A massive redcedar in the endangered Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew

Group Optimistic About Government Considering Protection of Old Growth Forests

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A GROUP SEEKING PROTECTION FOR OLD GROWTH FORESTS ON VANCOUVER ISLAND IS FEELING CONFIDENT AFTER FORESTS MINISTER PAT BELL ANNOUNCED THE BC GOVERNMENT WILL LOOK INTO THE ISSUE

“the forest practices board made a recommendation that BC should find creative ways to protect monumental trees and ancient forest stands. This is the government’s watchdog. They appointed the body to review forestry in BC and now their own watchdog is saying we need to move farther to save our old growth forests”

ANCIENT FOREST ALLIANCE SPOKESPERSON KEN WU IS CALLING ON LEADERSHIP CANDIDATES FOR BOTH THE LIBERALS AND NDP TO TAKE ON THIS ISSUE IN THEIR CAMPAIGNS

“it’s an ecologically necessary position to take, to support saving old growth forests and the sustainable logging of second growth forests, and it’s a winning position in terms of public opinion today”

WU SAYS NDP LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE JOHN HORGAN HAS ALREADY VOICED HIS SUPPORT FOR THE PROTECTION OF AVATAR GROVE

AVATAR GROVE IS LOCATED NEAR PORT RENFREW AND IS HOME TO A STAND OF ENDANGERED MASSIVE RED CEDAR TREES, THAT ARE THREATENED BY LOGGING

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Avatar Grove

Forests minister to protect ancient trees

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Forests minister Pat Bell said Friday that ancient trees in British Columbia need more protection than they now have under existing legislation.

The minister’s acknowledgment that more needs to be done to protect monumental trees is not exactly a revelation. Environmental groups, particularly the Ancient Forest Alliance and the Wilderness Committee have been pushing for it for years.

However, it took the government’s own advisory group, the independent Forest Practices Board to climb on board before Victoria responded. (see story here) In a report released Thursday the board recommended  that the province, forest professionals and timber companies “seek creative means to preserve trees of exceptional size or form, age or historical significance when they encounter them.”

The board waded into the ancient tree fight after a private citizen, University of Victoria professor Hans Tammemagi, filed a formal complaint about logging in the so-called “Avatar Grove” near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. The complaint was the mechanism that launched the review. The board’s finding lifted the issue beyond the usual polarization that characterizes most of the debate over just how much old-growth needs to be saved.

Bell said in an interview Friday that he has asked the province’s chief forester to review existing regulations and to develop new “tools” for protecting trees that, because of their age, have values that make them worth preserving.

“Certainly we have been hearing the message for some time from different organizations that we should be considering some tools, perhaps new tools that we could use when particularly unique trees are identified. They may be individual tees or small areas like the Avatar Grove that provide incremental value over and above the timber resource value,” the minister said.

He said the tools would likely be surgical in nature, permitting the forests ministry to protect individual trees and the forest patch around them. What these tools will look like, however, will be up to the chief forester.

The move was supported by the leading environmental group in the fight over Vancouver Island old growth, the Victoria-based Ancient Forest Alliance.

“That’s good, considering they appointed the board. It’s their advisory group. The question is, what tools are they going to use to protect monumental trees,” said the alliance’s Ken Wu.

He said the fight is not over, though. Monumental trees are the symbol the alliance is focusing in its fight to protect more old-growth eco-systems.

The trees in question are not just old-growth, which the province characterizes as anything more than 250 years old. The board uses the term “ancient” meaning they are over 500 years old.

The Avatar Grove was named by the alliance after the movie of the same name because the tree trunks are so huge and gnarly. The ancient trees are scattered throughout a much younger forest that likely originated because of fire or high winds about 100 years ago. Some of the area is protected from logging through the government’s old-growth management strategy for the Gordon River watershed. It requires five to 14 per cent of the trees to be protected as wildlife trees patches.

The board found that although the government has a strategy in place to manage the old-growth forest in the Gordon River watershed, there was not sufficient data to estimate the extent of ancient forest on the landscape. Inventories are not that detailed.

The board’s report states that if the government is to manage more precisely for ancient trees, more detailed inventories are required.

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The stump of a 14ft diameter old-growth redcedar freshly cut in 2010 found along the Gordon River near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island.

Companies urged to conserve ancient trees

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 The Forest Practices Board is encouraging the government and forestry companies to get creative to save trees of exceptional size or form, age or historical significance.

The recommendation comes out of an investigation into a public complaint about logging of particularly large trees near Port Renfrew on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, the board said in a news release.

“This complaint highlights the strong public interest in seeing more ancient trees and forest stands preserved to live out their natural lives and functions, and managed as a social, economic and ecological asset to the public and surrounding communities,” said board chair Al Gorley.

