Tag Archives: Old Growth Forest

Forests, Politics

Are BC’s Forests getting ‘Closer to the Brink’?

 Five years have passed since the provincial government’s Old Growth Review panel published its report on BC’s old growth forest management. Sierra Club BC recently commissioned two of the panel’s three scientists to do a study on how their recommendations were carried out. In today’s interview, Karen Price talks about their report ‘Closer to the Brink.’

“We need to shift the paradigm because we all depend on the Earth and we need to start putting ecosystems and human communities ahead of industrial profits. To do that, we need to protect big tree forests. That’s my bottom line. That means supporting nations in their planning and it means working towards protecting 30% of each ecosystem by 2030 and 50% by 2050,” she explained.

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Indigenous Nations

Squamish Nation regains 20,000 hectares of ancestral land

By Ina Pace, The Squamish Chief, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For the video, see: https://www.squamishchief.com/local-news/icymi-squamish-nation-regains-20000-hectares-of-ancestral-land-10871229

Two decades of planning and negotiations result in an historic land use agreement with the province.

History was made Thursday with a massive land agreement between the province and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).

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Forests

Are BC’s Old-growth Forests Worth More Standing?

Press release from ESSA

Are old-growth forests worth more standing? A report released today by ESSA, and led by Dr. Cedar Morton, suggests yes. The report presents findings that decision-makers and forest landscape planning tables can consider when balancing conservation of non-timber ecosystems services with timber production. The report, titled “The Economic Value of Old-growth Forests in BC: Analysis of Old-growth Management Scenarios in Two Timber Supply Areas”, quantifies the economic benefits of deferring harvest of varying amounts of old-growth. The study applies an approach previously piloted on BC’s coast in Port Renfrew to the BC interior’s Prince George and ‘Are BC’s Old-growth Forests Worth More Standing?’ (TSAs).

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Forests

Political maneuvers? SRD proposal to meet with province about the allowable cut and other forestry matters

It has been 85 years since the Truck Loggers Association was founded to give independent loggers a collective voice in society and the forest industry. Now they would like the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) to intervene on their behalf with BC’s Minister of Forests, Minister of State for Workforce Development and Chief Forester. This was disclosed during the discussion of a motion from the SRD’s Natural Resources Committee at the Wednesday December 11 Board Meeting. 

Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney said she is not a member of the Natural Resources Committee, but the issue is a concern to her. The Forest Practises Board recently released a report that stated there was a deficit of old growth on Quadra Island and only about 1% of the trees were greater than 250 years old. Three companies were found to be out of compliance with some aspect of forest legislation. The reported added that “the bigger issue  is that no one is responsible for monitoring or ensuring that Quadra Island’s old forests are conserved, or that enough mature forests are protected from logging so that they can develop into old forest in the future.” 

Mawhinney had brought this matter to the SRD Board asking that “that the board write a letter to the Minister of Forests, the Minister of Water, Lands and Natural Resources, and BC’s Chief Forester, highlighting concerns with old forest management on Quadra Island.” 

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Forests

Concerns About Old Growth Management On Quadra Island Referred to SRD Committees

The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) referred concerns with old forest management on Quadra Island to the Natural Resources and First Nations Relations Committees for recommendation.

In August, the Forest Practices Board released a report stating that three Forestry companies were out of compliance with ‘some aspect of forestry legislation.’ ‘TimberWest does not employ a strategy to ensure that the appropriate amount of mature forests will become old (p 16).’ Okisollo Resources Ltd ‘did not follow its wildlife tree retention strategy when it harvested cutblocks 19-01 and 19-02’ (p 22). Younger Brothers Holdings ‘harvested trees from an area where its Woodlot License Plan said harvesting was to be avoided (p 23). 

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