In 2018, Grand Forks was hit with the most catastrophic flood BC had ever experienced.  Over 400 homes were flooded along with numerous businesses, farms, and ranches.  To see how people were impacted, check out the Grand Forks Flood documentary series here.

Why did this happen?

Experienced loggers in our group already knew.  Scientists already knew.

Intact forests manage our water for us.  And we no longer have enough of them.

This animated map of our watershed, the Kettle River Watershed – which is mostly mountains on public land, shows the clearcut logging that has been done there between 1965 and 2020.  It’s been 60-70% clearcut.  You don’t have to be a scientist to understand that if you take that many trees off the mountains there is going to be flooding. If you do want to see the science, we wrote a 170-page report.

The government is ignoring community impacts

Its not just our watershed.  This kind of industrial logging is happening across the province – there are thousands of examples in BC of the devastation left from over cutting, forest road building, and ecosystem collapse.

There are over a hundred grassroots groups in BC that are working to address the negative impacts of forestry in their communities.  Many of them are based in the interior, in small towns and rural communities, areas that are hundreds of miles away from the decision-makers in Victoria, and most of all, they are people who have been directly impacted by industrial forestry.

These are people who are well-educated on the effects of forest management.  They understand how ecosystems work and they know the wildlife in their regions because they spend a lot of time in the forest. 

But the government is ignoring their pleas to change forestry practices and protect primary forests.

We can protect primary forests and we can do logging differently in previously logged areas

They’ve done logging the industrial way and over the decades they’ve seen the dramatic decreases in the numbers of fish and wildlife here.  They know that animals have lost their habitat and food because of industrial logging and road building. They have also done logging in ways that respect nature’s needs and don’t cause the problems that clearcutting does.

This means a forest keeps its original pieces – it has high levels of native species, it has its original degree of diversity, and it has a composition and structure that allow ecological processes to continue – like slow snow melt in the spring (rather than extreme floods) and the development of old growth. It allows things to happen on nature’s timelines rather than industrial deadlines.

Most critically, at this point in time, under nature-directed management, all primary forests are left undisturbed. They are not logged at all. This includes old growth forests.

No nature-based management allowed?

Our group prepared to get nature-directed management into our watershed. But like others who want this in their local forests, we found out we can’t do this in BC on public land. Why not? 

This question goes hand in hand with this question, “With all of the knowledge about how to do logging differently, and all of the scientists speaking up about conserving forests and the importance old growth, and Indigenous knowledge about reciprocal relationships with nature, and with so many people working to save forests and make their communities safe, why is BC still losing primary natural forests at a rapid rate?

What are we up against?

There is a powerful forestry lobby in BC.  Back in 2003 they influenced government to have forestry legislation changed to favor them. So provincial legislation mandates that decisions about logging on public lands are made by timber companies and based on profit considerations. 

The people who are out on the land making decisions about where and how much to log are trained to extract fiber as quickly as possible for the lowest cost.  Other values – like biodiversity, community safety, and wildlife are RARELY taken into consideration.

Here’s another thing that we’re up against: public misconception – and a lot of that stems from the forestry lobby.  For example, many people believe that tree plantations offer the same benefits as natural forests.  But they don’t.  Tree plantations are monocrops that don’t function the same way as biodiverse natural forests.  They are zones with damaged and compacted soils. They don’t offer the same protection against fires, floods, or drought and are likely to cause more of those problems.  By managing our water for us, primary forests are our life support system.

Grassroots efforts are futile without legislative change

Okay, so what do we do? Well, people are already trying.  Across the province there are grassroots groups led by volunteers and they don’t have the resources or influence of the forestry lobby.   People are reporting that they are meeting with government staff to ask for changes to how the land around them is treated, and yet nothing changes. 

Why is that?  The staff don’t have the authority to alter the practices that are propped up by legislation.  As a result, our life-giving primary forests continue to disappear and people are becoming despondent.

The other thing that’s happening is groups are making efforts to deal with their *local* issues, so we’re all out there addressing forestry in a fragmented way.  And we’re getting nowhere.  The BC government is not correcting damaging forestry practices.

Instead, the province is doing things like the Old Growth Panel review, but it hasn’t implemented the recommendations.  It is also creating a Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework which is a document that uses all the right language, such as ecological integrity, but has no power to change anything on the ground – it has no legal teeth.  The province of BC has yet to create enforceable policy or legislation that’s making a difference on the ground.  There is simply no political will to do this. 

Nothing changes until the legislation changes.

Because the connection between the forestry lobby and the decision-makers is so strong,  politicians are not necessarily well-informed about the costs or the impacts of industrial forestry on our communities as much of the blame is being placed on climate change.  There is a clear case for re-educating decision-makers and for driving the political will to change legislation.

Our Plan

Here is our plan for getting this urgent and transformational work done.  It’s time to activate our network.  This network is made up of the concerned individuals and grassroots groups who know what’s going on.  We’ve created a plan for citizens to drive the replacement of the forestry legislation that is the source of our ecosystem problems. 

The aim of this game-changing, first-ever citizen’s campaign to change forestry legislation is to unify and send a clear single message to our politicians:

Create a NEW FOREST ACT to save our forests and protect our communities.

A forest act will be a complex document.  At this point, we’re going to avoid getting bogged down by trying to write out all the details – details are important but that comes later.  We cannot afford any more stalling.  For now, we need to get support going for this tremendous shift by keeping the message focused and clear by talking about the 3 key priorities of the new forest act.

