Remind Forest Minister Pat Bell That He Works For You

Old growth trees such as this ancient cedar deserve full protection

The minister of Forests, Mines, and Lands, Pat Bell, usually looks out for the interests of big logging companies. Lately, though, he is sounding like he is getting ready to work for his real employers - the people of British Columbia.

All those letters, phone calls and emails must be having there intended effect, and it sounds like Bell is beginning to listen.

The Times Colonist reported today that Minister Bell said that the province is looking for new ways to protect ancient trees and groves containing forest giants.

The positive news caught Ancient Forest Alliance co-founder Ken Wu off guard.  “I have to admit this was an unexpected surprise considering the rocky relationship the B.C. government has had with our campaign for so long,” he said.

Does this signal big changes in the way BC exploits its old growth forests that are disappearing at an alarming rate in places like Vancouver Island and the lower mainland? Probably not. Bell says that there are no plans to end logging of old growth forests. Huge trees up to, and over, 1000 years old will continue to be killed for short term commercial gain.

Indeed, Bell was quoted as saying that, "There is more old growth today than we have ever had," and that "We are not running out of old growth on Vancouver Island or in BC". Considering how much old growth has been decimated already, and how poorly re-planting has been conducted, I find these statements extremely hard to believe.

"Hi, I work for you"
Photo by: Darren Stone

The government is fudging statistics to pacify the public, and justify the continued desecration of ancient forests.

The fact is that over 90% of the original old growth forest in valley bottoms on Vancouver Island has already been logged. These areas are the biologically richest, and are where the biggest trees grow. It takes 250 years for a forest to reach old growth status. The harvest cycle in BC is about 40 - 80 years, so how is it possible that we have more old growth now than when we started destroying the mighty Pacific coastal forest?

But the minister has said that his recent announcement of new protection measures is the result of public pressure. That means that if we keep the pressure up, we can push for a ban on old growth logging in BC, and especially on Vancouver Island.

The big tree/old growth advocacy IS working. It should be working because, after all, Pat Bell works for us, and we overwhelmingly state that we want old growth to be protected.

Other things that can be mentioned in an email or letter are:

- We need legislated timelines to quickly end old-growth logging on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland (ie. the south coast) where old-growth forests are now scarce.
 

- We must promote the sustainable logging of second-growth forests which now constitute 75% of the productive forests on BC’s south coast.

- Banning the export of raw, unprocessed logs to foreign countries to ensure a steady supply of logs for BC’s saw mills and pulp mills.

- The government must assist in the retooling and development of second-growth mills and value-added wood processing facilities.

Email Minister Bell here.

Keep up the pressure, tree lovers! Let's save the old trees, and create a sustainable forest industry in BC. Remind Mr. Bell that he works for you.

BC Government Considers Protecting Avatar Grove's Ancient Trees

Avatar Grove is just past the bridge, both sides of the road

I can't think of any group currently doing more for old growth protection in BC than the Ancient Forest Alliance. For over a year now the AFA has been fighting the good fight for Port Renfrew's Avatar Grove. It is time to join them, and help protect the amazing Avatar Grove.

The people of the Middle East are currently showing us the power of the people. They are showing us that we can do this thing. Governments must respect the will of the people. But they have to know what our will is. We have to write letters, send emails, make phone calls, and talk to friends and neighbours.

AFA recently posted the following urgent (and optimistic) information on their website:

"Yesterday BC’s Forests Minister Pat Bell announced that he is considering protecting the endangered Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew, and is also looking at developing new legal tools to increase protection of exceptional ancient trees and old-growth stands in BC. This would be an important step forward!

Click here for the Vancouver Sun article
The Avatar Grove is a truly exceptional and easy to access stand of ancient trees which the Ancient Forest Alliance has been campaigning hard to protect for over a year – and we may get there soon if you SPEAK UP NOW!
See our new Youtube clip (1 minute) on the Avatar Grove at:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_uPkAWsvVw

We need progress for saving endangered ancient forests at all spatial scales - monumental trees, whole stands (like the Avatar Grove), and landscape level old-growth protections like valleys and regions. Starting with trees and stands is certainly a welcome beginning. Let’s make this happen!!

This will take just 5 MINUTES! Your letter counts!

PLEASE WRITE to Pat Bell, Minister of Forests, Lands, and Mines at pat.bell.mla@leg.bc.ca

Let him know that you:

- Support him moving forward to protect the Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew. Let him know if you have visited the area.
- Support the protection of monumental ancient trees and stands of ancient trees.
- Want all old-growth protections to be legally-binding, not voluntary.
- Encourage him to also undertake a much larger Provincial Old-Growth Strategy to protect endangered old-growth forests across regions where they are scarce, such as on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, southern Interior, etc. and to ensure sustainable second-growth forestry instead. 

Be sure to include your home mailing address so he knows you are a real person!

Also please SIGN our PETITION and get as many of your friends and family to as well at:
http://www.ancientforestpetition.com/index.php#sign "


The AFA adds this additional information (see more here):

Forests Minister Pat Bell’s statements comes on the heels of a new Forest Practices Board (FPB) report released on Thursday that calls on the BC government and industry to seek “creative ways” to save ancient trees, that the land-use policy framework exists for the BC government to readily protect the Avatar Grove, and that there is a “strong public interest in seeing more ancient trees and forest stands preserved to live out their natural lives and functions, and managed as a social, economic and ecological asset to the public and surrounding communities.” 

B.C.'s Biggest Trees Not Protected

British Columbia holds record breaking trees, both in the books, and out in the forest waiting to be discovered. In order to increase awareness and protection of these tree Titans and old growth areas, Randy Stoltmann single-handedly started B.C.'s Big Tree Registry in the 1980's.

Modeled after registries in eastern Canada and the U.S., it has grown from just 18 trees of 13 species, to 190 trees of 37 species in 2006. With Stoltmann's death in 1994 the Big Tree Registry passed through a variety of homes, and now is hosted by the provincial government in the Ministry of Forests and Range.

The B.C. Big Tree Registry records the 10 biggest trees for each species, but affords the outstanding listed trees no protection. The Victoria chapter of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee is recommending that the registry list the 100 biggest trees of each species, as well as legislating protection for them.

It seems unlikely that someone would cut down a record-breaking tree, and that is probably what Forests Minister Pat Bell meant when he said that big trees on the registry are not usually harvested. He added that he is not contemplating any changes to the registry or to old growth logging practices in the province.

Robert Van Pelt, author of Forest Giants of the Pacific Coast, insists that ancient giants still exist in little explored areas of our province. Particularily, he fingers Vancouver Island as a potential source of record-breaking sized trees yet to be found. Record-breakers usually gain some notoriety (the registries intended purpose) that gives them unofficial protection-like status. These valuable resources deserve full protection.

And what of Van Pelt's potential record-breaking trees yet to be discovered? Will we ever know about them, let alone protect them, before they become big stumps? WCWC has ample evidence that trees exactly like the ones we worship in our parks are being logged. Is there a record-breaking stump out there?


Let's protect these magnificent trees and remaining ancient groves. Let's do it for all those forward-thinking timber workers that have identified significant trees and groves in the forest and saved them. Or for the Red-backed vole that lives its life in single giant Douglas firs, like the Red Creek Fir (itself a Big Tree Registry champion). Let's do it for Randy Stoltmann.