We still have a chance to defend old growth forests in BC. But barely.
There are only about 415,000 hectares of old forest remaining where you can find large trees. To put that in perspective, that’s less than 1% of forests in the entire province.
The majority are unprotected.
Our communities depend on these old forests staying standing. Healthy forests provide clean air, drinking water, and mitigate flooding & fires. They also store massive amounts of carbon and are more resilient to climate change. That’s top of mind with so much smoke in the air.
Healthy forests mean a better future. Protecting the fraction of remaining old growth and transitioning to value-added, second-growth milling is vital to ensure forest communities and forestry are thriving and sustainable in the longterm.
The remaining old growth is scattered throughout BC: from the boreal and inland rainforests, to the coast and island.
Some areas have been so hard hit by industrial logging that there is almost no old growth left. But it is still being logged, for things like wood pellets.
We need to see immediate deferrals for these last stands, about 415,000 hectares of old growth. It should be more, but after decades of inaction, that is what’s left. Land needs to be restored to Indigenous Nations and communities need to be prioritized above corporations.
Join the movement! Send a message to Minister Donaldson act.stand.earth/page/19709/act…
Read the recent research and recommendations from B.C. scientists:
veridianecological.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/bcs-ol…
And mobilize for forests on September 18th with @march_bc!
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