Evergreen Alliance Staff
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Journalism: The over-exploitation of BC forests
Library: Destruction of wildlife habitat and loss of biodiversity
Journalism: Loss of forest-related employment
Journalism: The need to expedite final treaties with First Nations
Journalism: Loss of primary forest
Journalism: Loss of carbon sequestration capacity
Other notable forest-related writing and reports
Noteworthy writing and reports from the forest-industrial complex
Forest News
Library: The over-exploitation of BC forests
Library: Loss of primary forest
Library: Loss of the hydrological functions of forests
Make conservation of the hydrological function of forests a higher priority than timber extraction
Library: Loss of forest-related employment
Library: The need to expedite final treaties with First Nations
Transition from clearcut logging to selection logging
Library: Increase in forest fire hazard
Journalism: End public subsidization of BC's forest industry
Library: End public subsidization of BC's forest industry
Library: The need to reform BC forest legislation
Journalism: The need to reform BC forest legislation
Library: Creating a new vision for BC forests
Forest industry public subsidy calculator
Manufacturing and processing facilities
Forest Trends
Investigations
Community Forest Mapping Projects
Area-based calculations of carbon released from clearcut logging
Journalism: The increase in forest carbon emissions
Library: Increase in forest carbon emissions
To protect biodiversity, transition away from clearcut logging
Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance
Library: Loss of future employment resulting from exporting raw logs
Mapping old forest on Vancouver Island
Mapping old forest in Omineca Natural Resource Region
Mapping old forest in Skeena Natural Resource Region
Mapping old forest in Northeastern Natural Resource Region
Mapping old forest in Cariboo Natural Resource Region
Mapping old forest in South Coast Natural Resource Region
Mapping old forest in Thompson-Okanagan Natural Resource Region
Mapping old forest in Kootenay-Boundary Natural Resource Region
Forest Conservation Organizations
Mapping old forest on Haida Gwaii
Mapping old forest on the central coast
Library: Ecologically damaging practices
Journalism: Ecologically damaging practices
Critical Issues
Analysis
Comment
Listed species: Cascades Natural Resource District
Listed species: 100 Mile House Natural Resource District
Listed species: Campbell River Natural Resource District
Listed species: Cariboo-Chilcotin Natural Resource District
Listed species: Chilliwack River Natural Resource District
Listed species: Fort Nelson Natural Resource District
Listed species: Haida Gwaii Natural Resource District
Listed species: Mackenzie Natural Resource District
Listed species: Nadina Natural Resource District
Listed species: North Island Natural Resource District
Listed species: Peace Natural Resource District
Listed species: Prince George Natural Resource District
Listed species: Quesnel Natural Resource District
Listed species: Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District
Listed species: Sea-to-Sky Natural Resource District
Listed species: Selkirk Natural Resource District
Listed species: Skeena Natural Resource District
Listed species: South Island Natural Resource District
Listed species: Stuart-Nechako Natural Resource District
Listed species: Sunshine Coast Natural Resource District
Listed species: Thompson Rivers Natural Resource District
Listed species: Coast Mountains Natural Resource District
Action Group: Divestment from forest-removal companies
Fact-checking mindustry myths
First Nations Agreements
Monitor: BC Timber Sales Auctions
BC Timber Sales auction of old-growth forests on Vancouver Island
Monitoring of forest fires in clearcuts and plantations: 2021
Library: End public subsidization of forest industry
Examples of engaging the mindustry:
Portal: The over-exploitation of BC forests
Portal: The need to reform BC forest legislation
Portal: The need to expedite treaties with First Nations
Portal: The need to get more organized, informed and inspired for change
Portal: Develop a new relationship with forests
Portal: Destruction of wildlife habitat and loss of biodiversity
Portal: Loss of the hydrological functions of forests
Portal: Increase in forest fire hazard
Portal: Loss of carbon sequestration capacity
Portal: Increase in forest carbon emissions
Portal: Ecologically damaging forestry practices
Portal: Loss of forest-related employment
Portal: Loss of future employment resulting from raw log exports
Portal: Costs of floods, fires and clearcutting of watersheds
Portal: The economic impact on communities of boom and bust cycles
Portal: Loss of economic development by other forest-based sectors
Portal: The true cost of subsidies provided to the logging industry
Help
Loss of trust in institutions
Portal: The instability of communities dependent on forest extraction
Portal: The psychological unease caused by forest destruction
Portal: Loss of trust in institutions caused by over-exploitation of BC forests
Portal: Social division caused by over-exploitation of BC forests
Journalism: The instability of communities dependent on forest extraction
Journalism: Psychological unease caused by forest destruction
Journalism: Loss in trust of institutions as a result of over-exploitation of BC forests