“These significant trees can be from 500 to over 1,000 years old. Having withstood the ravages of time over many centuries, they can inspire awe and reverence, a sense of spirituality and connection to past events,” the release states.

The report found that the licensee in question complied with legislation, and did retain some trees of similar size and age to those harvested.

A giant 14ft diameter old-growth redcedar stump sits among dozens more in the clearcut near Port Renfrew

Watchdog wants big trees protected

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Creative ways should be found to protect the ancient giants in B.C.’s forests, says the Forest Practices Board.

The watchdog board investigated a complaint about massive old-growth trees being cut near Port Renfrew and concluded that, although the forest company — Teal Cedar Products Ltd. — did nothing wrong, government and forest companies should pay more attention to trees of exceptional size, form, age or historical significance.

“This complaint highlights the strong public interest in seeing more ancient trees and forest stands preserved to live out their natural lives and functions and managed as a social, economic and ecological asset to the public and surrounding communities,” said board chairman Al Gorley.

The report says such trees “can inspire awe and reverence, a sense of spirituality and connection to past events.”

Public awareness of special trees -often between 500 and 1,000 years old -is increasing as forest areas become more accessible, Gorley said. “From a public relations point of view, for the logging companies it’s sometimes going to make more sense to leave [the trees] there,” he said in an interview.

But the board stopped short of recommending hard and fast rules and, instead, is suggesting voluntary co-operation.

Forest companies could incorporate special trees into leave-alone areas, roads and landing areas could be planned to protect big trees or logging boundaries moved so big trees are not in the cutting area, Gorley said.

Some giant trees are protected through old-growth management areas and parks, but no one knows whether the most valuable and unusual sites are protected because B.C.’s forestry inventory and policies do not differentiate between forest stands 250 years old and those 500 years or older, the report says.

“A result is that the discovery of ancient, exceptional and irreplaceable trees often occurs with the onset of harvest planning. This situation can lead to public uncertainty and a sense of urgency and conflict in considering whether, in the circumstances, such trees should be protected,” it says.

Gorley said he does not know whether voluntary measures are enough to protect special trees.

“Time will tell. If over time we find we are losing them, then maybe government will feel it has to actually enact more specific rules,” he said.

The giant stumps near Port Renfrew were discovered close to a grove of huge trees, nicknamed Avatar Grove by the Ancient Forest Alliance, a group pushing for oldgrowth protection.

After photographs of the grove and the stumps were made public, an increasing number of hikers and tourists visited the area.

Ken Wu of the Ancient Forest Alliance said government needs to immediately expand the number of oldgrowth management areas and sites such as Avatar Grove should be given full protection.

Standing beside a massive 16ft diameter redcedar stump is Hans Tammemagi

Call for Port Renfrew Foresters not to chop down ancient trees

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B.C.’s independent forest watchdog has sided with an environmental studies professor who filed a complaint last summer about a logging company that razed several huge, ancient trees in an area zoned for logging near Port Renfrew.

The Forest Practices Board (FCB) said the trees in question, cut by logging company Teal-Jones, were between 500 and 1,000 years old. Logging the trees was legal, but the board in a report released Thursday called for foresters and land managers to get “creative” about conserving trees of exceptional size, form, age or historical significance.

“Having withstood the ravages of time over many centuries, [ancient trees] can inspire awe and reverence, a sense of spirituality and connection to past events,” the report reads.

“This complaint highlights the strong public interest in seeing more ancient trees and forest stands preserved to live out their natural lives and functions, and managed as a social, economic and ecological asset to the public and surrounding communities,” said board chair Al Gorley.

Hans Tammemagi, an adjunct professor of environmental studies at the University of Victoria, said he was “appalled” last summer to find about a half-dozen stumps of freshly cut ancient trees in an area north of Port Renfrew known as the “Gordon landscape unit.”

“I stood on top of a stump that you could have built a house on,” he said. “It was huge. It almost brought tears to my eyes.

“. . . When they come across trees like this [I would like to see them] stop, and either cut around them or consult with the local community.”

He said his entreaties to Teal-Jones, a 65-year-old family-run logging company, fell on deaf ears when he phoned to complain.

“They really didn’t want to talk to me,” he said. “They were pretty adamant that they were doing everything legally, which they did.”

Darlene Omen, spokesperson for the FCB, said the recommendations released in Thursday’s report are not legally binding, but are meant to “highlight” the issue.

Tammemagi was encouraged, but not entirely satisfied by the board’s response.

“It’s positive, but it’s a bit on the weak side,” said Tammemagi. “I had hoped they’d come out with some stronger recommendations.”

