FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 25, Grand Forks, BC
PRESENTATION: Grassroots groups recommend new Forest Act to protect communities from floods, fires, and drought
Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society (BFWSS), a grassroots citizens group in southern BC, is launching a campaign to team up with people across the province to push for a new Forest Act so that forests are protected so that communities are safe.
As a result of massive losses of intact primary forests due to industrial forestry, BC communities are faced with:
· decreases in agricultural and drinking water supply and quality
· more drought
· more fires
· more floods
Scientists, such as Dr. Younes Alila, have been sounding the alarm, “Forests serve as the most effective natural defense against a global escalating flood risk attributed to factors such as climate change. Now is the time for water and forest management policies to start being guided by the most up-to-date and defensible science.” (https://news.ubc.ca/2024/01/24/sustainable-logging-advocacy-flood-risks/)
Data from the BC River Forecast Centre shows snow basins are at 61 per cent of normal. They were at 79 per cent last February, before 2023’s record drought and wildfire season. This puts BC at risk of extremely high levels of drought in 2024. (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/water/river-forecast/2024_feb1.pdf)
Communities and Indigenous groups on the land are paying the price. Despite calls from BC residents to reduce logging of primary forests, the BC government is not changing industrial forestry practices. Volunteer-led groups do not have the resources or influence of the forestry lobby.
“Intact forests manage our water for us. Nothing changes until the legislation changes. It’s time for the government to listen to people living in these communities”, says Jennifer Houghton, BFWSS Board member, and victim of the catastrophic 2018 Grand Forks flood.
BFWSS has a plan to join forces with grassroots groups and Indigenous people across the province to push for a new Forest Act.
Campaign presentation: via Zoom on Tuesday, February 27, 6PM Pacific time. Registration is required: https://boundaryforest.org/webinar-registration/
Contact information
Jennifer Houghton, Board Member, [email protected] www.boundaryforest.org