B.C. Premier John Horgan has announced the deferral of old growth logging in the Fairy Creek and Central Walbran Valleys that have become the heart of the movement to protect old growth in BC. This announcement would not have come without the leadership of the Pacheedaht, Ditidaht and Huu-ay-at and intense public pressure, including months of direct action and hundreds of arrests. We are hopeful that this announcement is a first step towards the protection of old growth in BC.
Today is a provincial day of action on old growth — people from around the province are joining together to defend old growth forests. Please join us today in solidarity with all land defenders and demand that Premier Horgan and Minister Conroy keep their promise and take immediate action to protect all our old growth forests.
More than one year ago, the BC government committed to protecting old growth forests. Despite this promise, the equivalent of 120,000 soccer fields of old growth has been approved for logging by the province in the last year. Across British Columbia, residents, Indigenous Nations, and communities are standing up to defend these at-risk forests. This is the last stand — only 2.7 percent of our productive old growth forests remain. Once we log them, they are gone forever.
Locally, the Inland Temperate Rainforest is one of the last ecosystems of its kind and it’s one of the most important places in Canada for carbon storage and freshwater. Yet, logging continues in these globally unique low elevation cedar hemlock forests. Horgan himself says there are unique forests worth protecting in the Interior, but his talk doesn’t match his walk.
We’re at a critical tipping point — 78% of British Columbians are concerned about old growth logging. United action is what led to yesterday’s deferrals — we must maintain pressure to protect all ancient forests. Please join me — and British Columbians across the province — today to defend old growth and demand immediate action to protect our ancient forests. This is the last stand.
For the forests,
Eddie Petryshen,
Conservation Specialist
