See Ancient Forest Alliance’s detailed old-growth policy recommendations for the BC government below (click to expand).
1. Develop a BC Protected Areas Strategy
A provincial Protected Areas Strategy (PAS) like that of the BC NDP government in the 1990s is vital to proactively identify candidate areas for potential protection guided by ecosystem-based protection targets, with plans and budgets, contingent on proactively engaging and undertaking shared decision-making with local First Nations. It should also guide the expenditure of the $1 billion BC Nature Agreement conservation financing funds based on these objectives. The NDP-Green governing agreement has set a precedent for this approach by requiring the province to reach out to the Pacheedaht First Nation to discuss the potential protection of Fairy Creek. However, such an approach is needed across the province to protect other priority areas.
Instead, the government is waiting on First Nations with Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) proposals to approach them, despite the fact that many First Nations communities lack the capacity, the technical insights (in part due to a lack of proactive information flow from the BC government), and the economic ability without alternative financial support to protect the big-tree old-growth forests in their territories, which many are dependent upon for forestry jobs and revenues. A systematic and proactive approach towards protected areas creation from the province is indispensable to get the job done – otherwise protection will be “aspirational” and come out short on protecting the most endangered and least represented ecosystems.
2. Develop the “GPS of Protection” – Ecosystem-Based Targets
In BC, protection is skewed toward alpine and marginal timber to minimize the impacts on the available timber supply (i.e. “save the small trees, log the big trees”). If the BC government is serious about preventing a flare-up of the War in the Woods again, it must develop a mandate to proactively pursue the protection of the most endangered, least-represented ecosystems, including the big-treed old-growth stands.
This mandate can be created via the development of “Ecosystem-Based Targets” by a Chief Ecologist and independent Science/Traditional Ecological Knowledge committees housed under a BC Protected Areas Strategy. These initiatives can all arise from the forthcoming Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health (BEH) Framework. A science-based approach is needed that ensures protection targets for all ecosystems that are “fine filter” enough to include forest productivity distinctions to distinguish between sites with small versus big trees. These Ecosystem-Based Targets must not be limited to guiding the establishment of conservation reserves like Old-Growth Management Areas and Wildlife Habitat Areas, but must also guide the establishment of much larger Provincial Parks and Provincial Conservancies with stronger protection standards.
3. Secure Remaining Old-Growth Deferrals in All Most At-Risk Stands by Providing “Solutions Space” Funding
To date, only about half (~1.2 million hectares) of the most at-risk old-growth stands with the biggest and oldest trees identified by the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) have been deferred from logging out of 2.6 million hectares. Another 1.2 million hectares of more marginal stands have also been deferred. The “War in the Woods” primarily hinges on the remaining 1.4 million hectares of undeferred most at-risk old-growth stands. To secure these areas, deferral or “solutions space” funding for First Nations is needed for their lost forestry revenues in deferral areas – otherwise, it’s asking First Nations to go years without what is often their largest revenue source.
4. Close the logging loopholes in conservation reserves (e.g. OGMAs and WHAs)
Currently, Old Growth Management Areas (OGMAs) can be moved and swapped for lower-value timber, while many Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHAs) still allow commercial logging within their boundaries (including in some spotted owl, northern goshawk and mountain caribou reserves and buffers). OGMAs should not be moveable for logging interests (wildfires and natural disturbances are different), and logging should not occur in the WHAs of sensitive old-growth species. Until then, these areas must not be included in BC’s accounting towards its 30% by 2030 goal (i.e. BC has not protected 19.5% but rather about 15%).
5. Build a Modernized, Smart Forest Industry and a BC Conservation Economy Strategy
The BC government should expand a major second-growth, value-added “smart forest industry” incentive program, where rebates are provided by log export “fees in lieu”, for PST relief, and relief on provincial property can be used as incentives to greatly scale up the transition to smaller diameter, value-added, second-growth engineered wood products. Log export restrictions should also be undertaken, along with establishing regional log sorts and a concerted effort to facilitate eco-forestry practices to create higher-value logs and commercial thinning.
A BC Conservation Economy Strategy is also needed, particularly in regions where the major expansion of protected areas is occurring. Provincially-supported business development hubs can provide rebates, loans and various financial incentives; in-kind business development support; facilitation of labour services, including supporting staff housing and accommodation (e.g. supporting rental zoning bylaw adjustments); and other strategies to spur tourism, recreation, real estate, high-tech, non-timber forest products, carbon-offset and clean tech development. Such a strategy can make BC a powerhouse to fuel a sustainable economic resurgence in BC combined with the protection of old-growth and endangered ecosystems.
See the details of the “Old-Growth Protection Act” as recommended by the UVic Environmental Law Clinic (ELC) in their 2013 report:
Send a message to the government to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests: