The BC NDP government continues to stubbornly defend clear-cutting high
productivity old-growth forests.
The defense that has been vocalized by Doug Donaldson, Minister of
Forests, is that he has a clear understanding of the value of old-growth for
biodiversity, but he balances that with an understanding of the economic value
of clear-cutting old-growth.
While talking about managing old-growth, cut blocks continue to go up
for auction by BC Timber Sales (BCTS). One such auction near Port Renfrew is
highly contentious and in recent days BC Timber Sales and the Ministry of
Forests have been backing away. I have received thousands of emails from
British Columbians demanding a new approach to managing old-growth. The desired
approach does not include cutting it until there is no more to cut.
Old-growth forests are a non-renewable resource and so sustainably
managing them would look more like what the Port Renfrew community is doing by
transitioning away from harvesting lumber to harvesting experiences.
Instead the Minister of Forests continues to double-down on his
commitment to cutting old-growth forests, and in this instance, he uses
children's enjoyment of curling as justification for a lack of alternative
economic vision for coastal and forest-dependent communities.
BC Legislature ... Hansard Transcript
A. Olsen:
I love the "you started it" response. That always is a very
mature thing to say.
Port Renfrew, formerly a logging town, has rebranded itself as an
ecotourism hot spot. This is driven in large part by the protection of Avatar
Grove, an ancient coastal old-growth forest.
The community is immensely proud of this. Their region is known
The citizens of Port Renfrew are frustrated by this government's short-sighted
approach. They're angry that short-term corporate profits are valued more than
the long-term local profits. The sound of these ancient giants falling will be
heard by the same tourists that traveled from around the world to view the
endangered forests. Their stories will be that of sorrow, not of wonder.
To the Minister of Forests, we hear the ministry and Timber Sales may be
postponing the auction of old-growth timber in the Premier's riding. The public
wants to know: is this an outright cancellation or a postponement? If it's the
latter, for how long?
Hon. D. Donaldson:
I want to just acknowledge the member for Saanich North and the Islands'
question about a very important topic.
We're blessed with amazing forests in this province. There are a variety
of perspectives on old-growth management. Our government is committed to
protecting the important biodiversity of old-growth forests. We also recognize
the value of old-growth forests as they sustain wildlife, an important part of
B.C.'s natural heritage. We're also committed to ensuring the continued
vibrancy and an innovative forest sector. Over 24,000 people are employed in
the coastal forest sector.
When it comes to protecting old-growth forests, George Heyman the
Minister of Environment, and myself, met with environmental stakeholders
earlier this year.
We wanted to hear directly from them as part of our ongoing talks to
inform our old-growth plan, and in the very near future, we'll be launching the
public engagement for this process.
As far as the Port Renfrew proposed B.C. Timber Sales cut-blocks go, the
member is correct. The original timber sale license was comprised of seven
blocks totaling 109.2 hectares.
Before putting up the sale, B.C. Timber Sales referred first to the Pacheedaht First Nation, conducted field work with that
First Nation to identify archeological values.
They conducted environmental assessments to ensure that stream and fish
habitat, species-at-risk and bear den assessments were done. They confirmed
that no red- or blue-listed plant communities were identified during the layout
and that no legacy trees were identified within the BCTS blocks. Now, the BCTS
is no longer considering advertising this sale in order to engage with the
stakeholder, who was inadvertently missed during the initial referral process.
 |
| Avatar Grove -- Port Renfrew |
A. Olsen:
Port Renfrew is transitioning to a different approach to harvesting
their surrounding resources, and, unfortunately, it's outside the current
forest policy box, because it supports local profits over the long term. They
want to harvest the value of living old-growth trees as part of a responsible
transitioning economy away from death and destruction.
As we've heard in the tight-rope rhetoric here today, and in the previous
questions from this week, in question period, our Forests Minister doesn't
recognize this.
Instead, he
cites an appalling example of extracting old growth to fund a roof, the roof of
a curling rink. This appalling example he used on Monday is absurd, and it’s
embarrassing
It clearly highlights that this government's definition of managing old
growth (as he responded in the first question) is to cut it down, and continue
cutting it down, until it's all gone. This is not an economic vision. It's short-sighted.
It does not support a community, an ecosystem or future generations.
I love curling, Mr. Speaker, but I love air and water and living more.
The minister recognizes the economic value of liquidating old growth, but when
will he recognize the long-term economic value of leaving old-growth trees in
the ground?
Hon. D. Donaldson:
Well, old-growth forests are not being liquidated on Vancouver Island.
We have over 500,000 hectares of old-growth forests on the Island, so old
growth will not disappear from Vancouver Island.
We do recognize the interests of local communities and other
stakeholders in old-growth forests that reside outside those protected areas. I
would refer the member to the hundreds of school children from a neighboring
First Nation who actually use the curling rink facility that I visited up in
Port Hardy.
We're committed to protecting old-growth forests as well as continuing
with a vibrant forestry sector — the 24,000 jobs that rely on old-growth
forests in this province. And we're undertaking an old-growth management plan,
and we'll be conducting public engagement soon on that plan.
STAYED TUNED FOR PART TWO coming up tomorrow
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