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Conservation groups applaud federal commitment to support Indigenous land-use visions in Clayoquot Sound

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 23, 2019

Members of the Clayoquot Sound Conservation Alliance (CSCA) are congratulating the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations for securing a key federal commitment to advance their land-use visions in Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia, which will conserve the remaining ecologically-rare old growth forests in this iconic region.

Earlier this week, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna announced that the federal government is committing to partner with the two Nations on land-use visions for their territories. This commitment includes funding through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program and will safeguard the remaining old-growth forests in Clayoquot Sound.

The Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht Nations, along with Nature United, put forward an inspiring and innovative proposal to achieve long term community well-being and ecological integrity in their territories and result in a lasting conservation solution for one of the most iconic rainforest regions of the world. The proposal is part of the Nations’ broader plans for economic, social, and ecological well-being — safeguarding the ecologically intact temperate rainforest valleys of Clayoquot Sound is a key part of that vision.

The members of the Clayoquot Sound Conservation Alliance – Canopy, Friends of Clayoquot Sound, Greenpeace, Sierra Club BC, Stand.earth and Wilderness Committee – fully support the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations’ visions. The federal announcement is an important step toward making the conservation of Clayoquot Sound’s globally rare old-growth rainforests a reality. We commend the federal government for their commitment to partner with the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht Nations on this vision for a sustainable future, and encourage all levels of government to fully support Indigenous-led conservation initiatives.

We look forward to hearing more details from both the federal and provincial governments about the scope and scale of their support for this work to safeguard Clayoquot Sound.

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For more information, please contact:

Lee-Ann Unger, Corporate Campaigner, Canopy (604) 874-5049
Jeh Custerra, Campaigner, Friends of Clayoquot Sound (250) 725-4218
Eduardo Sousa, Senior Campaigner, Greenpeace Canada (778) 378-9955
Tegan Hansen, Forest Campaigner, Stand.earth (250) 354-3302
Joe Foy, Co-Executive Director, Wilderness Committee (604) 880-2580

Trans Mountain approval amid climate emergency a violent act towards young people, says Sierra Club BC

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

June 18, 2019

Sierra Club BC released the following statement from Climate and Conservation Campaigner Mark Worthing in response to the federal government’s decision to approve the Trans Mountain pipeline and tankers project:

“Saying yes to the Trans Mountain pipeline and tankers project is saying yes to more record-breaking wildfire destruction, droughts, rising sea levels and acidifying oceans. We are in a climate emergency. We must act like we are. We say yes to keeping rivers wild and full of salmon for food and ecosystems. We say yes to clean water. We say yes to a truly sustainable economy.

“We say yes to honouring Indigenous governance. The federal government’s understanding of what represents genuine consultation and consent must change.

“Further legal challenges are inevitable. We will pull together to support those legal challenges as they emerge.

“The Trudeau government boxed itself into a corner when it panicked and purchased the pipeline. Taxpayers are now on the hook for $4.5 billion to buy it and an additional $7.4 billion for construction.

“It’s costing taxpayers more than $12 billion to have Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick reject even modest climate action. We are not on track to meet our Paris climate targets.

“We will not stop standing up for wild salmon and clean water by opposing the Trans Mountain pipeline and tankers project. We will not stop working to avert climate breakdown and ecological collapse, and the economic collapse that will follow. We will not stop fighting for a livable future for our young people.

“Expanding fossil fuel infrastructure is a violent act towards current and future generations. It has to stop. Now.”

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Media contact:

Mark Worthing
Climate and Conservation Campaigner
250-889-3575
mark@sierraclub.bc.ca

B.C. must declare a forest and climate emergency

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Sierra Club BC calls for immediate steps to reduce the danger of worsening droughts, floods and fire caused by forest destruction and climate breakdown

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

June 13, 2019

Sierra Club BC and forest expert Herb Hammond are calling on the B.C. government to declare a forest and climate emergency and take immediate action to protect and restore resilient forests in order to reduce the growing risk of unmanageable climate impacts for ecosystems and communities.

“We are in a climate emergency and it’s time the B.C. government acted like it. Defending our communities from floods and fires requires immediate action to reduce climate pollution and save intact forests,” said Jens Wieting, senior forest and climate campaigner with Sierra Club BC.

“Trees are essential for clean air and water, long term forestry jobs, storing carbon and protecting communities from floods and disasters,” said Wieting. “As the climate shifts into uncharted territory, only intact forests can buffer the impacts—not clearcuts, young forests and tree plantations. We need action today because in ten or twenty years we’ll need these resilient forests for survival.”