Journalism: Social division caused by over-exploitation of BC forests
Library: The instability of communities dependent on forest extraction
Library: Psychological unease caused by forest destruction
Library: Loss of trust in institutions as a result of over-exploitation of BC forests
Library: Social division caused by over-exploitation of BC forests
Resources: Psychological unease caused by forest destruction
Resources: The economic impact on communities of boom-and-bust cycles
Resources: Loss of economic development potential in other forest-based sectors
Journalism: Cost of floods, fires and clearcutting of community watersheds
Journalism: The economic impact on communities of boom-and-bust cycles
Journalism: Loss of economic development potential in other forest-based sectors
Library: Cost of floods, fires and clearcutting of community watersheds
Library: The economic impact on communities of boom-and-bust cycles
Library: Loss of economic development potential in other forest-based sectors
Portal: Permanent loss of forests to logging roads
Portal: The economic costs of converting forests into sawdust and wood chips
Journalism: Permanent loss of forests to logging roads
Library: Permanent loss of forests to logging roads
Journalism: The economic costs of converting forests into sawdust and wood chips
Library: The economic costs of converting forests into sawdust and wood chips
Resources: The economic costs of converting forests into sawdust and wood chips
Resources: Ecologically damaging forestry practices
Resources: Conversion of forests to permanent logging roads
Library: Getting organized
Journalism: Getting organized
Forest politics
Forest Stewards
Portal: Plantation failure
Library: Plantation failure
Journalism: Plantation failure
Library: Loss of carbon sequestration capacity
Portal: Soil loss and damage
Journalism: Soil loss and damage
Library: Soil loss and damage
Resources: Soil loss and damage
Journalism: Loss of employment resulting from export of raw logs
Journalism: Destruction of wildlife habitat and loss of biodiversity
Journalism: Loss of the hydrological functions of forests
Journalism: Increase in forest fire hazard
Action Group: Sunlighting professional reliance
Making the case for much greater conservation of BC forests
Science Alliance for Forestry Transformation
Bearing witness:
Economic State of the BC Forest Sector
Big tree mapping and monitoring
Reported Elsewhere
Protect more
Start a forest conservation project
Get involved
Article reference pages
Physical impacts created by logging industry
Nature Directed Stewardship at Glade and Laird watersheds
References for: How did 22 TFLs in BC evade legal old-growth management areas?
References for: BC's triangle of fire: More than just climate change
References for: Teal Cedar goes after Fairy Creek leaders
References for: Is the draft framework on biodiversity and ecosystem health something new? Or just more talk and log?
IWTF events, articles and videos
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Everything posted by Evergreen Alliance Staff
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Evergreen Alliance Staff posted A record in old growth mapping database in Mapping old forest in Thompson-Okanagan Natural Resource Region
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Evergreen Alliance Staff posted A record in old growth mapping database in Mapping old forest in Kootenay-Boundary Natural Resource Region
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Whistler's old and ancient trees
Evergreen Alliance Staff posted A record in old growth mapping database in Mapping old forest in South Coast Natural Resource Region
WHISTLER IS ON THE EASTERN EDGE of the Pacific Northwest’s magnificent temperate rainforest, an ecosystem that is globally significant for the antiquity of its forests, for its unique species, and as a carbon sink that helps slow climate change. Logging and urban development have removed vast areas of forest at lower elevations. Pockets of spectacular old and ancient trees nonetheless remain throughout the Whistler area. Whether you are travelling by foot, bike or vehicle, use this map to explore the oldest, most charismatic, and most accessible ancient trees in Whistler. Mapping of Whistler’s ancient and old forest is a project of awarewhistler.org. Download a higher resolution pdf: Ancient Forest Map final low-res.pdf Click the images below to enlarge -
June 21, 2021 Conservation North acknowledges news that the BC government will defer logging in some at-risk old growth forests in the Prince George TSA but warns that land use planning allows decision-makers to offload their responsibility for biodiversity. CONSERVATIONISTS IN NORTHERN BC are expecting the province’s Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development (FLNRORD) to temporarily defer industrial logging in some of the most at-risk old growth in the Prince George Timber Supply Area (TSA). “These deferrals will be temporary, but they will buy some desperately-needed time for caribou, fisher and northern goshawk, among other struggling wildlife species,” according to Michelle Connolly of Conservation North. FLNRORD was forced to intervene following an investigation by the Forest Practices Board (“the Board”) in 2020. The investigation was triggered by a complaint from a retired forester who observed extreme levels of logging by forest companies