Project Update: Protect Forests by Law
Thanks to everyone who has already given support to the project, we’re underway with Phase 1: Preparation and Outreach. We’ve also had two incredible donors pledge to give $50,000 and $20,000! So exciting!
We’re all coming together to give relief to our exhausted forests so they can continue to give us life. Every bit of help counts. Click here to donate!
Why are BC communities at risk?
Decades of overcutting from industrial logging have resulted in enormous losses of primary natural forests in British Columbia. Because primary forests play such an important role in managing our water for us, these losses have led to people in our watershed and across the province being impacted in many ways including:
- decreases in drinking and agricultural water supply and quality
- more drought
- more fires
- more landslides
- devastating ecosystem collapse
AND, MORE FLOODS!
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.
Industrial logging is causing serious problems in our watershed. Anyone who has flown over the province has seen it – the bare patches where primary forests used to be.
In their desire to take large volumes of ‘fiber’ off the land, big forest companies are clearcutting extremely large areas as quickly as they can. They are also logging in ecologically sensitive areas, like beside streams and lakes, and re-logging stands before they are mature.
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 clearcutting is happening across the province – there are thousands of examples in BC of the devastation left from industrial clearcutting.
The community of Peachland had to spend millions of dollars on a new water treatment plant because of the sediment in their drinking water. That sediment flows down the hills into their water supply because of soil damage and erosion from forestry activities.
Other communities like Lytton have been hit by devastating fires. Overall, the number of fires in rural areas in BC has been on the increase, not only from climate change, but from the loss of the primary forests that manage our water for us.
Another problem that is on the rise in BC is drought which is hitting farmers and ranchers.
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.
We can do logging differently
Here’s the good news. WE CAN DO LOGGING DIFFERENTLY. Our Forest Watchdogs have been logging, fishing, and hunting in our watershed for over 50 years. 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 clearcutting.
They have also done logging in ways that respect nature’s needs and don’t cause the problems that clearcutting does.
This other kind of logging is rooted in nature-based planning and it doesn’t prioritize fiber extraction. With nature-based management, some logging can still be done. But the first decision is WHICH TREES TO LEAVE, and then we’re left with which trees can be logged. The top priority in nature-based planning is to protect ecological integrity.
It 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 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, 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-based forest 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.
Another misconception is that forestry is a big part of the BC economy and without it, the economy will suffer. The truth is, that while forestry used to make a significant contribution to the province’s economy, it no longer does. As of 2019 forestry only made up less than 3% of the BC GDP. And the industry was only supplying 1.9% of the jobs. This begs the question: is it worth it?
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, including Indigenous groups, 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.
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?
In a nutshell: 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 politicians.
The 3 Stages of the Campaign
Funds are being raised in a 3-staged approach.
UNDERWAY! STAGE 1: Preparation: Outreach & Information Gathering (fundraising level $50,000)
- Conduct outreach with the BC communities that need this help the most.
- Gather information on legislation, the economics, the science, and how to influence political will
- Create a presentation and Information Kit containing factual and scientific information to influence politicians to support a change to the legislation.
STAGE 2: REGIONAL EVENTS (fundraising level $126k-175k – number of events will depend on amount raised)
Present live public events in communities across BC that will empower, equip, and activate people and groups to push their politicians into supporting a change to the legislation. Invite and involve local watershed, forestry reform, and Indigenous groups.
Each local event will provide:
o The Information Kit
o Presentations:
1. By local leaders knowledgeable on the challenges of their region
2. By scientist(s) with a focus on regional impacts
3. By a campaign team member on the priorities of the proposed new Forest Act.
STAGE 3: MEDIA BLITZ & AWARENESS (fundraising level $150k-218k)
Share presentations and videos across media and social media; conduct media interviews, share results and reports with politicians.
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 also plan on collaborating with other groups and welcoming sponsorships.
Thanks to generous donors, we’ve launched the, 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.
DONATE
Phase 1 is funded and underway! We’re on track to raise $126,000 to accomplish Phase 2.
You can choose any amount.
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!
