Over 12,500 hectares of some of BC’s most endangered and diverse old-growth forests will be protected in in the territory of the Kanaka Bar Band, a Nlaka'pamux First Nation in the Fraser Canyon near Lytton, when a major new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) is finalized. The Kanaka Bar Band announced their vision today to protect a total of about 35,000 hectares of their unceded lands in British Columbia in this IPCA.
Read moreMedia Release: Major Old-Growth Logging Deferrals on Mosaic's Private Lands on Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii
The largest private landowner in British Columbia, Mosaic Forest Management, is moving to defer 40,000 hectares (400 square kilometers) of old-growth and older second-growth stands from logging on their private lands for the next 25 years, via a carbon credit program. The lands are mainly located on southeastern Vancouver Island, with a few scattered stands on other parts of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii.
Read moreMedia Release: Over 100 BC Businesses Call on BC Government to Expand and Fund the Creation of New Protected Areas
To date, 113 businesses - 104 based in BC - have signed a resolution calling on the BC government to help avert the extinction and climate crises and to benefit our health and the BC economy, by committing to at least meet Canada’s national and international protected areas targets (protecting 25% by 2025 and 30% by 2030 of Canada’s land and marine areas). This includes protecting BC’s old-growth forests, and providing the necessary funding to do so.
See the resolution and signatories here
Read moreMedia Release: Significant Progress Towards Old-Growth Protection - Critical Funding Missing Still
Significant Progress to Protect Old-Growth Forests in BC, with Critical Funding Still Missing: “Building an Amazing Car without an Engine” – for now
BC Government Accepts Science-Based Old-Growth Mapping and Enacts Major Old-Growth Logging Deferrals in BC Timber Sales Areas (about 20% of remaining old-growth) – Vital Funding for Indigenous old-growth logging deferrals and protection sorely needed.
Read moreMedia Release: Federal Liberals’ $50 million BC old-growth fund an important step towards a needed $600 million old-growth fund - BC NDP Gov’t a Conservation Laggard
Federal Liberals’ $50 million BC old-growth fund an important step towards a much greater $600 million old-growth fund that is needed – BC NDP government continues as reluctant conservation laggards for funding old-growth protection.
Read moreMedia Release: “Things to Watch For” – A Conservationist’s List for BC Premier John Horgan’s Old-Growth Forestry Announcement Today
Today BC Premier John Horgan is expected to present an “intentions paper” on the BC NDP government’s coming direction in regards to old-growth forest logging and/or protection, the forest industry and First Nations.
The announcement carries high stakes as the War in the Woods explodes in BC, with over 140 conservationists being arrested at old-growth protection blockades on southern Vancouver Island over the past month and ancient forest rallies erupting at BC NDP MLA offices across the province, with a groundswell of momentum that continues to rapidly grow nationally and internationally.
Media Release: BC Urged to Join National and International Protected Areas Movement in order to save Endangered Old-Growth Forests and Ecosystems
The BC NDP government must commit to Canada’s protected areas targets and the key funding to protect 25% by 2025 and 30% by 2030 of its land and marine areas, at a minimum.
Read moreMedia Release: BC Provincial Budget fails to provide the critical funding for Old-Growth Forest Protection at the most critical time
The BC NDP government’s budget released this week is a significant move to minimize disruption to the status quo of old-growth forest liquidation by timber companies, as it lacks the critically important funding needed to support First Nations old-growth protection initiatives at the most critical time – at a time when the province is engaging First Nations communities on developing major new policies and legislation to manage old-growth forests across BC, including key logging deferrals and potential areas to protect or not to protect.
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