in endangered old growth spruce stands in the Parsnip drainage north of Prince George. The Board concluded that biodiversity (plants and animals) is at high risk of irreversible loss in the vast majority of landscape units within the Prince George District because of industrial logging. This area includes the globally rare inland temperate and boreal rainforests. The Board’s two recommendations to the BC government were that they a) promptly map and protect old growth where it is most threatened by logging, and b) update the province’s anachronistic biodiversity requirements to reflect the latest science. In response, FLNRORD has released a statement that they will temporarily defer logging in some high-risk old growth areas in the Prince George TSA (which they call “spatializing”) in accordance with 2004 biodiversity guidelines. However, FLNRORD will not update the biodiversity guidelines to reflect the latest science, saying they will rely instead on land use planning over the next three years to determine the fate of remaining vulnerable old growth forests in the TSA. Current requirements around biodiversity for the TSA are contained in the Biodiversity Order (“the Order”), a document that was negotiated with industry 17 years ago. “The Order is widely known to have been written to protect logging company access to the amount of old forest they want, where they want it,” explains Michelle Connolly of Conservation North. “It specifies minimum areas to be retained that are way below what the science says must be protected to avoid ecological collapse.” The current Order allows licensees to get away with leaving as little as 26% of endangered old growth spruce forests behind after they log, when naturally 70% of these spruce forest landscapes would be old. “That’s why the Board recommended that the Order be updated,” according to outreach coordinator Jenn Matthews. “We are relieved that something is happening to slow biodiversity loss in our region, but we need to protect all old growth now for long-term ecological resilience, not just set aside a minimum amount,” states field director Sean O’Rourke. “Decisions on biodiversity should be guided by science and traditional knowledge, not industry. We have high expectations of our government.” The northern conservation group views land use planning as an offloading of responsibility for the public interest by decision-makers that also gives industry lead time to submit cutting permits. “If you want to plan in the future you need to preserve all options now. Companies could log everything that is not temporarily deferred in the 3 three-year time period given, and then we will be planning for ecological collapse instead of community stability,” explains Michelle Connolly. Conservation North notes that there are other serious problems with biodiversity protection in the PG TSA that were never addressed in the 2020 Board investigation report. One example is that the work of keeping track of what has been logged and how much old growth remains in the TSA is left to a group of logging companies, as opposed to an independent scientific body or BC government staff. Conservation North views this arrangement as a serious conflict of interest that needs to be rectified if there is to be any hope of protecting nature in our region. More information about this announcement will be posted at www.conservationnorth.org later this week.
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Benson Lake
Evergreen Alliance Staff commented on Evergreen Alliance Staff's record in Mapping old forest on Vancouver Island
The Grove Richard found is currently included in a 338-hectare legal OGMA, ID is NAN_marb_66: -
The Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society is taking actions to address massive clearcutting in the Kettle Valley and Granby River watersheds. WE ARE A NON-PROFIT, grassroots, citizens’ society advocating for culturally, economically, and ecologically sustainable forestry practices in the forest and watershed of the Boundary Region. Our members have diverse backgrounds, interests and areas of expertise that include logging, government services, silviculture, fisheries, farming, advocacy, and environmentalism. Many have experienced the ravages of floods, fires, and drought first hand. All are deeply concerned about the looming threats of floods, wildfires and extended droughts with their evident increased intensity and frequency.We have in common the recognition that our forests are in crisis and as a result there are, already, dire consequences to the humans, eco-systems, biodiversity, and wildlife of our region. In May 2018, as a result of climate change factors and deforestation in our watershed, the Kettle and Granby Rivers flooded suddenly causing extensive and severe damage to rural homes, farms and rangeland. In Grand Forks and surrounding area, the flood damage was catastrophic. Less than 3 months later, the region was in extreme drought, a situation which lasted into late Autumn. Fourteen months later, the devastating impact of the flood continues to be felt economically, culturally, emotionally, and socially.While abundant evidence in our watershed demonstrates the need for forest and ecosystem restoration we believe there is a moral and fiscal imperative to shift forestry practices to a paradigm that treats forests as ecosystems rather than being driven by a paradigm