Help protect Vancouver Island's Forest.
Thursday, 7. December 2006, 01:13:47
I was shocked to find out how much of vancouver's forest has already been lost to logging.
The most recent photo analysis based on 2004 satellite images shows that:
- 73% of the original productive old-growth forests of Vancouver Island have been logged. ie. 27% remained by 2004.
- 87% of the original productive old-growth forests on southern Vancouver Island, south of Barkley Sound/Alberni Canal, have been logged. ie.13% remains
- 90% of the low, flat (eg. valley bottoms) ancient forests where the largest trees grow and the greatest biodiversity resides, have been logged. ie. 10% remains
- Only 6% of Vancouver Island's productive forest lands are protected in our parks system.
Why should we care? have you enjoyed these ancient forests as much as i have?
Cathedral Grove?
Clayoquot Sound?
Carmanah Valley?
Walbran Valley?
West Coast Trail?
Juan de Fuca Trail?
Sombrio Beach?
China Beach?
Cape Scott?
Meares Island?
Goldstream?
The Western Canada Wilderness Committee (WCWC) is calling on the BC government to protect the ancient forests of Vancouver Island by immediately banning logging in the most endangered old-growth forest types and quickly phasing-out old-growth logging from the rest of Vancouver Island by 2015, with a rapid transition to second-growth logging at a slower, more sustainable rate of cut. Unprotected ancient forests here include the Upper Walbran Valley, Nahmint Valley, East Creek Rainforest, Clayoquot Valley, Flores Island, Sydney Valley, Ursus Valley, Nootka Trail, South Cathedral Grove, Upper Tsitika Valley, Nawitti Lowlands, and hundreds of other places.
See www.viforest.org for more info and to sign their online petition.
Let the BC politicians know that we believe they should:
- Protect the remaining old-growth forests of Vancouver Island, forcing the industry to make a rapid transition into second-growth logging at a reduced, more sustainable rate of cut.
- Ban raw log exports to protect BC millworker jobs.
- Establish a new Land Use Plan to expand the protected areas sytem on Vancouver Island, based on open public input, conservation biology science, and First Nations Land Use Plans.
- Restore public service employment levels in the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Lands, and Forests in order to better enforce regulations and monitor the activities of logging corporations in our public forests.
Write to:
Premier Gordon Campbell
Legislative Buildings, Victoria, BC V8V 1X4
Fax: (250) 387-0087
Email: premier@gov.bc.ca
Also, if you live in BC, write to your own provincial Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) who represents you in your area, whether NDP NDP or BC Liberal. You can find him/her at:
http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm
or by calling Enquiry BC at (250) 387-6121 in Victoria;
(604) 660-2421 in Vancouver;
or 1-800-663-7867 elsewhere in BC
The most recent photo analysis based on 2004 satellite images shows that:
- 73% of the original productive old-growth forests of Vancouver Island have been logged. ie. 27% remained by 2004.
- 87% of the original productive old-growth forests on southern Vancouver Island, south of Barkley Sound/Alberni Canal, have been logged. ie.13% remains
- 90% of the low, flat (eg. valley bottoms) ancient forests where the largest trees grow and the greatest biodiversity resides, have been logged. ie. 10% remains
- Only 6% of Vancouver Island's productive forest lands are protected in our parks system.
Why should we care? have you enjoyed these ancient forests as much as i have?
Cathedral Grove?
Clayoquot Sound?
Carmanah Valley?
Walbran Valley?
West Coast Trail?
Juan de Fuca Trail?
Sombrio Beach?
China Beach?
Cape Scott?
Meares Island?
Goldstream?
The Western Canada Wilderness Committee (WCWC) is calling on the BC government to protect the ancient forests of Vancouver Island by immediately banning logging in the most endangered old-growth forest types and quickly phasing-out old-growth logging from the rest of Vancouver Island by 2015, with a rapid transition to second-growth logging at a slower, more sustainable rate of cut. Unprotected ancient forests here include the Upper Walbran Valley, Nahmint Valley, East Creek Rainforest, Clayoquot Valley, Flores Island, Sydney Valley, Ursus Valley, Nootka Trail, South Cathedral Grove, Upper Tsitika Valley, Nawitti Lowlands, and hundreds of other places.
See www.viforest.org for more info and to sign their online petition.
Let the BC politicians know that we believe they should:
- Protect the remaining old-growth forests of Vancouver Island, forcing the industry to make a rapid transition into second-growth logging at a reduced, more sustainable rate of cut.
- Ban raw log exports to protect BC millworker jobs.
- Establish a new Land Use Plan to expand the protected areas sytem on Vancouver Island, based on open public input, conservation biology science, and First Nations Land Use Plans.
- Restore public service employment levels in the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Lands, and Forests in order to better enforce regulations and monitor the activities of logging corporations in our public forests.
Write to:
Premier Gordon Campbell
Legislative Buildings, Victoria, BC V8V 1X4
Fax: (250) 387-0087
Email: premier@gov.bc.ca
Also, if you live in BC, write to your own provincial Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) who represents you in your area, whether NDP NDP or BC Liberal. You can find him/her at:
http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm
or by calling Enquiry BC at (250) 387-6121 in Victoria;
(604) 660-2421 in Vancouver;
or 1-800-663-7867 elsewhere in BC
).
WIDGETIZE