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Independent case study: Logging biggest threat for caribou and spotted owl

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Legal gaps responsible for species decline across B.C. highlight the urgency to enact biodiversity legislation and protect critical habitat.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 6, 2023

VANCOUVER/UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (MUSQUEAM), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (SQUAMISH) AND səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH) TERRITORIES – An independent case study, written by biologist Jared Hobbs, commissioned by Wilderness Committee and Sierra Club BC found that logging is the biggest contributing factor for the decline of southern mountain caribou and spotted owls in British Columbia. In the case of spotted owls, logging is pervasive across the habitat, extreme in the severity of harm and has an extremely high overall risk ranking, according to the report.

The case study assesses wildlife decline in B.C. and the legal gaps responsible in three geographic regions of B.C. (coastal, southern and northern areas), for six different species; caribou (southern mountain and boreal), spotted owls, western rattlesnake, great basin gopher snake, great basin spadefoot, and tiger salamander, representing diverse threats causing their decline.

The study uses eleven threat categories developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to assess whether or not these threats are addressed in provincial law. Findings show that multiple IUCN threats are not being considered through provincial or federal legal measures. They also highlight that the federal Species-at-risk Act (SARA) does not have automatic legal authority on provincial crown land, which makes up 94 per cent of the landbase, and that no provincial legislation is designed specifically to protect critical habitat.

“The vast majority of threats driving wildlife decline in B.C. are not being addressed, mitigated or even considered in law,” said Charlotte Dawe, conservation and policy campaigner for the Wilderness Committee. “Since B.C. does not have a standalone law to protect species at risk on non-federal land, wildlife are being driven to extinction from things like logging, oil and gas, and highways, all which do not have policies that adequately consider their impacts to species at risk.”

The report also found there are no requirements to conduct pre-clearing surveys for spotted owls prior to commercial logging of suitable habitat. Inexplicably the forest industry is not held to compliance with the B.C. Wildlife Act when it comes to logging forested habitat during the breeding bird season in B.C.

Additionally, despite B.C.’s Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) requiring for some caribou and spotted owl habitat to be designated as Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHAs), some WHAs still allow logging and do not protect enough habitat of either species to the extent needed for recovery.

When it comes to caribou, the report highlighted that logging poses a double threat; severely impacting them via habitat loss, which includes the logging of mature and old forests that provide lichen caribou need as forage, and alters predator-prey dynamics due to industrial landscape fragmentation.

“I remember as a boy watching huge caribou herds crossing valleys and climbing over mountains in northeast B.C. There were too many for me to count. But government decisions—starting with the dams on the Peace River—had devastating impacts on wildlife here. Then came more roads, clearcuts, and mines, adding more negative effects to wildlife. All animals, especially the caribou have paid a heavy price for government neglect back then,” said Ken Cameron, former chief of the Saulteau First Nation.

Energy production and mining were found to be major contributing factors for the decline of boreal caribou in particular. In B.C., the method of energy production that has the largest overlap with caribou ranges is conventional oil and gas development, which typically consists of disturbances such as seismic lines, roads, pipelines, well pads, and processing facilities that occur over thousands of square kilometres. A major problem with the existing legal mechanisms to protect caribou habitat is that they do not include all critical habitat and for critical habitat designated under some forms of legislation, resource development activities are often still permitted to occur, resulting in further habitat loss within those areas.

“This case study shows that decades of industrial habitat destruction and broken promises have led the web of life in B.C. into uncharted territory,” said Jens Wieting, senior forest and climate campaigner for Sierra Club BC. “The provincial government must follow through on their commitment to work with First Nations and develop the highly anticipated biodiversity and ecosystem health declaration followed by strong legislation to give spotted owls and mountain caribou a fighting chance for survival. Interim measures like logging deferrals are crucial during this process for the survival of these species.”

The report highlights the need for the federal, provincial, and municipal governments to seek Indigenous co-creation and management of species recovery plans. These plans must include funding and decision-making authority for the Indigenous communities working to protect species at risk and biodiversity.

