Entries by TJ Watt

Inside a fragile landscape

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SFU Environmental Studies student Charly Caproff, the Sierra Club of BC's Mark Worthing, and bat and cave specialist Martin Davis, are working to highlight the risk to the limestone karst systems by proposed old-growth logging in the Central Walbran Ancient Forest. Here's an article in the Globe and Mail:
"Mr. Davis is skeptical about the government’s commitment to ensure significant karst features are kept intact. He produced a detailed list for the caving community two years ago of karst sites damaged by logging. 'The B.C. Speleological Federation had brought these complaints forward to the provincial government, but no action was taken at that level, despite these practises violating provincial standards,' he said."

B.C.’s wildlife policy skirts issue of habitat loss due to logging

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Mark Hume in Sunday's Globe: “Decisions on the coast would need to include engagement due to the controversial nature of logging old growth,” states the government document in a classic case of bureaucratic understatement. The logging of old growth is widely opposed in B.C. – the public surely won’t welcome a plan where taxpayers are supposed to pay for it.
The plan outlines how the forest industry will be subsidized to go after pockets of old trees “that are uneconomic to harvest” because they are sparsely scattered or are at high elevation.
Some of the costs would be recovered through timber sales, but it is a money-losing proposition. In year four, for example, the province will spend $25-million to get timber worth $6-million.
Why do something like that?
The government justifies this by saying it will keep loggers working and improve the supply of timber, which has been reduced by overcutting, a pine-beetle kill and forest fires.
“They are running out of timber because of overharvesting throughout the province,” environmental activist Vicky Husband said. “This is a desperate move that’s all about keeping up the short-term timber supply, with no consideration for wildlife values. They are going after every last little bit of forest out there, with no consideration for the impact on biodiversity.”

Black Bear Climbs Old-Growth Tree in Endangered Vancouver Island Forest

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Check out what our motion-activated camera captured! This mother black bear and her cub in the endangered Lower Edinburgh Grove are seen checking out the Ancient Forest Alliance's camera and climbing up the enormous old-growth redcedar tree in an area that is threatened with logging by Teal Jones near Port Renfrew, in several clips and photos taken recently. Be sure to Send a Message to help protect this special forest at: www.BCForestMovement.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlMFpADt84c
 

Vancouver Island’s Ancient Trees

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Here's an article in the latest British Columbia Magazine about visiting the old-growth forests of the Port Renfrew region along the "Circle Route"!  It also raises the plight of the old-growth forests in the Walbran Valley, Horne Mountain (above Cathedral Grove), and Mossy Maple Grove, and includes a blurb about the Ancient Forest Alliance. 

Thank You to MEC, LUSH, and True North Goods!

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Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) Victoria: THANK YOU to the staff at MEC Victoria for voting to support the AFA through their 1% for the Planet contributions! We are extremely grateful for the continued support towards our current old-growth campaigns! See their website at www.MEC.ca

LUSH: Great thanks once again to LUSH (www.lush.ca) for their major support through their Charitable Giving Program, bolstering the AFA’s campaign for the establishment a New Protected Areas Fund in BC! We are so grateful to LUSH for their continued passion and support for the AFA’s work!

True North Goods: We are excited to be a new beneficiary of True North Goods (www.truenorthgoods.com), an outdoor goods and apparel company showing their dedication to protecting the outdoors for future generations to explore by donating a portion of all proceeds to the AFA!