Forests Minister Steve Thomson
Mar 1 2013

Eco-groups regard new forest tenure legislation as ‘land grab’

This appears to be essentially a giveaway to big companies,” said Jessica Clogg, a lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law who specializes in forestry issues. She was referring to a tenure rollover plan given first reading last week that ...would give forest companies the ability to convert their volume-based forest tenures to area-based tenures called tree farm licences.“We have seen a lot of consolidation in the industry and this is setting us up for that last grab by those that are left standing to lock down their rights,” she said Thursday. “I see a clash of the titans over the B.C. land base.

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Chief Stewart Phillip
Feb 28 2013

‘This Is Huge’: Sweeping Forest Bill Gathers Foes

A British Columbia government bill that would radically shift the management of public forests is drawing criticism from environmental groups, the head of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and opposition politicians.

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Ken Wu of the Ancient Forest Alliance is seeking full protection of old growth forests around Echo Lake as roost habitat for bald ealges in the Harrison River area.
Feb 27 2013

B.C’s Remaining Old-Growth Forests Non-Renewable: Sierra Club Report

The B.C. government continues to look for ways to feed more timber to struggling sawmills through proposed Forest Act changes, but the government is failing to consider the massive role intact old-growth forests play in fighting climate change, says the report, Carbon at Risk: B.C.’s Unprotected Old-growth Rainforest.

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T.J. Watt of Ancient Forest Alliance stands in July 2011 next to old-growth red cedar in Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew.
Feb 27 2013

Logging B.C. old-growth forests accelerates climate change: Sierra Club report

One year of logging old-growth forests in southwestern B.C. blows away a year of carbon-emissions reductions made through climate-change fighting initiatives such as the carbon tax, says a Sierra Club report released Wednesday.

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B.C. landscape diversity includes this 0ld-growth Coastal Douglas fir forest in Metchosin on southern Vancouver Island. Just over 15 per cent of B.C. has designations granting the highest level of protections.
Feb 21 2013

B.C. land protection insufficient to conserve species biodiversity: report

Environmental protection of B.C.’s landscapes is fragmented, inconsistent and falls woefully short of what scientists say is needed to conserve species biodiversity, according to a comprehensive land-use review released Thursday by environmentalists.

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Children's Forest - Cortes Island
Feb 18 2013

The Ancient Forests of Cortes Island #2: The Carrington Bay Children’s Forest

There is very little common ground between Island Timberlands’ logging methods and how the community would like forestry to be done on Cortes—but as this is private managed forestland, there’s not a whole lot they can legally do about it. 

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Feb 18 2013

Tourism group set to battle Okisollo loggers and the provincial Liberals

Members of the Discovery Island Marine Tourism Group say their concerns have fallen on the deaf ears of the B.C. Liberal Government and the current logging operations will harm their industry for years.

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Clearwater Valley
Feb 14 2013

Protecting the Clearwater Valley would help mountain caribou recovery

Georgia Straight: Proposed logging around the Clearwater Valley near the spectacular Wells Gray Provincial Park threatens the second largest herd of mountain caribou in BC.

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The last of BC's old-growth forest continues to be targeted by logging companies like this example on southern Vancouver Island.
Feb 14 2013

Forest policy must change, forum hears

Policy analyst Eric Hamilton-Smith said there is growing pressure to log marginal forest — including old growth — to compensate for the shortfall due to mountain pine beetle. He also pointed to increased volumes of waste wood, policies absolving companies from having to build mills in communities and a draft policy to convert forest licences into tree farm licences. If government were serious about developing secondary manufacturing in the sector, it could create tens of thousands of jobs, he said.

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Feb 8 2013

Environmentalists look to insert Great Bear Rainforest into B.C. election agenda

An environmental coalition will Thursday attempt to push protection of the Great Bear Rainforest onto the already crowded election agenda, issuing open letters to B.C.’s main political leaders, calling for more immediate action.

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