Tag Archives: Old Growth Forest

Forests

Conservation cash vital to securing B.C.’s old-growth deferrals

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A new conservation foundation is working to provide Indigenous and other land-based communities with funds to protect endangered ecosystems and build economic alternatives to the logging of at-risk old-growth forests.

It’s unjust and impractical to expect communities that rely on revenue from activities such as forestry, ranching or resource extraction to bear the financial burden of shifting their local economy on their own to protect areas for the benefit of all, said Ken Wu, chair of the recently established Nature-Based Solutions Foundation (NBSF).

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Forests

Regional District of Central Kootenay moves to protect old-growth forests

By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The remains of old growth forests in the region are protected, for now. 

With the province announcing its intention recently to work in partnership with First Nations to defer harvest of ancient, rare and priority large stands of old growth — within 2.6 million hectares of B.C.’s most at-risk old-growth forests — the central Kootenay desire to save its old-growth forests could be realized.

In August the Regional District of Central Kootenay passed a resolution requesting the remaining old-growth forests and significant old trees in the central Kootenay region be preserved.

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Forests

Cortes at Fairy Creek: In Their Own Words

[From the Archives: A series of programs originally broadcast daily between Dec 13 and 17, 2021]

I mean, I’ve been in cut blocks quite a lot before, I’ve been around that sort of stuff quite a lot, but I’ve never seen it the way I did when I was at Fairy Creek, you know, feeling the misery of the land and the devastation there, like on a very personal level.

— Dani

Most people are probably aware of the protest and blockade at Fairy Creek on Vancouver island. For over a year, forest defenders have blocked a logging road to prevent logging company Teal Jones from cutting intact old growth areas. For this special feature. I did a little oral history with seven local people who went to Fairy Creek to join that blockade.

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Forests

SRD protests BC’s ‘reactive’ and ‘emotionally driven’ forestry policies

How our local government works

The Strathcona Regional District Board is writing Premier Horgan, to protest the government’s new ‘reactive,’ and ‘emotionally driven’ forestry policies. 

This letter appears to have largely been composed by Campbell River Director Charlie Cornfield, with some additions by SRD Chair Brad Unger. 

If the authors had stuck to the idea that local government should be involved in the process, or taken a less confrontational approach, their letter would have received more support. 

Instead, the decision to send it carried by a 7 to 6 vote.

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Forests, Indigenous Nations, Justice

Update From Fairy Creek: interview with Kathleen Code

[Kathleen Code is is a spokesperson for the Rainforest Flying Squad and other land defenders attempting to protect old growth areas at Fairy Creek. She founded the legal team, and is also a member of their media team. Since joining the effort in August, 2020, she’s worked closely with elder Bill Jones to understand the situation of the Pacheedaht First Nation, in particular their interactions with industrial forest company Teal Jones and the NDP government. I interviewed Kathy on December 3rd 2021, asking her for an update to round out the “Cortes At Fairy Creek” story. This is a lightly edited transcript of that interview.]

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