Meanwhile, environmentalists as well as the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce continue to lobby Teal-Jones and the Forests Ministry to protect another ancient grove in the area known as Avatar Grove, which is considered a prime ecotourism destination.

Three quarters of Avatar Grove — home to what some say is the “world’s gnarliest tree” — remains vulnerable to Teal-Jones’ saws. The other quarter is legally protected.

“I would really like to see Teal Jones say voluntarily that they will not log Avatar Grove,” said Tammemagi.

Teal-Jones did not return The Province’s call Thursday.

A spokeswoman for the Association of B.C. Forest Professionals (ABCFP), the organization responsible for registering and regulating foresters, said its members are required under the Foresters Act to attempt to balance environmental, economic and social values when creating timber harvest plans.

“We will be raising this [report] with our members,” she said.

Old-growth clearcut near the Avatar Grove in the Gordon River Valley.

Photo of Old-Growth Clearcut on Vancouver Island Takes Top Prize

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A raw and striking image of an old-growth tree stump in a clearcut near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island, BC, recently claimed 1st place in Outdoor Photography Canada magazine’s “Human Impact” photo contest in its latest fall/winter edition. The photo, taken by Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) photographer TJ Watt in the Gordon River Valley last March, shows a stark, foggy clearcut with a man solemnly poised on a giant stump surrounded by logging slash and a fringe of the former forest in the background. See the winning photo here: https://ancientforestalliance.org/pic.php?pID=12  

 

“As a photographer working for a cause you’re always looking for that elusive shot that truly captures both the emotional and the factual aspects of the issue in one image. It’s difficult to get both together but this picture is quickly proving to have done just that. Of the hundreds of thousands of photos I have taken, as sad as it is, this is the one I am most proud of,” notes Watt.

 

Photography is a powerful and essential tool for raising environmental awareness and Watt feels its key benefit lies in its ability to bring remote or unseen places to the public’s eye.

 

“My images focus mainly on the threats to BC’s endangered old-growth forests and often times I am taking photos where less than and a handful of people have stood, if any at all. The rugged rainforests of Vancouver Island go largely unexplored and the clearcuts are very treacherous so it’s really important to be able to share the images from these places that few people see,” says Watt. “If you can’t bring the 4 million people in BC to the woods then you need to bring the woods to them. And now with the power of GPS mapping and Google Earth you can extend that concept to include the entire world.”

 

Watt and a hiking partner snapped the winning shot after they finished leading a public hike through the nearby endangered Avatar Grove (see Watt’s photo gallery here: https://ancientforestalliance.org/photos-media/) – a stand of easily accessible, monumental old-growth forest flagged and surveyed for logging that has caught the attention of thousands of British Columbians, elected officials, and media over the past year.

 

See other photos by TJ Watt of Canada’s largest trees and stumps at:   https://ancientforestalliance.org/photos-media/

 

The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the BC Liberal government to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests, ensure the sustainable logging of second-growth forests, and to ban raw log exports to foreign mills.

 

 

You can visit Outdoor Photography Canada magazine’s website here: https://www.outdoorphotographycanada.com/

Old-growth clearcut near the Avatar Grove in the Gordon River Valley.

Photograph of Vancouver Island clearcut wins national competition

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 A beautifully haunting photo of an old-growth clearcut on Vancouver Island has won a national photography competition.

Ancient Forest Alliance photographer T.J. Watt took first place in Outdoor Photography Canada magazine’s “Human Impact” photo contest with an image taken in the Gordon River Valley near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island.

“As a photographer working for a cause you’re always looking for that elusive shot that truly captures both the emotional and the factual aspects of the issue in one image,” Watt said in a statement.

“It’s difficult to get both together but this picture is quickly proving to have done just that. Of the hundreds of thousands of photos I have taken, as sad as it is, this is the one I am most proud of.”

The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the B.C. government to protect the province’s remaining old-growth forests, ensure the sustainable logging of second-growth forests, and to ban raw log exports to foreign mills.

View other photos by T.J. Watt of Canada’s largest trees and stumps at: https://ancientforestalliance.org/photos-media/

Read more: https://www.vancouversun.com/Photograph+Vancouver+Island+clearcut+wins+national+competition/4227150/story.html#ixzz1D2PN2ply

The stump of a 14ft diameter old-growth redcedar freshly cut in 2010 found along the Gordon River near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island.

B.C.’s Best Old-Growth Forest Slideshow Visits Salt Spring

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Ancient Forest Alliance co-founders are bringing spectacular photographs of Canada’s largest trees and their presentation on B.C. ecology and forest politics to the island next week.

