Tag Archives: Walbran Valley

High-stakes fight over old growth trees intensifies as police make seven arrests

By Nora O’Malley, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The 15-foot wooden cougar sculpture erected this summer to block forestry workers from accessing the Upper Walbran Valley in Pacheedaht First Nations territory is a pile of cold ashes on the dirt road. 

Pacheedaht elder Bill Jones, 85, has been a constant advocate for the old growth forest within Pacheedaht lands. He says his prayer hut and guest cabin were also torched during enforcement of the court-ordered injunction that was granted to C̕awak ʔqin Forestry (Tsawak-qin), which is 35 per cent co-owned by Huu-ay-aht First Nation and 65 per cent co-owned Western Forest Products (WFP), began on Nov. 25.

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BC deferring old growth logging in Fairy Creek

At the request of the Pacheedaht, Ditidaht and Huu-ay-aht First Nations, BC is deferring old-growth logging in the Fairy Creek watershed and central Walbran areas.

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Fairy Creek old-growth activists face arrests

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Fairy Creek old-growth activists are facing arrest after a logging company won a court order banning blockades defending some of the last tracts of ancient rainforest on southern Vancouver Island.

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Supreme Court Battle: Fairy Creek blockade

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Protesters attempting to protect some of the last stands of old-growth forest on southern Vancouver Island are facing arrest if a logging company gets court approval to disband their camps this week.

Forestry company Teal-Jones has filed an application with the Supreme Court of British Columbia for an injunction to remove the Fairy Creek blockade at various entry points to its Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 46 near the community of Port Renfrew.

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Potentially Embarrassing Questions About BC’s Stumpage Rates

By Roy L Hales

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During a recent interview, Campbell River film maker Damien Gillis said “there would be a great deal of outrage” if the public knew the degree to which we subsidize logging old growth forests. These subsidies come in the form of lower stumpage fees for the remote areas where most of our surviving ancient forests still persist.  Gillis also informed me this is a central issue in the United States’ softwood dispute with Canada. After the interview, I drew up a series of potentially embarrassing questions about BC’s stumpage rates.

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