3 Key Priorities of the New Forest Act

• The first and overarching priority is to enshrine in law that all forestry decisions are based on ecosystem and conservation science rather than timber supply considerations.  This is an umbrella priority that applies to everything else that comes after it. 
  
• The second priority is a re-centering of forestry decision-making that allows the public and Indigenous Peoples to participate. 
  
• The third is that the government eliminates monopolies and, instead incentivizes and supports small-to-medium businesses doing local forestry, conservation, and restoration work that is founded in nature-directed stewardship.

This is an act in law so it will have enforceability.  It’s important that the monitoring and compliance activities are done government instead of letting industry continue to govern itself.

How are we going to get this done?

This vital campaign will equip and empower people by providing the information required to express this message in a clear unified manner, as well as supply easy-to-read scientific and factual information to present to government. 

The 3 Stages of the Campaign

STAGE 1: PREPARATION

The new Forest Act proposal is in its final stages of preparation. An Information Package is being prepared for people to take to politicians. It contains: the costs of the current system, the rationale for new legislation, the principles and standards for new legislation, a new government structure, pathways for stable community economies.

STAGE 2:  REGIONAL EVENTS – SPEAKER LINE UP

Details of the new Forest Act proposal and the Information Package will be shared at the following events by Jennifer Houghton, the Power of Forests Project Manager (with the Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society). Local speakers, Indigenous People, and scientists will also present relevant regional information regarding the costs of the current system and the urgent need for new legislation. 

Presentations will be recorded and shared on Youtube, social media, and Vancouver Island community Rogers Cable channels.

Nanaimo, September 14, 2024, 12-4:30, Beban Park Social Centre, 2300 Bowen Rd, Nanaimo

1. Geraldine Manson, Snuneymuxw Traditional Knowledge Keeper

2. Dave Weaver, Beaufort Watershed Stewards

3. Daniel Arbour, Director, Comox Valley Regional District

4. Paul Manly, Nanaimo City Councillor

…………………………….

South Cowichan, Sept 17, 7-8:30pm, Mill Bay Community Hall

1. Shawnigan Basin Society

……………………………………

Vancouver, Sept 21, 2024, 12-4:30, The Nest, UBC Vancouver, Rm 2306/2309, 6133 University Blvd, Vancouver

1. hiwus Calvin Craigan, Hereditary Chief, Sechelt First Nation

2. Ross Muirhead, Elphinstone Logging Focus

3. Dr. Younes Alila, UBC Forest Hydrology

…………………

Prince George, September 28, 2024, 12-4:30, Canfor Theatre, 3333 University Way Prince George BC

1. Michelle Connolly, Conservation North
2. Herb Hammond, Forest Ecologist

……………………….

Nelson, October 5, 12-3pm, The Adventure Hotel, 616 Vernon St, Nelson, BC

1. Joe Karthein, Save What’s Left

2. Dr. Rachel Holt

……………..

Kelowna, October 12, 12-3:30, UBC Okanagan, ASC 140

1. Dawn Morrison, Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty
2. Joe Karthein, Save What’s Left

STAGE 3:  MEDIA BLITZ & STRATEGIC PLANNING

We’re joining forces to create a louder voice

This campaign has a unique value.  Grassroots groups have an unwavering commitment to the communities they serve.  We’re leveraging this network of dedicated individuals and grassroots groups to influence decision makers. 

To bring this important movement about, we are raising funds in a variety of ways: crowdfunding, foundations, grants, individuals.  There are a lot of people who are care about this issue and can’t get directly involved because they have full-time jobs and families, but they want to help make this transformational work happen.

We are collaborating with other groups and welcome sponsorships.

Community Groups involved:

Beaufort Watershed Stewards, Union Bay

Yellow Point Ecological Society, Ladysmith

Save Our Forests Team – Comox Valley

Shawnigan Basin Society, Mill Bay

Elphinstone Logging Focus, Sechelt

Conservation North, Prince George

Interior Watershed Task Force – Okanagan & Boundary region

Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance, Peachland

Horsefly River Roundtable, Horsefly

Joe Rich Forestry, Trails, and Watershed, Kelowna

Silver Hills Watershed Watch, Lumby

Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society, Grand Forks

Save What’s Left, Nelson

Thanks to generous donors, the project is well on its way, so that people unite to drive politicians to create a new Forest Act, so that BC forests and communities are protected.

You can support the campaign by donating below.

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DONATE

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Choose to give your gift to BC forests in one of three ways:

1. Send an e-transfer to [email protected]
2. Donate using Paypal by clicking on the button below. You will receive a receipt via the Paypal system. (Please note, we are a registered non-profit organization but cannot issue charitable tax receipts.)

3. To donate by cheque > Please make the cheque out to Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society and mail to 11275 Granby Road, Grand Forks, BC V0H 1H1

Why we prefer e-transfers:

We are doing this work because of your generous gifts! We have set up a PayPal account for those of you who wish to contribute that way and donate with a credit card.  However, PayPal charges 3.5% for a donation fee (more for a credit card payment), so we receive a smaller amount of every donation. If possible, we ask that you consider sending an interac e-transfer to us at [email protected]. You will pay whatever you would usually pay for a transfer, and we will receive your entire donation for this important work.  

THANK YOU!