Entries by TJ Watt

Overharvesting – Who is watching our forests?

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"It is an outrageous amount. According to a document from the Ministry of Forests that was recently brought to light in the provincial legislature (1), for the five years between 2008 – 2013, the forest company giants, Canfor and West Fraser, overcut 928,000 cubic metres of non-pine wood in the Morice Timber Supply Area (TSA), a region in north-western British Columbia. This overharvesting was done in direct violation of the Allowable Annual Cut (AAC), and is equivalent to about 23,000 logging truck loads of timber."

Canada’s second largest Douglas fir tree may have been found near Port Renfrew

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Activists with the Ancient Forest Alliance say provincial government should do more to protect the province’s biggest trees. “There is an urgency to protect these areas because old-growth logging continues right near Port Renfrew,” says Watt. The organization has been calling for provincial legislation to protect big trees and monumental groves.

See here for comprehensive coverage including TV news video, gallery of photos and written article on Global TV's website.

VIDEO: Big Lonely Doug

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Global TV "pre-news piece" snippet using the AFA's still photos about Big Lonely Doug, which may be Canada's second largest Douglas-fir.

Big Lonely Doug Could Be Canada’s 2nd Largest Douglas-Fir

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"The AFA also warned that the number of tall trees similar to Big Lonely Doug are growing scarce in the Pacific Northwest. 'The days of colossal trees like these are quickly coming to an end as the timber industry cherry-picks the last unprotected, valley-bottom, lower elevation ancient stands in southern B.C. where giants like this grow.'"

Canada’s second largest Douglas Fir tree found in B.C.

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The Ancient Forest Alliance has spent years tracking down Vancouver Island’s largest trees in an effort to bring awareness to the plight of old growth forests. Claiming only 10 per cent of the productive, old growth forest on the Island is under protection, Wu believes more protection is needed. “Second-growth forests in B.C. are logged every 50 years, so if you lose something that doesn’t come back for another 1,000 years, it’s gone for good,” he said. “And all the creatures associated with these ancient forests lose their habitat.” Wu said the forest around Big Lonely Doug would have served as habitat for the endangered Queen Charlotte goshawk.

Vancouver Island Douglas-fir may be Canada’s second biggest

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 Judging from the rings on nearby stumps, the tree could be nearly 1,000 years old. "These types of colossal growth trees historically built B.C.'s logging industry. Now they're just about gone," Wu said. The group is calling for legislation to protect old-growth ecosystems and the big trees they contain. Wu noted the area where Big Lonely Doug was found now has even greater claim as the tall tree capital. The world's largest recorded Douglas-fir stands in the nearby San Juan River Valley and is measured to be 73.8 metres tall and 13.28 metres in circumference. "The biggest spruce is also there, there's the biggest cedar in Cheewhat Lake, and then there's Avatar Grove."

Canada’s second largest Douglas-fir discovered

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Newly-measured “Big Lonely Doug” is a gargantuan, old-growth Douglas-fir tree now standing alone in a recent logging clearcut on southern Vancouver Island. Conservationists call for comprehensive provincial legislation to protect BC’s biggest trees, monumental groves, and endangered old-growth forests on the International Day of Forests today, according to a press release from Ancient Forest Alliance.