Ken Wu and TJ Watt will host an informative and inspiring slideshow at The Fritz cinema on Wednesday, Feb. 9 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Adriane Carr, deputy leader of Canada’s Green Party and former Wilderness Committee Clayoqout Sound campaigner, will also give a talk and host a fundraiser pledge auction to raise campaign funds for the AFA, which has just passed its one-year anniversary.

“Time is running out for our endangered old-growth forests and B.C.’s coastal forestry jobs. Salt Spring Island is famous as a hub of environmental consciousness — it may very well have the highest density of tree-huggers in North America. It’s a key place for us to build support and expand our strong campaign to protect our ancient forests, ensure sustainable second-growth forestry and to ban raw log exports to foreign mills,” states campaign director Wu.

According to the AFA, to date about 75 per cent of Vancouver Island’s productive old-growth forest has been logged, including 90 per cent of the valley bottoms, while only six per cent of its original, productive old-growth forests are protected in parks.

Meanwhile, thousands of forestry jobs are being lost as millions of cubic metres of raw logs are exported each year to foreign mills.

The AFA plans to take their campaign to a new level in 2011 by:

• Vastly increasing the support base for its campaigns through the “100,000 Strong for Ancient Forests and B.C. Jobs” petition drive and public awareness campaign.

• Increasing cooperation among key allies by meeting and working with First Nations, politicians, businesses, unions, faith groups and many other organizations.

• Guiding monthly public hikes to the spectacular Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew and other endangered ancient forests.

• Continuing to explore and document endangered old-growth forests in B.C. through professional photography and videos.

“How many jurisdictions on Earth have trees with trunks as wide as living rooms and that grow as tall as downtown skyscrapers?” asks Watt.

“We’re so lucky to have such exceptionally magnificent forests here in coastal B.C. I am always excited to share some of the best photographs from Vancouver Island’s most incredible rainforests and hidden wild places.

original article in bclocalnews.com saltspringislanddriftwood

Ancient Forest Alliance

CFAX Radio Interview (on Youtube): Climate and Old-Growth Forests with Sierra Club of BC’s Jens Wieting

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Link to video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXIcjHP8knE

Liberal MP Keith Martin stands on top of a massive

Ancient forest group continues push for old-growth

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In just over a year, the Ancient Forest Alliance has collected almost 7,000 petition signatures, 18,000 supporters and fundraised more than $50,000.

Not bad for an environmental group in it’s infancy, says cofounder Ken Wu.

The non-profit organization founded in January 2010 is working to protect old-growth tree stands through B.C., including some on the West Shore.

“The western communities have some real gems of old growth,” Wu said. “On the Department of National Defence lands in Colwood and Metchosin, you’ve got some of the finest old-growth Douglas fir stands on the planet. It’s a spectacular place.”

AFA members spent the last year hunting the south Island for old-growth stands to document and photograph. It’s trying to put pressure on the B.C. government to protect old-growth stands for future generations.

“I think a lot of people realize this is a spectacular part of the world and the unfortunate thing is that the B.C. Liberal government still contends that old growth forests are not endangered on Vancouver Island, which is nuts … our old growth forests are now in tatters and are now a teeny fraction of what they once were.”

AFA’s discovery of an old-growth stand near Port Renfrew, dubbed Avatar Grove, has some of the largest trees on the Island and in Canada, Wu said. It’s in an area zoned for logging, with rights belonging to Surrey-based Teal Jones Group. The AFA is now offering guided public hikes to the area every month.

“It’ll knock your socks off,” Wu said. “It’s got Canada’s gnarliest tree. This tree’s got a burl that is 12 feet wide — something that can only happen in an old-growth forest.”

Looking forward into 2011, Wu says he’s optimistic about the upcoming leadership races for the B.C. Liberals and B.C. NDP.

“There’s great potential for new progressive environmental policies, but we’ve got to snowball the size of the movement to ensure that happens,” he said.

The AFA is trying to collect 100,000 signatures for a petition calling on the government to protect old-growth forests and forestry jobs.

One of the ways it intends to do that is through a provincewide slideshow tour. The team will be traveling across the province delivering photo presentations about the most endangered old-growth stands, including Avatar Grove, Flores Island and the upper Walbran Valley.

Wu says the AFA already enjoys tremendous support from government representatives regionally, provincially and federally. Mike Hicks, CRD Juan de Fuca regional director; John Horgan, Juan de Fuca NDP MLA; Keith Martin, Liberal MP; the Sooke Tourism Association and the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce are all calling for the protection of Avatar Grove, according to Wu.

“Ultimately, it’s up to the BC government to make a land use order to protect the Avatar Grove and eventually to establish new protective areas too. We need to protect the old-growth across Vancouver Island and throughout much of the province because it’s so endangered now.”

 

Link to original article no longer available: https://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/goldstreamgazette/news/115027064.html