Around the province of B.C , September 18, dozens to hundreds of people, of all ages, gathered together to Protest the current government’s ongoing support for logging the remaining 3% of the province’s Old Growth / Natural Forests.
Quadra Island protest
Quadra Island rallied approximately 30 such avid protesters. All ages were represented, from children up to seniors. This age spread is identical to what is found in a true, natural forest. By the number of honking horns from passing vehicles the support and agreement for government to end old growth logging, was very strong!
A new future for old forests
Reference was made to the important recommendations of the recently released Old Growth Strategic Review and Public Enquiry report “ A new future for old forests ” September, 2020., authored by Al Gorley and Gary Merkel.
Speakers were clear that a current government policies enabling corporations virtually unlimited freedoms to cut forests hundreds of years old must stop immediately. Community based forestry decisions adhering to ecosystem based management guidelines, would enable vibrant logging and processing employment opportunities to return to villages along the coast and into the Interior Regions of B.C.
Repeatedly shared between participants was their mutual boiling frustration with large national and international corporations buying control of government policy writing these past 30 years. The results have been severely degraded natural places; increased numbers into the thousands of plant and animal species being closer to extinction; community watersheds across the province have been all but destroyed though massive clearcuts leading to destroyed homes from floods and the siltation of streams killing off all manner of species relying on cool, clear, water flows.
Participants mentioned a number of ways, communities around the world are reclaiming their rights and power to make decisions effecting their local ecosystems and livelihoods. Direct action steps, it is felt are needed as government ministry after ministry are NOT paying any attention to letters, phone calls or meetings with constituents. Re-electing the current and previous political party back into power was seen as going down the rabbit hole into the same old pit of broken promises.