that emphasizes growing timber – or to use industry speak, fibre – for mills. When getting logs to the mill as cheaply as possible is the name of the game, we, that is individuals, communities and all levels of government, are burdened with the costs that road building and clear-cut logging (and their aftermaths) generate.Clear-cuts can have an adverse effect on the environment, ecosystems, and biodiversity. Importantly, the rationale for prioritizing respectful management of ecosystems and biodiversity is environmentally, economically and socially prudent.Therefore, we applaud the government’s decision to provide the public with an opportunity to help re-shape forest policy. Changes to FRPA must reflect the urgent need to manage our water and, as much as possible, our climate.We know that when left intact our older-aged forests manage our water and help protect us from climate extremes especially because of their carbon storage capacity. Clear-cutting and associated logging practices destroy the composition, structure, and natural function of forests including managing water and climate. New tree plantations struggle to establish themselves; whether or not they attain the status of a forest with all of the complex ecosystems they are comprised of is a question we won’t know the answer to for a long, long time. Certainly, the current practise of 80-year rotations in our interior forest is foolhardy to say the least.With these issues in mind, surely we are obligated to agree that forestry practices must focus on the resilience, renewal, and complexity of ecosystems rather than Allowable Annual Cut considerations.The overarching objective must be the fostering of ecological resilience and renewal.BC forestry legislation must contain a hierarchy of objectives that puts ecosystem restoration, structure, function, and composition as a top priority. Doing so recognizes that healthy ecosystems best ensure other objectives (social, economic, cultural, protection) can be met.Reworking BC forestry legislation as quickly as possible is of paramount importance. British Columbians, who are entrusted with the care of our forests, will then have some assurance that the hard but necessary work can begin toward improving the ecological state of BC’s forests and, significantly, toward expanding and diversifying the overall BC economy. Ecology and prosperity are of great importance. However, we emphasize that without a healthy ecology there will be neither long-term nor well-distributed economic prosperity. ~ BFWSS Learn more about BFWSS at our website. Below, Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society presents its report on what is wrong in the Boundary forests, outlines the costs of the forestry system to ecosystems and people, and proposes a solution to bring about a brighter future for both. PDF of the written report: Brighter-Future-for-Boundary-Forests-BFWSS-report-March-2021 (r).pdf -
Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance We are part of a global movement that understands water is precious and deserves our respect and protection. Tolko Industries logging in the Peachland community watershed (Photo by Will Koop) VANCOUVER AND VICTORIA are among a minority of watersheds ( yet a majority of the population of BC) that have long ago banned any activity in their boundaries. Everywhere else in B.C., people are told they must balance the needs of industry and the environment. Today, resource extraction and other industrial activities are permitted in community watersheds — the place where you get your drinking water — and this includes commercial logging, the construction of logging roads as well as legacy roads, mining, ATV’s, cattle ranching, unregulated recreation and hunting use. We believe that it’s time this double standard ended; it’s time to take action to protect our publicly owned land and all the values of our watershed, especially our water. An intact forest protects our water and wildlife, and helps mitigate against climate change. We believe that forestry jobs can mean replanting and restoration, not just harvesting. Jobs can be maintained by logging selectively; utilizing trees instead of burning them in slash piles; planting a variety of trees, plants and shrubs; saving trees from disease; and wildfire mitigation work around cities and towns. These are just a few examples of ways in which we can keep the forest healthy while keeping the foresters employed. The status quo has closed 200 mills in B.C. the past 20 years with over 22,000 jobs lost due to mismanagement and automation; this cannot continue. Many members of the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance know this land. They see the industrial impacts – most of them with no mitigation or restoration requirements – are causing soil erosion and heavy run off, resulting in undrinkable water and increasingly, flood conditions. See our library of the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance's information and videos here. Visit PWPA's website here. The trashing of the Peachland Community Watershed Reserve by clearcut logging, analyzed by Herb Hammond -