Destructive industrial logging is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the province, causing forests to shift from carbon sinks to carbon pollution sources as global heating continues. Sierra Club BC estimates that B.C.’s uncounted forest emissions from poor forest management and climate impacts are more than three times higher than officially reported provincial emissions.

“The climate emergency means we must increase protection of resilient forests like old-growth forests and intact natural forests across the province. In some parts of the forest landscape, cautious intervention like thinning to build resiliency to the climate disruption and controlled burns will be necessary. Clearcutting is never the right answer—we have to reduce our losses, not make them worse,” said forester and ecologist Herb Hammond.

Meteorologists warned at the end of May that Western Canada should be ready for a particularly hot and dry summer, after an abnormally dry spring in many regions.

Hundreds of jurisdictions in more than a dozen countries have already declared climate emergencies.  Canada—and in particular B.C.—face growing risks and have a critical responsibility to declare a forest and climate emergency. No other country has more trees per person than Canada.

In October 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected that without unprecedented action, by 2040 the world will heat by about 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times. As a consequence of warming of just one degree, water vapour in the atmosphere has already increased by seven per cent and changes in the jet stream have resulted in weather patterns becoming more stationary, causing longer and more extreme flooding and droughts.

These trends will only stop once the world economy has completely decarbonized, but can be significantly slowed by protecting intact natural forests, particularly old forests, that are large enough to moderate local climates and stave off the worst impacts of the climate disruption. B.C. communities are at increasing risk of climate impacts made worse by large-scale clearcutting of intact forests and destructive practices like slash burning that add to carbon emissions, all of which are causing cumulative damages in many Indigenous territories.

Moving away from destructive practices must be part of provincial climate action to increase the amount of carbon stored in forests. This will translate into more jobs and less ecosystem damage per cubic metre of wood. Solutions like increased protection and improved forest management must fully respect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Sierra Club BC is calling for B.C. to declare a forest and climate emergency, recognizing the role that intact forests play in both helping slow climate change and helping defend the safety and security of B.C. communities. Two immediate first steps for the B.C. government are to:

  • Develop and implement an immediate “climate impact test” for logging plans. Clearcuts currently in preparation or carried out across B.C. will increase emissions and exacerbate the climate emergency. Every hectare of newly clearcut forest leaves communities more vulnerable to flooding, wildfires and loss of clean water. Logging plans must be adjusted or cancelled as needed to address the climate emergency.
  • Overhaul B.C.’s legislation and regulations governing forestry. The review currently underway needs to be significantly expanded to correct the existing corporate control of public forests. The Forest Range and Practices Act (FRPA) and associated legislation and policy need a paradigm shift from a timber-based approach to a principled ecosystem-based approach to save and restore the carbon storage function and life support systems provided by B.C.’s forests, give species and ecosystems a chance to adapt to the changing climate, and reduce deadly dangers for communities.

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For more information:

Sierra Club BC photos of recent clearcuts on Vancouver Island: https://www.flickr.com/photos/94279740@N07/sets/72157698359993961

Sierra Club BC report Hidden, ignored and growing: B.C.’s forest carbon emissions:
https://sierraclub.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/SCBC-Forest-Emissions-Report-Jan-19.pdf

Dr. Jim Pojar report Forestry and Carbon in B.C.:
https://sierraclub.bc.ca/7-myths-about-forests-carbon-and-climate-change/


Media contacts:

Jens Wieting
Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner
Sierra Club BC
Cell: 604-354-5312
jens@sierraclub.bc.ca

Herb Hammond
Forester and Ecologist
(Interviews can be arranged through Sierra Club BC)

One temporary forest win as new scenes of destruction emerge

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May 2019

As logging companies across the province can no longer easily find big old-growth trees, they’re pushing into increasingly controversial areas, including places we love most.

The 109 hectares of spectacular old-growth stands next to the beloved Juan de Fuca Trail and Port Renfrew—put up for auction by the BC government’s own logging agency BC Timber Sales (BCTS) —are just one shocking example.

Members of our staff visited these stands in Pacheedaht territory in early May and what they saw was breathtaking. Pictures of the area reveal giant cedars, culturally modified trees (CMTs), a northern red-legged frog (a species of concern in BC) and egg masses of the northwestern salamander.

Northwestern salamander egg mass. Photo by Rachel Grigg.

