Global TV News interviewing the AFA's Ken Wu about the threat of potential old-growth logging in the heart of Vancouver Island's Walbran Valley, where survey tape was recently discovered.
“Because of the ideal growing conditions in the region, Canada’s temperate rainforests reach their most magnificent proportions in the Walbran and Carmanah Valleys,” stated Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner and photographer TJ Watt. "It's our version of America's redwoods. Unfortunately, the upper half of the Walbran Valley remains open for logging. The area currently threatened, as well as the Castle Grove, constitute the most ecologically significant and intact sections left in the Upper Walbran Valley. They must be protected."
"Today, after years of technical work, negotiations and planning, all parties involved have a clear understanding of what the solutions package will include: improve decision-making between Province and First Nations; new human well-being commitments for First Nations; increase the amount of rainforest off-limits to logging to 70 per cent of the natural old-growth and an ecologically-sound forest management framework. All that is missing at this point is for the B.C. government to heed the call from First Nations, forestry companies, environmental organizations and a majority of British Columbians (68 per cent, according to a 2013 poll) and focus leadership and resources to finish the task in the coming weeks."
After decades of conflict and tense meetings where nerves frayed, news of whether environmental groups, First Nations, the logging industry and government have finally settled the fate of the Great Bear Rainforest may break as soon as Monday.
The Huffington Post has included a photo gallery of over 50 big tree images from AFA's TJ Watt in their article on the BC Big Tree Registry re-launch!
"The idea is that if we know where British Columbia’s largest trees are, they can be protected and studied, according to UBC forests and conservation prof. Sally Aitken. “Those big trees really represents a biological legacy from the past. We want to maintain that legacy,” she said."
“We think the biggest ones haven’t been found yet,” explained Sally Aitken, a UBC professor of forest and conservation sciences. “If we want to conserve them, we have to find them and identify them,” she said Thursday. What makes big trees so special is that they are living legacies of ancient forests, Aitken said. The oldest have been standing for up to 1,800 years, she said."
See this article about the BC Big Tree Registry and BC’s biggest trees including Big Lonely Doug, who has now been officially accepted!
"UBC has re-launched their big tree database, cataloging the biggest trees in B.C. The registry has been revamped and is now available online to the general public. Users can search for big trees near their homes using interactive maps. With the new database, anyone can nominate a big tree for verification by a tree expert."
Have you ever had a friend who just won’t listen when everyone is telling them to get out of an unhealthy relationship? That’s what comes to mind when I think of the B.C. government’s relationship with tree-farm licences. No matter how many British Columbians speak out to say they’re a bad idea, every year […]
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