Tag Archives: Wilderness Committee

Forests

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.

Continue reading High-stakes fight over old growth trees intensifies as police make seven arrests →
Forests, Politics

BC’s Chief Forester Tells the SRD the State of BC’s Forests, or not

2 Comments

Shane Berg, BC’s Chief Forester, has a message he is taking to trading partners around the world. On Thursday, October 2, 2025, he made a presentation to the Strathcona Regional District’s Natural Resources Committee. 

In today’s broadcast there are select clips from that presentation, including reactions from the committee. Also Bruce Ellingsen, one of the founding directors of the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative and a local thought leader on forestry matters, gave his opinion about the presentation and what he believes it lacks. 

Berg claims that the amount of old growth forests is increasing. According to Ellingsen what is not clear is that he is talking about the 80% of relatively small old growth trees growing in less productive areas, not the ‘big tree old growth’ that the environmental community is concerned about.  

Continue reading BC’s Chief Forester Tells the SRD the State of BC’s Forests, or not →
Forests

BC Auditor General flags flaws in forest carbon accounting

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

British Columbia’s carbon-accounting process to help make forestry decisions isn’t consistent or transparent, a new report by the province’s auditor general indicates. 

The BC Forests Ministry uses carbon projections to help determine how management decisions could affect the amount of planet-warming carbon emissions the province’s forests store and release into the atmosphere. 

The audit focused on the ministry’s methods for carbon projections between April 2022 and December 2024 in three areas: the forest investments program, the ministry’s allowable annual cut and forest landscape planning.

The forest ministry failed to establish open and consistent methods to make carbon projections involving the province’s annual allowable cut (AAC) and the Forest Investment Program (FIP), the report found.  

Continue reading BC Auditor General flags flaws in forest carbon accounting →
Forests

B.C. misses the mark with old growth update, critics claim

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The B.C. government continues to move at a glacial pace to meet an overdue promise to transform the logging industry and protect endangered old growth forests and ecosystems, say B.C. conservation groups. 

On Monday, the province issued its latest progress report on transforming forestry practices to preserve ancient forests and vital ecosystems and meet 14 calls to action from the old-growth strategic review (OGSR) completed in spring of 2020. 

Continue reading B.C. misses the mark with old growth update, critics claim →
Animals, Justice

Fairy Creek: Federal Court Rules Canada Failed To Protect ‘At-Risk’ Birds In Old Growth Logging Areas

A Federal Court ruled that Canada’s Environment Minister, Steven Guilbeault, failed to protect habitats of at-risk migratory birds in old growth logging areas. Chief Justice Paul Crampton stated the Minister’s decision to limit protection to areas where nests were found ‘was neither reasonable or tenable.’ 

Continue reading Fairy Creek: Federal Court Rules Canada Failed To Protect ‘At-Risk’ Birds In Old Growth Logging Areas →