By Roy L Hales

A healthy forest, on the west coast of British Columbia, has some trees that are a thousand to two thousand years old. Many different species of plants and flowers are closer to the ground. There is a variety of wildlife, and fish in the streams. This is disappearing from British Columbia and Sierra Club BC is calling on BC to protect endangered coastal rainforests.

Calling On BC To Protect Endangered Coastal Rainforests

“Along that coast you rarely have fire, you rarely have pests. It is a more resilient ecosystem, that’s why the trees can grow so old. It is a very unique ecosystem, very high biomass, very high carbon storage per hectare and that’s why we are particularly concerned about these types of forests. We believe we will have them for years into the future if we increase protection,” said Jens Wieting of Sierra Club BC.

“Other forests have already been hit by climate events. There is more fire; more beetles. It is effecting species habitat, it is effecting clean water, clean air and many other environmental services including the simple fact we want to enjoy forests. We want to have forests that we can show our children, or our visitors.”

Our Government Is Not Acting In a Very Smart Way

“Along the coast we still have this chance, but our government is not acting in a very smart way by allowing the ongoing logging of old growth even in those parts of the coast where we have so little left: on Vancouver Island and the South Coast.”

“That’s what our  Google Earth File shows, that on that part of the coast about half of the landscapes have less than 30% of productive old growth left – productive old growth with big trees. Thirty percent means high risk for species, high risk of losing the species.”

Listen to the podcast above to find out more.

Top Photo Credit: Residue left from previous logging in the Walbran – TJ Watt photo