Conservationists are applauding the leadership of the Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and BC NDP government for yesterday declaring the protection of 76,000 hectares of land – an area about the size of Manning Provincial Park - in new conservancies in Clayoquot Sound near Tofino. Most of the lands committed for protection are comprised of some of the grandest and most intact coastal old-growth temperate rainforests on Earth, and the new protected areas will represent the largest old-growth forest protected areas victory in BC since the Great Bear Rainforest conservancies were announced in 2006. The historic milestone also includes major support from provincial, federal and conservation sources to facilitate sustainable economic development opportunities for the communities to facilitate their economic and social well-being.
Read moreNew protected areas law a ‘game-changer’ for nature and biodiversity protection
OTTAWA, ON - Today, conservation and environmental groups are applauding the federal environment Minister’s introduction of the Nature Accountability Bill, in keeping with commitments under the United Nations Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
This first-of-its-kind law would, if passed, enshrine Canada’s biodiversity protection targets into law, including its commitment to protect 30% of lands and water by 2030. There is clear evidence that nature and biodiversity is in crisis, with a million species at risk of extinction over the next few years, according to scientists. Without action, nature will remain in a dangerous decline.
Read moreGlobe and Mail: ‘Salmon parks’ in traditional First Nations territory aim to save habitats by stopping old-growth logging
Celina Starnes, Endangered Ecosystems Alliance’s Operations and Outreach Director, looks up at the big-leaf maple grove of the Burman River valley, which lies within the Mowachaht/Muchalaht salmon-park system. Photo Credit: TJ Watt
New plan from the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, aided by the B.C. and federal governments, signals a shift in Indigenous-led conservation across the province
Backed by a $15.2-million commitment from the federal government, a First Nations community on the west coast of Vancouver Island intends to buy out forestry tenures to stop old-growth logging in selected watersheds around Nootka Sound.
Read more‘Potential paradigm shift’: Activists are hopeful for BC’s new environmental protections (Victoria Buzz)
BC’s government is trying to implement further steps to protect and preserve the province’s at-risk environment through a new biodiversity and ecosystem health framework (BEHF).
Right now the BEHF is just a draft proposal, but Nathan Cullen, the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, is hopeful that it will become legislation and allow for the preservation of BC’s well-known natural landscapes.
Read moreMedia Release: BC Opens the Door for a Potential Paradigm Shift in Conservation: Prioritizing the Most Endangered Ecosystems via Ecosystem-Based Targets
Endangered Ecosystems Alliance executive director, Ken Wu, stands amongst the spectacular yet unprotected ancient forests of the Mossome Grove near Port Renfrew in Pacheedaht territory.
If done right, conservationists say the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework (BEHF) could ensure the protection of the most endangered and least protected ecosystems, such as big-treed old-growth forests (“high productivity” old-growth forests with the classic forest giants) and diverse valley bottom and low elevation ecosystems - rather than the status quo of primarily protecting areas of low timber values (alpine, subalpine, bog). Conservationists commend the vision in the draft framework for being a potentially revolutionary game-changer in conservation - the devil will be in the details when the framework is completed in the spring.
Read moreEarly November 2023 BC Old-growth and Protected Area Policies Update
See 3 small update videos on where BC old-growth and protected area policies are at as of early November 2023
$1billion for BC Conservation! Next steps…. BC Old Growth Policy Overview
$1 Billion BC Nature Agreement must be guided by Ecosystem-Based Targets!
Media Release: BC Launches Vital Conservation Financing Mechanism to Protect Old-Growth Forests and Ecosystems
Endangered Ecosystems Alliance Executive Director, Ken Wu, stands beside a giant Sitka spruce tree in an old-growth forest west of Lake Cowichan in Ditidaht territory.
BC Launches Vital Conservation Financing Mechanism to Protect Old-Growth Forests and Ecosystems
Starting with an initial $300 million of provincial and philanthropic funding, the indispensable fund that will “fuel” or power the creation of new protected areas by supporting First Nations protected areas initiatives will continue to grow with additional federal, provincial, and private funds. Conservationists give thanks to Premier Eby for fulfilling a key commitment.
Read moreBC Old-Growth Summary videos
See our video series summarizing BC old-growth policy progress and the loopholes that still must get closed:
And see our most recent media release on the BC old-growth situation
And our earlier submission to the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework (if you are a real policy wonk who wants to understand how things work).
