro and Cafe), and Andrew Bissoon (chef and owner of Fat Daddy’s BBQ and Catering). They will be dishing up a 3 course meal that will include at least a couple of ingredients you have never tried before. Along with vegetarian options for all three courses, the menu includes Wild Sockeye Salmon glazed with BC Bigleaf Maple Syrup from the Cowichan Valley, ancient forest lichen crisps (lobaria or “lettuce” lichens) foraged by the Ancient Forest Alliance’s own TJ Watt, handmade goats cheese, homemade ice cream and a couple of more surprises. You can be assured that even the salt will be sourced from within 100 miles and the flavours will make you re-think the possibilities of local cuisine.
Bartender Eric Nordal (Bard and Banker) will be creating a locally inspired cocktail as well as other pairings to compliment the evening’s cuisine.
Mike Edel, a local artist who played at this year’s Rifflandia Festival will be performing and there are a number of captivating short presentations lined up for the night, including the Ancient Forest Alliance who will give an overview of its 2 year history and its recently successful campaign to protect the Avatar Grove from logging. Bed bath and beyond promo code
100 MILE DINNER MENU
APPETIZER
Meat option: 3- spot prawns
-Herb garlic puree
-Greens
Veggie option: Roasted beet salad
-On top of mesculine greens
MAIN
Meat option: Baked or poached salmon ($2.75/piece extra)
Veggie option: Amazing mushrooms of some kind, and ancient forest lichen crisps. Upside down portabella with kale. Goats cheese in the center.
The Starch: Mashed Potatoes (en croute perhaps)
The Green: Roasted Fennel or Collard greens or both
The Sauce: BC Bigleaf Maple Verjus Gastrique (Sweet and sour sauce)
-Put it around the plate and on the salmon
The colour: Kale, fennel, arugula puree
DESSERT
Maple ice cream
-Crushed roasted hazelnuts on top
-BC Bigleaf Maple Syrup drizzle
***Note:
– Menu subject to possible revision
– Drinks are extra
For more info about the 100 Mile Dinner and menu contact Social Coast’s Lliam Hildebrand at lliam@hotmail.com, Eric Nordal at eric@socialcoast.org
For information about the celebration afterwards or about the Ancient Forest Alliance contact Joan Varley at info@ancientforestalliance.org or 250-896-4007
B.C. Auditor-General faults government for failing to protect forests
/in News CoverageA Vancouver Island environmental organization is praising the B.C. government for protecting a unique old-growth forest known as Avatar Grove, but the Auditor-General has slammed the province for losing track of the forest resource.
Government management of B.C.’s timber supply is insufficient and has reached the point at the Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Ministry where the province isn’t properly monitoring its programs, said John Doyle’s ministry audit.
Avatar Grove, so named by environmentalists inspired by the Hollywood eco-fable Avatar, has become a tourism attraction due to its fantastically shaped western red cedars, including one tree nicknamed “Canada’s Gnarliest Tree” for its massive burls.
The Victoria-based Ancient Forests Alliance applauded the government’s decision to protect from logging almost 60 hectares of the old-growth cedar forest near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island.
“We commend the B.C. government for protecting this key tract of rare, valley-bottom, old-growth forest because virtually all the valley bottoms on southern Vancouver Island are gone now,” forests alliance spokesman Ken Wu said on Thursday. – College Grants For Minorities [Original article no longer available]
“But at the same time thousands of hectares of old-growth forests are logged every year on Vancouver Island and millions of hectares are endangered across B.C.”
Forests Minister Steve Thomson said the protected area covers just under 60 hectares. B.C. forest company Teal-Jones Group, which held the licence to cut trees in the grove, will be compensated for losing its cutting rights there, Thompson said.
He said the government was persuaded to protect the grove after a public consultation process last fall that received 236 comments, only four of them against saving the unique region.
He said businesses in the Port Renfrew area see the grove as a potential tourism draw.
But Mr. Doyle’s report found that elsewhere in B.C., the government hasn’t been as diligent in protecting the future for forests.
“Industry is legally obligated to reforest the areas it harvests, and it does so,” said Mr. Doyle in a statement after the release of his 23-page audit.
“But government, which is responsible for over 90 per cent of British Columbia’s forests, and whose reforestation decisions have a significant impact on our future forests, is not clear about its own commitments.”
Mr. Doyle’s audit found the ministry has not clearly defined its timber objectives and, as a result, cannot ensure that its management practices are effective.
The report said existing management practices are insufficient to offset a trend toward future forests having a lower timber supply, and the audit found the ministry is not properly monitoring and reporting its timber results against its timber objectives.
Mr. Doyle’s report makes six recommendations, including developing performance measures that can be used to evaluate progress in achieving long-term timber objectives.
The ministry responded with a statement saying it was already meeting Mr. Doyle’s recommendations and “will strive to develop a publicly reported performance measure that shows progress in achieving timber objectives.”
Mr. Thomson said he’s confident the ministry will have an updated inventory of lands that require reforestation within the next six months.
He said he disagreed with the Mr. Doyle’s assessment that the ministry is falling behind on its management of the timber resource.
Mr. Doyle’s audit said that of the 95 million hectares of forested land in British Columbia, 22 million hectares are available for harvesting.
Industry is legally obligated to reforest 10 per cent of that land – about 2.2 million hectares – while the government is responsible for the management of the rest.
Mr. Thomson said the ministry has identified 733,000 hectares of land that is “non-sufficiently stocked.”
He suggested that amount could change once the ministry completes a review.
“I’m confident we have the resources and the staff available, and the technology available, to do the analytical work that will identify and clarify the lands that need to be restocked,” Mr. Thomson said.
Opposition New Democrat forests critic Norm Macdonald said Mr. Doyle’s audit is a condemnation of the government’s management of its timber supply over the past 11 years.
“The first place you start is you get the inventory right,” he said.
“Seventy-five per cent of the inventory is decades out of date. They just do not know what’s going on on the land base.”
Click here to view the Globe and Mail article.