Thanks to many of you, a huge public outcry followed after Sierra Club BC and other groups raised awareness about this proposal. The auction for this cutblock is now on hold, for the moment at least.

But instead of taking the concerns seriously and dropping this proposal for good, BCTS only allowed for a temporary reprieve. They aren’t yet giving up their plan to clearcut. After repeated emails from us, the province passed on this statement from BCTS on May 16, 2019:

“BCTS is no longer advertising the timber sale licence in order to engage with a local stakeholder who was inadvertently missed during the initial referrals.  Since additional engagement needs to occur, at this time we can’t speculate when the timber sale licence may be re-posted and to what degree the current cutblocks may be revised.”

This statement doesn’t help to restore trust, as concerned citizens expect transparency and will want to know when they might have to be ready to fight this proposal again.

And it’s just 109 of more than 8,800 hectares of old-growth forest that BCTS has placed on the chopping block for the coming years.

And just as we cheered this temporary win, field assessments on the north island revealed fresh and shocking new clearcuts.

Together with Torrance Coste, Vancouver Island Campaigner for the Wilderness Committee, Sierra Club BC’s team did two weeks of assessments in recent clearcuts and high-value hotspots.

They were blown away by the recent destruction – much of which can be traced directly back to BCTS.  Below, photos show an active BCTS falling block near Tsitika Provincial Park, where ancient cedars and 500+ year-old hemlocks were cut.

Read our media release about the story and view photos by Louis Bockner, a professional photographer who joined us on the trip. You can also find shocking initial photos taken by Sierra Club BC staff here.

Left: fresh clearcut in Thursday Creek. Right: Torrance Coste stands beside a giant tree in a cutblock. Photos by Mark Worthing.

Sierra Club BC and the Wilderness Committee did site visits to Western Forest Products clearcuts in Eliza Inlet, Northwest Vancouver Island. 

 

Doing some site visits to Western Forest Products Area here in Eliza Inlet, Northwest Vancouver Island. Slides, blown out culverts, huge clear cuts, little creeks pumped full of waste and slash. This industry is a disgrace, don’t believe the PR.

Posted by Mark Worthing on Tuesday, 14 May 2019

 

They also visited Schmidt Creek, where old-growth logging is in full swing. Last year, Sierra Club BC supporters made phone calls to BC’s forest minister Doug Donaldson to direct BCTS to stop planning and auctioning hundreds of hectares of old-growth to the highest bidder in steep slopes close to the globally unique orca rubbing beaches of Robson Bight.

In this video from our recent trip, Sierra Club BC’s Galen Armstong sits beside a 600-year old hemlock that was recently cut in Schmidt Creek. Much of the area has been clearcut since we visited last in the fall, but there is still much that can – and must – be saved from the chopping block.

 

#FieldUpdate: Last year, Sierra Club BC supporters were mobilized to call Minister Donaldson to stop logging old-growth in Schmidt Creek. Despite the public outcry, nothing changed.

We’re devastated to see the destruction since, but there is still some forest left that can be saved. This old-growth habitat is ecologically important to many species-at-risk, including northern resident orcas, northern murrlets, and northern goshawks.

This time around, we must stop this ecosystem from being further destroyed by the BC government. Take action to #SaveOldGrowth 🌲https://sierraclub.bc.ca/rainforestisland/

Learn more about the significance of this region 👉 https://sierraclub.bc.ca/old-growth-logging-a-threat-to-orca-whales/

#bcpoli #cdnpoli

Posted by Sierra Club BC on Friday, 10 May 2019

Torrance and Mark also visited the Upper Tahsish where BCTS is proposing cutblocks in one of the last remaining “hotspots” – the few remaining relatively intact old-growth areas large enough to provide a haven for some of the species that depend on intact rainforests.

Upper Tahsish

Upper Tahsish Valley. Photo by Mark Worthing.

Fresh out of the clearcuts, the Sierra Club BC and Wilderness Committee teams hosted a town hall on forests and climate change in Courtenay. You can watch the replay here:

 

Posted by Sierra Club BC on Friday, 10 May 2019

 

It’s clear that more and more people are getting upset over government inaction on forests. Some elected officials in our provincial legislature are calling for the last old-growth to be protected. We welcome attention to this issue and we would like to see all political parties begin to champion old-growth. To encourage this, BC residents concerned about old-growth need to keep raising the issue with their MLAs.

You can also still have your say on the BC government’s Private Managed Forest Lands review process till July 22. Learn more on Wildsight’s website and take the survey here.