Media Release: Conservation Groups Urge BC Government to Hurry Up and Close Gaps in Old-Growth Protection
An aerial view over the intact McKelvie Valley near Tahsis in Mowachaht/Muchalaht territory where 2231 hectares (1852 hectares of old-growth) are now deferred from logging. Credit: TJ Watt - Ancient Forest Alliance
Today on the three-year anniversary of the BC government’s September 2020 acceptance of the Old-Growth Strategic Review Panel’s 14 recommendations to ensure a “paradigm shift” in the conservation and management of old-growth forests in the province, the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance (EEA) and Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) are urging the BC government to hurry up and close the gaps in old-growth protection in BC.
“The BC government under Premier Eby has taken some great steps forward in policy commitments: pledging to double protected areas from 15% to 30% of BC’s land area over the next seven years (it took over a century to protect the first 15%), bring major conservation financing support for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, and to target protection for biodiverse areas, which would naturally include the productive old-growth forests with big trees. Premier Eby started off strong nine months ago with these commitments, and now he needs to pick it up and close the remaining gaps to secure old-growth logging deferrals in all of the most at-risk old-growth forests and to ensure that funding and protection go to the right areas,” stated Ken Wu, Endangered Ecosystems Alliance executive director.
Read moreEEA's Feedback on Canada's National 2030 Biodiversity Strategy
National Biodiversity Strategy feedback
What are the key features of a successful National Biodiversity Strategy?
Protected areas must constitute the foundation to reach the 25% by 2025 and 30% by 2030 minimum targets – not less stringent “conserved areas” that lack the protection standards (eg. may allow commercial logging and other industrial activities) and permanency (many are readily removable) of protected areas.
Ecosystem-based targets must be set by ecological science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge committees to protect the full diversity of ecosystems on a sufficient scale to ensure the long-term ecological viability of each ecosystem.
EEA's submission to the BC Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework
These comments highlight the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance’s (EEA) key input for BC’s forthcoming Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework (BEHF).
We greatly commend the BC government for moving forward with this initiative, which potentially could be the framework for a paradigm shift - which the Old-Growth Strategic Review recommendations called for - that puts ecosystem health first in all land-use and forestry decisions. If done well, the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework could be a globally recognized leading policy framework for protecting biodiversity, old-growth forests and endangered ecosystems - or it can fall flat if the myopic and pervasive forces of the status quo continue to undermine progress and squander the opportunity for all.
Read moreSEND a MESSAGE: Please Support MP Patrick Weiler's Old-Growth Protection Motion!
The destruction of ancient redcedars in Quatsino territory on northern Vancouver Island. Photo by TJ Watt
Stand up to Support MP Patrick Weiler's Motion to Protect Old-Growth Forests!
Member of Parliament (MP) Patrick Weiler has introduced a federal motion that launches an enhanced BC old-growth protection fund of $82 million, increased from the original $50 million - contingent on matching BC funds, that would bring the total to $164 million.
In the Great Bear Rainforest, $120 million was indispensable to help ensure the legislated protection of over 2 million hectares (an area two-thirds the size of Vancouver Island, or triple the size of Banff National Park) - so $164 million will be no small deal on the ground.
Read moreMedia Release: Motion For Old-Growth Fund & Export Ban Introduced By MP Patrick Weiler
Endangered Ecosystems Alliance executive director Ken Wu stands beside a giant old-growth redcedar tree growing unprotected on Nootka Island in Mowachaht/ Muchalaht territory.
The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) and the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance (EEA) give great thanks to Member of Parliament Patrick Weiler (West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country) for his new motion to help protect old-growth forests in BC and Canada.
Weiler has crafted a motion, introduced into federal Parliament yesterday, calling for the $82 million BC Old-Growth Protection Fund (increased from $50 million previously, and contingent on matching BC funding that would bring it to $164 million), to end the international export of old-growth raw logs and wood products from across Canada as quickly as possible (and by no later than 2030), and to protect old-growth on federal lands on Department of National Defense and National Park lands from any destructive infrastructure developments.
Read moreMedia Release: The BC government starts laying the path for expanded forest conservation
Kanaka Bar Indian Band Lands Manager Sean O’Rourke and Junior Land Guardian Domonique Samson stand by an old-growth Ponderosa pine tree in the band’s T’eqt’aqtn’mux Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) proposal, which is being supported by the Nature-Based Solutions Foundation, Endangered Ecosystems Alliance and Ancient Forest Alliance. About 125 square kilometers of old-growth forests will be encompassed by the IPCA when finalized.
