The Ancient Forest Alliance submitted a request to B.C.’s Ministry of Forests to build an official trail and boardwalk in the recently protected Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew on May 7. TJ Watt, co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance, said the boardwalk will protect the ecological integrity of the grove, provide visitor safety and enable people from all walks of life to enjoy the old-growth forest.
Cameron Valley Firebreak was formerly protected as an ungulate winter range for Roosevelt elk and black-tailed deer, but lost protection in 2004 when the provincial government allowed Weyerhaeuser to remove 88,000 hectares of private managed forest land from tree farm licences.
TJ Watt, Ancient Forest Alliance co-founder, said, "The grove is just jampacked with elk signs and ancient coastal Douglas firs - 99 per cent of which have already been logged."
British Columbians are once again being treated to increased controversy about the management of our Crown land forests - whether it is the decreased role of the chief forester, new threats to remove land from forest reserves or the privatization of the forests themselves.
There’s nothing like labelling something with a name to give you that sense of ownership, but the Ancient Forest Alliance has played a clever card this week by naming one of the most at-risk, unprotected old-growth tree groves on the Island after B.C.’s premier.
A local song tells the tale of an injured mill worker and the push to ban raw log exports.
The group hopes the new name will motivate Premier Clark to protect the grove and develop a plan to protect endangered old-growth forests across BC instead of supporting their continued destruction.
"We're hoping to motivate Premier Clark to protect the Christy Clark Grove. It would be unfortunate if she were to allow a grove named after her to get cut down. And, more importantly, I'm hoping that she will develop a plan to protect endangered old growth forests across BC."
The Christy Clark Grove — located on unprotected Crown land in the Gordon River Valley near Port Renfrew — rests 500 metres away from a sprawling swath of clearcut Douglas firs and red cedars that AFA co-founder T.J. Watt came across in early April after viewing satellite imagery of some of the last remaining old-growth forests on southern Vancouver Island.
An endangered forests advocacy group has named an old growth grove after Premier Christy Clark in a move to protect the greenery.
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