The double whammy of industrial logging and climate impact means that intact forests are shrinking faster, and the ecological recovery of industrially degraded landscapes becomes even harder as recent clearcuts and younger stands cannot withstand severe climate impacts. The survival of forests is in doubt in these areas, making it even more urgent and critical to save what’s left of primary and old-growth forest landscapes.

September 2023 marked the three-year anniversary of the Old Growth Strategic Report, a key milestone considering the three-year implementation timeline for all of the report’s 14 recommendations. David Eby promised to “accelerate” action on old growth when he became Premier in 2022. But to this day, none of the 14 recommendations are fully implemented and the most at-risk old growth continues to be destroyed.

There has been little progress in implementing deferrals for at-risk old growth; No funding directly tied to addressing short-term and long-term impacts of both temporary deferrals or permanent protection; minuscule progress in implementing the promised biodiversity paradigm shift in forest stewardship, decision-making and planning; still no updated timelines and milestone dates for all recommendations; and no honest, transparent, detailed information on implementation, deferrals and logging rates.

It’s a crucial time for concerned communities and people in B.C. to keep the pressure up on Premier Eby and the BC NDP government to work with First Nations to address delays and speed up implementation.

Accelerating action will require:

• Speeding up progress on deferrals for at-risk old growth;
• Making conservation funding available as soon as possible (this was promised for the summer of 2023, which has now passed), and making sure it is directly tied to addressing short and long-term impacts of both temporary deferrals and permanent protection. This is needed to take the pressure off First Nations, who often depend on logging revenue;
• Expediting progress in implementing the promised biodiversity paradigm shift in forest stewardship, decision-making, and planning, which is meant to prioritize community and ecological values over timber values;
• Honest, transparent, detailed information on implementation, deferrals, and logging rates.

The extreme regional and global climate impacts of 2023 highlight that we must act quickly because remaining primary, old-growth, and mature forests are quickly becoming our best hope to maintain natural carbon sinks, reduce climate impacts, and protect biodiversity that depends on these ecosystems.

Please add your voice today to make sure the B.C. government keeps its promise and stops delaying action on old-growth forests. Your letter will be sent to B.C.’s Minister of Forests, Bruce Ralston, and Premier Eby, and be cc’d to B.C.’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, George Heyman, and the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Nathan Cullen.

Your letter will be sent to B.C.’s Minister of Forests, Bruce Ralston, and Premier Eby, and be cc’d to B.C.’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, George Heyman, and the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Nathan Cullen.