“Today we are showing that there is a better way. Our caribou recovery program is working. Our approach is based on our traditional knowledge along with scientific knowledge of the herds and the landscape. That is one of the reasons we have been successful. We are helping caribou populations recover and we are protecting our culture,” added Cameron.

When it comes to both the reptile case study (western rattlesnake and great basin gopher snake) and the amphibian study (great basin spadefoot tiger salamander), the report found that transportation and service corridors (roads, highways and railways) are the main cause for population declines. Shockingly, there are no legal mechanisms to protect these animals from highways or roads, as the Highway Act does not mention environmental values within its legislation.

Even though the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is responsible for planning and managing the upkeep of the province’s entire public road network, the report found no specific provisions for managing impacts on wildlife. This means no legal requirement exists to avoid or assess harm to species at risk from roads and highways.

“This is a powerful moment in history, and it’s a turning point for B.C. and Canada and First Nations. People working together to save a species from extinction—it’s real and we can do this. A long-term commitment by the federal and provincial government will be necessary to save these caribou herds and other endangered species,” said Cameron. “ This will help make British Columbia a better place to live for everyone. It shows that we can find ways to balance the environment and the economy. I want to invite all people to join with us, support us, and help make it happen, for all future generations to come.”

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Read the independent case study “Species-at-risk Recovery in BC: Case Study”

Photos for media use.


Media contacts:

Charlotte Dawe, Conservation and Policy Campaigner | Wilderness Committee
778-683-8220, charlotte@wildernsscommittee.org

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

 

Featured photo by Jarred Hobbs.

Report Card: More than half of the most endangered old-growth forests in B.C. remain at risk

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Environmental organizations warn that time to implement B.C.’s old growth promises is running out, as B.C. NDP government continues to score failing grades; at-risk old growth stands equivalent to 3,600 Stanley Parks remain open to logging

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

March 16, 2023

VICTORIA / UNCEDED LEKWUNGEN TERRITORIES — Sierra Club BC, Stand.earth and the Wilderness Committee issued their fifth report card assessing the B.C. government’s progress on implementing the recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review (OGSR) today. The report card comes 2.5 years into the provincial government’s three-year timeline for implementing all 14 recommendations from the OGSR. 

The environmental organizations give the province failing grades on key issues ranging from short-term action on funding for conservation, changing course in forest stewardship, and transparency. They are especially concerned about the lack of interim protection for the most at-risk old-growth forests, a step the OGSR panel recommended for implementation within the first six months of the three-year timeline. To date, more than half of the most at-risk old-growth forests remain open to logging (1.44 million hectares, equivalent to about 3,600 Stanley Parks).

“With just six months left in a three-year timeline, it’s astounding that the B.C. NDP is still earning such poor grades on its old growth pledge. Forests and communities need immediate, bold action now,” said Tegan Hansen, senior forest campaigner at Stand.earth. “Premier Eby still has an opportunity to live up to his promise and immediately correct course, but he has to act quickly – before these irreplaceable forests are destroyed forever.”

Giant old-growth clearcut in a proposed deferral area. Photo credit: Alex Tsui, Wilderness Committee

A lack of transparency and ongoing misinformation continues to reflect poorly on the B.C. government’s old growth pledge. In February, the province announced that logging had been deferred across 2.1 million hectares of old-growth forests, but omitted that this number leaves the majority of the most at-risk old growth open to logging. 

“Forests in B.C. are in a state of ecological emergency. Like providing first aid to stop the bleeding, offering the support needed to set aside all of the remaining at-risk old growth stands remains the most urgent step on the path to a paradigm-shift in forest stewardship,” said Jens Wieting, senior forest and climate campaigner at Sierra Club BC. “Ongoing failure would be unforgivable and quash options for long-term solutions to support ecological integrity and the well-being of communities.”

In November, the province claimed that the annual old growth logging rate had fallen to a record low, but its own limited data showed that the annual amount of old growth logged was almost identical in the year before and after the province promised to protect old growth (151 soccer fields per day in 2019/2020 and 147 soccer fields per day in 2021).      