Want to learn more? Our weekly forest webinars have been a big hit. We heard from forest experts like Valerie Langer, Andy Mackinnon and Jens Wieting. Wildcrafter Sharon Mackenzie shared about gathering and harvesting traditional foods and medicines and Eli Enns (Tla-o-qui-aht) shared about Indigenous-led conservation and tribal parks. Kekinusuqs, Dr. Judith Sayers of the Hupacasath First Nation, Jennifer Houghton of founder of Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society and Mark Worthing of Sierra Club BC rounded it out with diverse perspectives on forests.

You can find and watch all the webinars here.

Please donate to help amplify our old-growth forest campaign.

 

Feature image: Thursday Creek, by Mark Worthing.

Logging Vancouver Island’s last ancient stands into oblivion

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Before/after photo taken in 2018 in the Nahmint Valley. Photo: TJ Watt

April 2019

We’ve discovered that another swath of rare old-growth rainforest is slated for imminent destruction on Vancouver Island.

And as in the case of last year’s scandalous clearcuts in Schmidt Creek and in the Nahmint Valley, it’s again the responsibility of the BC government’s own logging agency.

BC Timber Sales (BCTS) plans to auction an area the size of more than three Stanley Parks for industrial clearcutting in 2019.

Together with Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF), we analyzed BCTS’ sales schedule and found these proposed cutblocks add up to more than 1,300 hectares. The majority target intact productive rainforest ecosystems that have only a fraction of their original extent remaining. These areas are at high risk of losing the plant and animal species that depend on them.

Many of the cutblocks are near Sproat and Nahmint Lakes in Hupacasath and Tseshaht territories close to Port Alberni. Other areas are near Sayward (Ma’amtagila territory) and Gold River (Mowachaht/Muchalaht territory).

Watch Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner Jens Wieting discuss the logging plans on Global TV and read the story in the Globe and Mail.

The B.C. government doesn’t share detailed information about how much old-growth remains in each ecosystem, how much is set aside or what a clear logging threshold should be to protect what’s left.

Government data do show, however, that the majority of the 1,300 hectares listed are forests with an age of 140–250 years. This means they have not previously been logged by industry and have most of the features of old-growth stands older than 250 years.

As big trees older than 250 years become increasingly rare, trees older than 140 years become more important to protect as remaining habitat for old-growth dependent species like marbled murrelets and spotted owls.

Yet Sierra Club BC’s data show that industrial old-growth logging continues at a rate of more than three square metres per second, or about thirty-four soccer fields per day.

Map of proposed cutblocks on Vancouver Island based on BCTS Sales Schedule 2019 fiscal year

Instead of liquidating the last ancient stands, B.C.’s forest stewardship should be focused on supporting good long term jobs in sustainable second-growth forestry and supporting First Nations that seek to protect more forests in their territories.

Recently, the B.C. government stated that it is working on an old-growth strategy. However, we’ve been waiting for details and timelines for months, including updates on what interim steps will be taken before almost all of the remaining endangered ancient forests are logged.

Despite the rapid ongoing loss of the remaining old-growth, the Minister did not offer any updates on additional protection for old-growth.

The B.C. government has introduced changes to forestry regulation. But it remains unclear whether it will use this opportunity to listen to concerned British Columbians and make the crucial improvements needed to protect endangered old-growth ecosystems and other ecological values from destructive logging.

At the end of March, BC’s Forest Minister Doug Donaldson explained in the B.C. Legislature that “there will be sustainable harvesting in old-growth forests on the coast.” He added that “we’re not considering a moratorium on old-growth logging.”

Unless the provincial government changes course to protect and restore what remains of endangered old-growth, communities will be left with ecologically impoverished tree farms that cannot sustain the web of life as we know it. 

That’s why we’re urging the B.C. government to take immediate action for the well-being of Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, for habitat of endangered species, clean air and water, long-term forestry jobs and to save one of the world’s most efficient carbon sinks.

We must start with protecting remaining intact rainforest areas imminently threatened by logging—such as the Central Walbran and East Creek—and using a science-based approach for protecting and restoring the remaining old-growth forest, starting with the most endangered ecosystems.

A comprehensive conservation and forest management plan for Vancouver Island and other parts of B.C. must respect Indigenous rights and interests, enable a transition to sustainable second-growth forestry, support diverse economic activities such as tourism, and reduce carbon emissions.

Take action to defend forests

Feature image by Jens Wieting.

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