The BC NDP government has removed the “unduly restrict clause” from forest planning that has limited forest conservation measures for decades, committed to developing a conservation financing mechanism to support First Nations economic development linked to new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA’s), committed more support to expand value-added forest industries, and with First Nations has added about 200,000 hectares of additional old growth forests into logging deferral areas.
Read moreVideo: Protected Areas Progress in Canada - Post UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) Summary
Hear a quick summary overview by the Endangered Ecosystem Alliance's Executive Director Ken Wu about some of the progress for protected areas expansion policies and funding that were announced from Canada and several provinces during the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal between Dec.7 to 19, 2022.
Read moreMedia Release: Closing the Conservation Gaps in Canada: Provincial buy-in, protection targets for all ecosystems, and conservation financing for Indigenous Protected Areas needed
A hardwood swamp forest in the Minesing wetlands of southern Ontario
Endangered Ecosystems Alliance (EEA) calls for a federal “Endangered Ecosystems Act” to ensure protected areas targets are devised for all ecosystems, to motivate the provinces to adopt protection targets and to ensure funding for protected areas expansion
Montreal - As 196 countries meet in Montreal at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) to negotiate new international protected areas targets and policies, conservation groups are increasing their pressure on the Canadian and provincial governments to close the conservation gaps in expanding the protected areas system in Canada.
Read moreConservationists optimistic over David Eby's commitments to protect B.C.'s biodiversity - News Article (CBC News)
An aerial photograph of the Nahmint Valley outside Port Alberni, B.C., shows protected old growth groves along the water and replanted hillsides that were previously logged. (Chris Corday/CBC)
In mandate letters to his land stewardship and forestry ministers, B.C. Premier David Eby says he wants to double the amount of protected land in the province, support new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, and move faster on recommendations around the logging of old growth trees.
They're conservation goals advocates have been calling on for years to protect B.C.'s unique biodiversity, which has thousands of species at risk due to development and climate change.
"This is potentially a major leap toward protecting endangered ecosystems and the most at-risk, productive stands of old-growth forests left in B.C.," said Ken Wu in a release from the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance.
Read moreMedia Release: BC’s New Premier David Eby commits to double protected areas by 2030 & to develop a conservation financing mechanism for IPCAs
Conservationist Vicky Husband and Endangered Ecosystems Alliance executive director Ken Wu stand among unprotected old-growth redcedars in the Jurassic Grove on southern Vancouver Island in Pacheedaht territory near Port Renfrew
Yesterday in his mandate letter to the new Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Nathan Cullen, BC’s new Premier David Eby committed BC for the first time to protecting 30% of the province’s land area by 2030 (currently 15% is protected). He also tasked Cullen to work with First Nations to support new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA’s) and to help “develop a new conservation financing mechanism to support protection of biodiverse areas.”
Read moreB.C. vows to reverse ‘short-term thinking’ with pledge to protect 30% of province by 2030 - News Article (The Narwhal)
BC Premier David Eby has committed to protecting 30 per cent of B.C. by 2030, doubling current protections. Photo: Province of British Columbia, Flickr
For years, our main campaign in BC has been that the province must commit to the federal protected areas targets (to protect 25% by 2025 and 30% by 2030 of Canada's land and marine areas) at a minimum and to provide conservation financing support for First Nations sustainable economic development linked to protecting the most at-risk, productive (big tree) old-growth forests and the most endangered ecosystems.
Today Premier David Eby committed BC to meeting the federal protected areas target of protecting 30% by 2030 of the land area (currently 15% of BC is in legislated protected areas), joining Quebec now which made the pledge much earlier.
Read moreVideo: Nature Protection in Canada - Time for Ambition and Ecosystem-Based Targets
Check out the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance's new 5 min video on "Nature Protection in Canada - Time for Ambition and Ecosystem-Based Targets" explaining key issues as 195 countries converge in Montreal to negotiate new international protected areas targets and policies at the UN Biodiversity Conference.
Most importantly SEND a MESSAGE to your provincial government and to the federal government to scale-up their protected areas ambition here.
Please donate to help us get this video out to millions of Canadians via social media ads - right now is THE greatest chance in history to pressure governments across Canada to protect native ecosystems!
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