Read our Old Growth Strategic Review Submission

Click here to read the our submission to the Provincial Old Growth Strategic Review process, written by SCCA Director Dan Bouman with input from our Terrestrial Conservation Committee advisors:

Last Updated: Wednesday, 05 February 2020 23:36

BC Government offers old growth consultation

Our provincial government is asking for public comments about its management of old growth forests. You may make a written submission and/or answer questions in an on-line survey.

Visit the BC Government website to complete the survey and contribute your submission. The review process continues until JANUARY 31, 2020 at 4 pm.

The SCCA strongly encourages you to participate. If we don't respond government will conclude that old growth management is not a major public concern. Wrong!  Here are some helpful position papers from the Sierra Club of BC and the Ancient Forest Alliance:

Clearcut Carbon -  Sierra Club BC report

Sierra Club BC Old Growth Forest Resources Page

Old Growth Review - Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA)

Old Growth Review Questionnaire Guide - AFA

The SCCA has many concerns about management of BC's old growth forests. The Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) makes protection of all non-timber values secondary to timber supply priorities. This means that protection of old growth or old growth dependent at-risk species is only available if such does not "... unduly reduce the flow of timber from crown land." There are a lot of major problems; Landscape Unit Plans offer only tokenistic protection; Timber Supply Reviews wildly overestimate forest inventories; BC's obligations under the Species-At-Risk Act have not been satisfied and forestry operations continue as if there is no such thing as global climate change.

The SCCA will address these and many other old growth issues in our submission. Sign up here for our SCCA ENews to ensure you get a copy!

Learn more about this issue and others in our latest SCCA Enewsletter here.

Last Updated: Monday, 27 January 2020 22:28

Protect what remains of our Old-Growth forests!

The BC Government is undertaking an Old Growth Strategic Review, and has appointed a two-person panel to consult with people throughout the province, and provide a report to the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRO).

We encourage you to contact the panel to express your views on the ecological, economic and cultural importance of old-growth trees and forests. Let's use this opportunity to make it clear that we urgently need to protect our old-growth trees NOW!

The panel includes two professional foresters: Garry Merkel, and Al Gorley. They're asking British Columbians:

  • What old growth means to you and how you value it
  • Your perspective on how old growth is managed now
  • How you think old growth could be managed more effectively in the future

There are 3 ways to make your voice heard:

1) Request to meet with the panel in person or by phone or video call. They will be visiting Powell River on Thursday, December 5th, and Sechelt on Friday, December 6th.

2) Fill out the online questionnaire.

3) Email a written submission to the panel to: oldgrowthbc@gov.bc.ca. Click here for their submission guidelines.

Visit the BC Government website for more information on the review process. The review process continues until JANUARY 31, 2020 at 4 pm.

For more information on the importance of old-growth trees and forests, check out the excellent resources put together by these organizations:

Sierra Club BC:

Ancient Forest Alliance: Before & After Old-Growth Maps

Wilderness Committee: Protecting Old-Growth resource page

Last Updated: Wednesday, 27 November 2019 21:25

Full house at All Candidates Forum October 10th

Thank you to all those who participated in our Environment and Climate Change All Candidates Forum at the Roberts Creek Hall, including our partners, the Sunshine Coast Alliance4Democracy, our incredible SCCA volunteers, and of course, the candidates!

We were pleased to not only hear from each candidate on our 4 advance environment and climate change questions, but also on the 17 questions posed directly from community members on topics ranging from biodiversity loss, inter-party co-operation on climate change, Woodfibre LNG, alternative measures of progress, Indigenous climate priorities, and the Right to a Healthy Environment.

Here are some photos (thanks to John Gibbs) of the packed event. You can find coverage of the event in The Local Weekly, and the Coast Reporter.

 

Last Updated: Sunday, 29 December 2019 23:27