“None of the recommendations of the OGSR being completed means the status quo logging of threatened ancient forests continues across most of B.C., jeopardizing the B.C. NDP’s stated goals on old growth, biodiversity, and climate change,” said Torrance Coste, national campaign director for the Wilderness Committee. “While Premier Eby and his government continue to take credit on these issues, the best remaining old-growth forests continue to be destroyed on their watch.”

Wilderness Committee National Campaign Director Torrance Coste standing on an old-growth stump in a clearcut in a deferral area. Photo credit: Alex Tsui, Wilderness Committee

The report card follows the United for Old Growth rally on Lekwungen territories in Victoria two weeks ago, where thousands marched in support of the United We Stand for Old Growth declaration signed by more than 220 groups from across B.C.   

The OGSR report was released September 11, 2020 and makes detailed recommendations to keep at-risk old-growth forests standing and overhaul forest stewardship. The B.C. NDP pledged to implement the recommendations in their “totality” in 2020, and in fall 2022 Premier David Eby pledged to “accelerate action” on old growth within his first 100 days in office. However, with just six months remaining in its three-year timeline, the B.C. NDP government has so far completed none of the panel’s 14 recommendations.

In 2021, the province released the findings of its Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel (TAP), stating its intention to pause logging in 2.6 million hectares of the most at-risk old-growth forests and engage with First Nations to defer logging in these areas. But the province never allocated adequate funding to address the economic impacts of logging deferrals. A long expected conservation financing mechanism was recently announced, but no dollar figure has been committed. Hundreds of millions of dollars are needed to address barriers for First Nations under economic pressure, which make it difficult to support logging deferrals, as well as to fund Indigenous land use visions and conservation initiatives. 

Sierra Club BC, Stand.earth, and the Wilderness Committee will continue to mobilize the public, document ongoing old growth logging and partner with First Nations, community groups, municipalities, unions and businesses to advance meaningful protection for threatened old-growth forests and a paradigm shift that puts ecological integrity and the wellbeing of communities over short-term timber values.

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View the full report card here

Photos of old growth and clearcuts

Photos of the old-growth rally

 

For more information, please contact:

Tegan Hansen, Senior Forest Campaigner, Stand.earth
250-354-3302, tegan@stand.earth

Jens Wieting, Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner/Science Advisor, Sierra Club BC
604-354 5312, jens@sierraclub.bc.ca

Torrance Coste, National Campaign Director, Wilderness Committee
torrance@wildernesscommittee.org

 

Two years into Old-Growth Strategic Review mandate, BC is failing to deliver change

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Environmental organizations call for immediate action to make the promised paradigm shift a reality as at-risk forests continue to be destroyed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

September 8, 2022

VICTORIA / UNCEDED LEKWUNGEN TERRITORIES — Two years after the provincial government released the report of its Old-Growth Strategic Review (OGSR) panel, Ancient Forest Alliance, Sierra Club BC, Stand.earth and the Wilderness Committee have given B.C. failing grades for its progress to protect threatened old-growth forests. Grades for four of five key issues fell since the last report card, with time running out to address delays before it’s too late to safeguard remaining endangered old-growth forests.

The OGSR report, released Sept. 11, 2020, makes clear recommendations to keep at-risk old-growth forests standing and overhaul forest stewardship within three years. However, the B.C. NDP government has fallen far behind, so far completing none of the panel’s 14 recommendations two-thirds of the way through the three-year timeline laid out in the report.

“Two of the three years to implement the B.C. government promises on old-growth have passed. Yet, clearcutting of irreplaceable, endangered old-growth continues, even in the most-at-risk stands,” says Jens Wieting, Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner at Sierra Club BC. “Instead of changing course, we are still marching towards ecosystem and climate breakdown. The window for action is closing. The next premier of B.C. must act swiftly before it’s too late.”

Giant old-growth clearcut in a proposed deferral area. Photo credit: Alex Tsui, Wilderness Committee

Following the assessment of a second expert group, the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) in 2021, last November, the province released mapping of five million hectares of unprotected, at-risk old-growth and stated its intention to temporarily defer logging for about half of that (2.6 million hectares) considered most at-risk in the short-term. The TAP scientists emphasized deferrals were needed, especially for areas where logging was already planned, which they expected to encompass about 50,000 hectares. In April 2022, Forest Minister Katrine Conroy announced that a little over one million hectares of these deferrals had been finalized — leaving more than half of the most at-risk old-growth forests open for logging — but was unclear about which deferrals would actually stop permitted logging. Ongoing monitoring via field assessments and satellite analysis show clearcutting continues in stands recommended for deferral. It’s resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of hectares of the most ecologically valuable forests.