Richard best reported on June 18, 2021: "I was out and about exploring in my electric pontoon boat yesterday when I stumbled upon this grove of giant cedars - the biggest and oldest I have ever seen. They are on the south shore of the outlet of Benson Lake where it flows out into Benson River (flows into Alice Lake > Marble River, near Port Alice).I am hoping these trees are protected from clearcutting. What a great place for an interpretive trail. Are you aware of this grove of ancient trees? Is it protected from clearcutting? See pics attached."Richard Best, Nanaimo -
Area burned by forest fires in BC 2000-2019
Evergreen Alliance Staff posted a graph in Forest Trends
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WHEN A CUTBLOCK IS LOGGED in BC, approximately 50 percent of the original living biomass is left in the clearcut as roots, stumps, unmerchantable tops, branches, part of the otherwise merchantable stem that are decayed, broken or wasted, small trees that are killed as collateral damage, the understory of plants, dead trees and course woody debris. Of the merchantable stems that are removed as logs, what happens to them? An unknown fraction are lost along the way, mainly by escaping from booms and/or sinking. But of those that make it to mills, about 52 percent of that volume is turned into wood chips or sawdust, according to the ministry of forests Major Mills Survey. This is used for making pulp and paper and various other short-lived products, like burnable, compressed sawdust pellets. These products account for about 26 percent of the original forest’s biomass. The other 48 percent of the volume of logs is milled into sawn lumber or turned into veneer or panel boards like plywood and OSB. Of these wood products, roughly 80 percent is exported, mainly to 3 countries: the USA, China and Japan. These exports account for about 19 percent of the forest’s original biomass. The lumber products that are used in BC account for less than 5 percent of the original biomass of the forest that was logged. The diagram below is the ministry’s account of “fibre flows” that result from BC’s logging activity. Keep in mind that this only accounts for about half of the biomass that is killed as a result of logging. -
The Science Advisory Group, a committee of independent BC forest and climate scientists, produced a report in April 2021 that provided concrete suggestions on how the BC government should reform forest management. They recommended the government: 1. Update land use planning with an increased emphasis on protection of primary and old-growth forests 2. Adjust current timber harvesting level to a level supported by more realistic determinations of allowable annual cuts to promote sustainable forestry practices. 3. Reform forest tenure, with greater community and indigenous control of forest management to increase social, environmental and economic resilience. Informing Land-use Planning with Science - Towards Sustainability (2021).pdf
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THE GRAPH BELOW uses the value of 90 megatonnes as the baseline from which BC's natural forest carbon sequestration capacity has fallen. Even that level is likely below the natural capacity of BC forestlands to absorb atmospheric carbon. The gray bars represent the amount of carbon BC forests did not absorb each year that they could have if not for logging, the Mountain Pine Beetle, and unexpectedly large forest fires. Logging accounts for just over one-half of the forest carbon sequestration capacity loss since 2000. *Value for 2019 estimated -
THE NUMBER OF DIRECT JOBS created by the forest industry in BC is notoriously low, lower than any other province in Canada. Between 2000 and 2019, direct jobs fell from just over 100,000 to 46,000. In other words, over half of all direct forestry jobs—in logging, manufacturing and related work—were lost. In that same period, the volume of forest logged declined by only 25 percent. The industry's only argument in support of the vast scale of logging in BC forests is that it produces jobs. But from these numbers we can see that the power of that argument has been cut in half in just 20 years and that the number of jobs created per cubic metre of forest logged is falling rapidly. -
Veridian Ecological's mapping of old forest on Vancouver Island Areas in red are old forest at risk of being harvested; areas in green are old forest in either fully protected areas or areas that have some form of logging deferral, like OGMAs and WHAs. Areas in grey are TFLs (the Province provides no data for these, claiming it is "proprietary" even though it is publicly owned land) or private property (like the E&N land grant south of Campbell River along the east side of Vancouver Island.) The larger red areas, or groups of red areas, have pages associated with them in this database. Upper Vancouver Island (click image to enlarge) Mid Vancouver Island (click image to enlarge) Lower Vancouver Island (click image to enlarge) -
This forest just north of Sayward was one of the nine areas for which a 2-year logging deferral was ordered in September 2020 by the Horgan government. The deferral announcement described the area like this: "H'Kusam: 1050 ha. Pronounced kew-sum, this easily accessible area contains outstanding examples of culturally modified trees and intact stands of old growth cedar." The Province's mapping of the H'Kusam deferral area (centre) A recent satellite image of the area -
Veridian Ecological's map of at-risk old forest in the Prince George TSA Ministry of forests' maps that show areas of high productivity by species
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