A new poll, commissioned by Sierra Club BC, found that 92% of British Columbians want old growth forests protected. 842 people were asked “Do you support or oppose taking action to defend endangered old-growth forests in BC?” 69% of the respondents said it was “very important” to them; 23% replied “moderately important.”
Continue reading Poll Finds 92% of British Columbians want old growth forests protectedCategory Archives: Forests
Avoid Wood Smoke
By Roy L Hales
According to the Daily Mail, “Wood-burning stoves emit six times as much pollution as a diesel truck.” The Environmental Protection Agency states wood smoke contains several toxic air pollutants including: benzene; formaldehyde; acrolein, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Health Canada claims, “In communities where wood heating is common, wood smoke can be responsible for as much as 25% of the airborne particulate matter.” They advise people to avoid wood smoke.
Continue reading Avoid Wood Smoke
Clarifying The Meaning Of “Sustainability”In The Management Of The Cortes Community Forest
Obtaining a Community Forest (CF) tenure on the Crown Forest lands and managing it sustainably, while allowing for a modest harvest to occur for the development of a local forest products related economic sector, has consistently, since the 1990’s, been a top priority for the great majority within the Cortes community.
Continue reading Clarifying The Meaning Of “Sustainability”In The Management Of The Cortes Community Forest
Visiting Avatar Grove
By Roy L Hales
Though it is no longer a secret, relatively few North Americans have visited one of the continent’s oldest extant stands of giant old-growth red cedar and Douglas fir. The site was slated to be clearcut, when T J Watt spotted a large cedar close to Route 14 just outside of Port Renfrew, British Columbia, in 2009. Figuring there was likely to be more, he hiked into the forest. The Victoria based Ancient Forest Alliance was born out of the campaign to protect the ten acre site now known as Avatar Grove.
Cortes Community Forest’s First Five Years
British Columbia’s old growth forests fertilize themselves as efficiently as a farmer looking after his fields. The tree plantations that are fast replacing them lack this ability. If this trend continues, the province’s vast forests may be a memory in the next two or three centuries. The inhabitants of one tiny island are trying to change this. In this morning’s program one of the directors, Bruce Ellingsen, tells me about Cortes Community Forest’s first five years of operations.
Continue reading Cortes Community Forest’s First Five Years