“With one hand, the province is signing off on logging and road building in proposed old growth deferrals, and with the other it’s congratulating itself for saving the forests,” says Tegan Hansen, Senior Forest Campaigner at Stand.earth. “Deferrals are meaningful when they stop logging, not as a political talking point. We need to see this government live up to its promises and prevent the destruction of the most at-risk old-growth forests.”

The B.C. NDP government has stated it will not halt logging without agreement from First Nations, but has not offered adequate funding to address the economic impacts of foregoing logging for short-term deferrals, or for long-term protection. The organizations are urging the province to immediately provide full financial support to First Nations to ensure logging is deferred in all at-risk old-growth forests, as called for by the Union of BC Indian Chiefs in June.

“If the province is serious about protecting old-growth, they must come forward with at least $300 million in conservation financing for First Nations to address the economic impacts of accepting short-term logging deferrals and enacting long-term protection measures for old-growth, and leverage the federal funding available to expand protected areas in Canada,” states TJ Watt of the Ancient Forest Alliance. “Without that funding, which the province must be fully aware is critical for these efforts to succeed, progress will remain stalled and irreplaceable ancient forests will continue to fall.”

In their bi-annual report card, the four organizations gave the B.C. government a D for funding provided to date, and the same grade for the deferrals enacted so far. For transparency and communication on old-growth, the province received a D-. And for changing course to prioritize ecological health and providing a three-year timeline to implement the OGSR’s recommendations, the province earned failing grades.

Over the summer, the provincial government has remained tight-lipped about old-growth forests. In the meantime, images of logging in proposed deferral areas have garnered attention and public frustration with the ongoing destruction of irreplaceable forests in B.C.

Wilderness Committee National Campaign Director Torrance Coste standing on an old-growth stump in a clearcut in a deferral area. Photo credit: Alex Tsui, Wilderness Committee

“The recommendations of the OGSR are clear and measurable, and this government told the public it would act on them with urgency. What we’ve seen in the two years since is the opposite, a slow, plodding approach that’s not at all indicative of a paradigm shift,” says Torrance Coste, National Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee. “Ultimately, the score that matters is the one kept in the forests themselves. And the fields of fresh clearcuts in endangered old-growth underscore the NDP government’s failure to protect the most threatened forests.”

Ancient Forest Alliance, Sierra Club BC, Stand.earth, and the Wilderness Committee will continue to mobilize the public, document ongoing old-growth logging and partner with First Nations, community groups, municipalities, unions and businesses to advance meaningful protection for threatened old-growth forests and a paradigm shift that puts ecological integrity and the wellbeing of communities over short-term timber values.

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View the full report card here.
View photos for press here.

 

For more information, please contact:

Torrance Coste, National Campaign Director, Wilderness Committee
torrance@wildernesscommittee.org

Tegan Hansen, Senior Forest Campaigner, Stand.earth
tegan@stand.earth

Jens Wieting, Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner/Science Advisor, Sierra Club BC
604-354 5312, jens@sierraclub.bc.ca

TJ Watt, Campaigner and Photographer, Ancient Forest Alliance
tj@ancientforestalliance.org

 

BC not on track to meet milestones for old-growth, First Nations and forestry transition

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

March 11, 2021

Environmental organizations issue report card six months after publication of Old-Growth Panel Recommendations. 

“VICTORIA (Unceded Lekwungen Territories) — Ancient Forest Alliance, Sierra Club BC and Wilderness Committee issued a report card today assessing the B.C. government’s progress on protecting old-growth forests. Today marks exactly six months since the provincial government published the report from its independent old-growth panel. Premier John Horgan promised to implement the panel’s recommendations “in their totality” shortly after.

