Entries by TJ Watt

Conservationists applaud Old-Growth Protection Resolution by major BC forestry union

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Victoria – Conservationists with the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) are applauding today’s resolution by the Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC), representing thousands of forestry workers across BC, calling on the BC government to protect Vancouver Island’s old-growth forests, while ensuring a sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry, an end to raw log exports, and support for First Nations community development. The major forestry union joins thousands of businesses (BC Chamber of Commerce), mayors and city councils (Union of BC Municipalities), First Nations, and conservation groups across BC in calling on the provincial government to increase protection for BC’s endangered old-growth forests.

See the resolution at: www.ppwc.ca/ppwc-statement-old-growth-logging-vancouver-island/

Comment: Rising raw log exports bad for forests, workers

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Here's a new Op-ed piece by Ben Parfit (CCPA), Scott Doherty (Unifor), and the Ancient Forest Alliance's Ken Wu about the record levels of raw log exports leaving BC over the past 4 years, with one-third coming from old-growth forests and over half coming from Crown lands over the past 5 years. The forestry unions PPWC and Unifor and conservation groups are calling for an immediate ban on old-growth log exports, progressively higher taxes on second-growth log exports to support domestic mills, and policies to support sustainable, value-added forestry in rural and First Nations communities. 

NEW Documentary “No Degree of Scarcity” (by Joe Callander) about Big Lonely Doug & Vancouver Island Old-Growth Logging

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Check out this new 8 minute documentary, "No Degree of Scarcity" about Big Lonely Doug and old-growth logging on Vancouver Island by renowned US filmmaker Joe Callander. Callander came to Vancouver Island for a brief stint to follow Ancient Forest Alliance activists Ken Wu and TJ Watt through the clearcut around Big Lonely Doug (Canada's 2nd largest Douglas-fir) by Edinburgh Mountain and to the Walbran Valley, talked with Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce president Dan Hager, and filmed Ken writing a media release. 

SFU Slideshow on BC’s Endangered Old-Growth Forests!

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Thursday, February 23, 2017
3:30 – 5:00 pm
AQ 2104
SFU Burnaby Campus

See a spectacular slideshow by the Ancient Forest Alliance's TJ Watt about the ecology, geography, and policies surrounding BC's endangered old-growth forests. Watt will show amazing photos of the Avatar Grove, Flores Island in Clayoquot Sound, Big Lonely Doug, Cheewhat Giant, Red Creek Fir, Walbran Valley, Eden Grove, Horne Mountain above Cathedral Grove, and the Echo Lake Ancient Forest.  Find out what YOU can do to help protect these ancient forests in the lead-up to the May provincial election! Hosted by the SFU Ancient Forest Committee.

THANKS to the Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC)!

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THANKS to the Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) for recently supporting the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) again most generously in our efforts to expand support among "non-traditional allies" including businesses, faith groups, forestry workers, and many others. The MEC and their hundreds of employees have been one of the great supporters of the Ancient Forest Alliance and our campaigns to protect BC's endangered old-growth forests since our earliest years! See their website at: www.MEC.ca

Vancouver Island First Nation files aboriginal title

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"A small Vancouver Island First Nation filed a historic aboriginal-title claim Friday after years of frustration with the treaty process and logging in their territory…. 

The claim calls for the provincial and federal governments to recognize aboriginal title to the Nuchatlaht’s territory on the west coast of Vancouver Island, covering a portion of Nootka Island and the surrounding area. It also calls for Western Forest Products to stop logging in the area."

The Ancient Forest Alliance – Towards 2017

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What have we accomplished?  Where are we headed? 

** Please DONATE here! You can also still order 2017 calendars and cards online here! **

2016 has been the most significant and successful year so far for the Ancient Forest Alliance since our founding in 2010!  Not only did we grow significantly in 2016 because of your support – allowing us to build greater organizational capacity to achieve the enormous policy shift needed to save BC’s old-growth forests and ensure a sustainable, second-growth forest industry – but we’ve also made enormous leaps in the campaign towards actually achieving these goals.

Please consider the Ancient Forest Alliance as a priority for your final donations in 2016! Our thousand year old ancient forest ecosystems will be most grateful.