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The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) is a registered charitable organization working to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests and to ensure a sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest industry.
Authorized by Ancient Forest Alliance, registered sponsor under the Election Act, 250-896-4007.
AFA’s office is located on the territories of the Lekwungen Peoples, also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.
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Earth-Friendly Web Design by Fairwind Creative
VICTORIA: All Beings Confluence (April 20–28)
April 20-28 (ongoing) Cadboro Bay United Church (2625 Arbutus Rd, Victoria - see MAP) Free/by donation All Beings Confluence, hosted by the Cadboro Bay United Church in Victoria, is an expanding fabric art installation created by many individuals from multiple communities and local organizations. This project uses community art, collaborative practices and a belief in the creative process to explore the idea that all life is interconnected and each “living being” plays a vital role in sustaining the web of life. The event will also help to raise awareness and support for the Ancient Forest Alliance, the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Society (VIRCS), and The Learning Curve. See details and invite others on Facebook HERE
VANCOUVER: Big Tree Weekend (April 2-3)
Hey Lower Mainland friends be sure to come out to the Big Tree Weekend from April 2-3 hosted by the Stanley Park Ecology Society (the AFA will be doing an old-growth ecology walk during the Saturday morning slot) and see some of the largest trees in BC right in the heart of Vancouver's finest park! See DETAILS and get TICKETS here: https://stanleyparkecology.ca/education/public-programs/big-trees-weekend/
Council endorses Pop for Parks
More good news! THANKS to all of you who wrote letters, the Saanich council has voted overwhelmingly (8 to 1) in favour of our resolution asking the province to implement a natural land acquisition fund (using the "pop for parks" mechanism") to purchase and protect endangered ecosystems on private lands in BC, similar to the CRD's land acquisition fund that has been key to protect the Sooke Hills and Potholes, Jordan River, Mount Maxwell, and other key green spaces. Saanich now joins the councils of Victoria and Highlands in passing the resolution. Also see the AFA and ELC's original media release at: https://ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=950
Ancient Forest with some of the largest cedar trees in B.C. will be class A park
Great news! The province has established a new 11,900 hectare protected area east of Prince George that includes important tracts of the famous ancient redcedar groves (including around the famous Ancient Forest Trail) in the inland temperate rainforest. Thanks to the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation, the Northern Wetbelt Working Group (who have been working for a substantially more extensive, science-based protected areas network in the region to protect more of the inland temperate rainforest) and the province for this important step forward in old-growth forest protection! Also take note you can still sign-on to the Northern Wetbelt Working Group's letter for expanded protection in the region (if you haven't already) at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16hq-R8ZOylR-wLSz9OjbxRdf4NYHYnG9Uo1Lu12qr0U/viewform
Pops for Parks movement comes to Saanich
Great news! On Thursday night the vote was unanimous at the Victoria city council's Committee of the Whole on the resolution asking the BC government to implement a Natural Lands Acquisition Fund to purchase and protect endangered ecosystems on private lands! It goes for final approval at next Thursday's council meeting. Thanks to councillors Ben Isitt and Jeremy Loveday for introducing the motion. The Saanich council votes on Monday (today!) on the resolution. To THANK the Victoria city council and to ask the Saanich council at their vote today (Monday) to follow Victoria and Highlands councils positive votes, please go to: https://ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=978
PLEASE WRITE to Victoria City Council and Saanich Council to support resolutions for a BC Natural Lands Acquisition Fund!
The Victoria City Council will be voting on Thursday and the Saanich Council on Monday on a motion asking the BC government to implement a BC Natural Lands Acquisition Fund (aka Fund for Nature's Future), a proposed, annual provincial fund to purchase and protect endangered ecosystems on private lands. The District of Highlands recently passed the resolution, and now it's time to snowball the support from various municipalities to pressure the provincial government! Please WRITE an EMAIL to Victoria Council at councillors@victoria.ca or Saanich Council at council@saanich.ca to express your support for this motion! See details HERE!
Old-Growth Momentum Grows as Businesses, City Councils, and Naturalists Speak Up & Renowned Filmmaker Comes to Port Renfrew
Interest and concern for the fate of Vancouver Island’s endangered old-growth forests is on the rise, as a renowned filmmaker and his crew arrived earlier this week from the US to do a piece about the old-growth forests around Port Renfrew. In addition, a growing and diverse base of businesses, municipal councils, and natural history associations have joined the chorus of concerned citizens calling on the province to protect the endangered old-growth forest in the Central Walbran Valley on Vancouver Island near Port Renfrew.
Federation of BC Naturalists (BC Nature) join call to protect Central Walbran Valley
Thanks to the Federation of BC Naturalists (BC Nature), who have joined multiple Chambers of Commerce and municipal councils calling for the protection of the endangered Central Walbran Valley. The federation consists of 53 naturalist clubs representing 6000 members in British Columbia, including biologists, ecologists, and various natural history enthusiasts. The federation has sent a letter of support for the Cowichan Valley Naturalists in their call to the province requesting protection of the Central Walbran Ancient Forest. The 500 hectare Central Walbran Valley is threatened with potential logging by Teal-Jones, and is the most intact part of a 2600 hectare Special Management Zone. The Ancient Forest Alliance is working with diverse partners calling for the region's protection, along with legislation to protect endangered old-growth forests across BC and new policies to ensure a sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry. See the Federation of BC Naturalists (BC Nature) online at: www.bcnature.ca
Tall trees turning Port Renfrew into tourist hot spot
Here's a new piece by CHEK TV's April Lawrence about how old-growth forest tourism at the Avatar Grove, Big Lonely Doug, and other nearby ancient stands has transformed the previously ailing economy of Port Renfrew. Dan Hager, the local Chamber of Commerce president speaks up for a Tall Tree tourism economy, while the AFA's Ken Wu and TJ Watt speak about the importance of saving the remaining old-growth forests (the AFA is working to protect places like the Central Walbran and Lower Edinburgh Grove Ancient Forests - plus supporting a sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry).
Port Alberni, Vancouver Island’s Forestry Capital – Sustainability Champion?
Here's a new article by the Ancient Forest Alliance's Ken Wu about how Port Alberni, the forestry capital of Vancouver Island and once considered unfriendly to the environmental movement, has today become a major hub of environmental awareness over logging in their drinking watershed, the loss of their last old-growth stands at McLaughlin Ridge and other sites, and over the massive export of raw logs to the USA and China from their region. Thanks to Jane Morden and her team with the Port Alberni Watershed-Forest Alliance for moving these issues into the forefront over years of hard work!