2021_Old-Growth_ReportCard_Final

The panel called for a paradigm-shift to safeguard the biodiversity of forests in B.C. with a three-year framework, including logging deferrals for all at-risk old-growth forests within the first six months. Half a year later almost all at-risk forests remain open for logging and the B.C. government has not developed a plan with milestone dates and funding.

“Government promised a ‘new direction’ for old-growth forests and then spent six months dragging its heels and refusing to protect the most endangered stands,” said Andrea Inness, campaigner for the Ancient Forest Alliance. “The government published the recommendations six months ago, but it received the report containing them on April 30, 2020 — by any measure they’ve missed this crucial deadline.”

Endangered old-growth stands across the province continue to be targeted by logging companies and the exact forests the panel called for urgent action to protect are being lost. At the same time, the lack of a concrete plan is leaving First Nations and forestry workers with uncertainty about whether conservation, economic diversification and the transition to sustainable second-growth forestry will be adequately funded.

“As long as we continue to rely on a dwindling supply of endangered old-growth forests, B.C.’s forest sector will continue to face uncertainty and instability,” said Cam Shiell, environmental sustainability officer with the Public and Private Workers of Canada, a union that represents thousands of workers in the B.C. forest industry.

“The provincial government can’t delay action any longer, it must take meaningful steps to protect old-growth forests, lead the transition to sustainable, value-added second-growth forestry and create the forest industry of the future.”

The organizations’ report card grades progress on five key areas related to the 14 recommendations: immediate action for at-risk forests (D), three-year work plan with milestone dates (F), charting a new course prioritizing ecosystem integrity and biodiversity (F), funding for implementation, First nations conservation and forestry transition plans (F) and transparency and communication (F).

“Promising a new direction and then avoiding any meaningful action to ensure the most at-risk old-growth forests are protected is not a ‘paradigm shift,’ it’s the same old talk and log,” said Jens Wieting, forest and climate campaigner at Sierra Club BC. “The evidence is clear: Premier Horgan’s government is likely the last one with a chance to save the last old-growth forests as a legacy for future generations.”

In its initial response in September, the province acknowledged status quo management of old-growth forests had “caused a loss of biodiversity,” recognized the “need to do better” and announced nine deferral areas encompassing 353,000 hectares. Horgan and the BC NDP have claimed these deferrals ‘protected old-growth,’ but a closer review revealed most of this area is either already under some form of protection or is second-growth forest and still open to logging.

According to independent experts, as of 2020, only about 415,000 hectares of old-growth forest with big trees remain in B.C., mostly without protection. Only 3,800 hectares or one per cent of the remaining fraction of this kind of forest was included in the government’s deferral areas. Old-growth logging continues at an average rate of hundreds of soccer fields per day, always targeting the biggest accessible trees that remain.

The old-growth panel report found broad agreement for a paradigm-shift to respond to the biodiversity crisis in B.C.’s forests which reflects polling results showing more than 90 per cent support for old-growth protection. The lack of social license or free, prior and informed consent for continued old-growth logging in the province is also highlighted by the ongoing blockades at Fairy Creek on unceded Pacheedaht territory (southern Vancouver Island), which have been in place for seven months.

“Nothing the Horgan government has done so far is preventing the most endangered old-growth forests in the province from being mowed down, and the public knows it,” said Torrance Coste, national campaign director for the Wilderness Committee. “The BC government must immediately defer logging in at-risk old-growth and commit substantial funding to support the economic diversification of First Nations and forestry communities to ensure the long-term sustainability of both jobs and the environment.”

Ancient Forest Alliance, Sierra Club BC and the Wilderness Committee will continue to mobilize their tens of thousands of supporters and hold the government accountable for its old-growth promises. The next report card will be issued on Sep. 11, 2021.

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For background and additional information click here.

For more information, please contact:

Torrance Coste, National Campaign Director, Wilderness Committee
torrance@wildernesscommittee.org

Jens Wieting, Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner/Science Advisor, Sierra Club BC
jens@sierraclub.bc.ca

Andrea Inness, Campaigner, Ancient Forest Alliance
andrea@ancientforestalliance.org

 

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