B.C.'s Old Growth Forests need protetion now. open letter

Hi all.  I just sent this letter to my provincial Premier in British Columbia (That's like a state Governor to those South of the border.)   I also sent it to my local paper; might be in there next week.

Dear Premier Horgan,

Congratulations on winning the election. Thank you for speaking up for old-growth forests during your campaign. I am writing to ask that you follow through on your promise by fully implementing the Independent Old-Growth Panel’s recommendations in your mandate letter to new Ministers.


This recent election has made it clear that the majority of voters in British Columbia want to protect endangered old-growth forests. But let’s also be clear about some things: This isn’t an issue of politics and popularity. It’s an issue of climate, of protecting endangered ecological systems, of the sovereignty of Indigenous nations, and of the dignity of historic Indigenous cultures.

These forests need interim protection now. This can be done by creating a cabinet that reflects the significance and relevancy of the need to fast-track the full implementation of the Old Growth Panel’s report. Your task now is to create a cabinet of ministers who understand the climate crisis, ecological collapse, and Indigenous rights, while also understanding how intact forests can help protect the health and well-being of all British Columbians. This will require that the Panel’s recommendations be part of the key tasks in the mandate letters to Ministers of Forests, Environment and Climate Change, and Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. You will also need to provide adequate funding for the full implementation of the Panel’s recommendations including those for alternative economic opportunities. And lastly, we need to expedite meaningful engagement with Indigenous decision-makers to fully implement those recommendations, including an interim step of a full moratorium on logging at-risk iconic low elevation old-growth forests.

Only 400,000 hectares with big old-growth trees remain across all of B.C.-that’s about the size of Burnaby and Surrey combined. Many are presently slated for clear-cut.

Logging in B.C. puts out 42 million tonnes of atmospheric carbon emissions annually. In addition, another 26 million tonnes can't be recaptured for at least the first 13 years before planted trees have built enough root/soil symbiosis. Old-growth forests, like B.C’s., are particularly adept at carbon sequestration. At 1,000 tonnes of carbon per hectare, it is one of the highest rates on earth.

The benefits of leaving them for the health of our province’s collective future are manifold.  These remaining old-growth rainforests are one of the keys to our understanding of how our greater ecosystems function, and thus they are paramount to our future task of rehabilitation after so much clear-cutting has already been done. They are also key to rebuilding the well being of many Indigenous nations. There is much in the way of tourism potential in these intact ancient forest ecosystems.

When we consider the ecological and cultural significance of old-growth forests, it behooves all who have it in their power to protect these ancient and vibrant ecosystems for future generations. Is it asking too much to protect .04% of B.C’s area from logging? I believe you know the answer to that. Those ecosystems deserve it, and future generations deserve it too.

info in the following CBC article comes partly from page 8 of this Sierra Club report:  https://sierraclub.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019-Clearcut-Carbon-report.pdf  I've seen the stats elsewhere as well.

CBC article

Also, my .04% stat is from taking 40,000 hectares from B.C.'s area of 94.4735 million hectares.  The 40,000 came from the bottom of page 22 of this report from former government scientists  (The Old Growth Panel): Old Growth Panel's Report

note: edited to make link work

BRAVO

I hope they choose too protect the forests rather than give in to economic pressure from loggers, sawmills and lumber sellers.

With the election of a new majority government, and yet to be announced Cabinet ministers, there is a further need to urge the staff of the Ministry of Forests to set the stage for our new minister to implement the recommendations of the Old Growth Review Panel.

The following is a clip from the letter-writing tool that Stand.earth has used in this new campaign.  Please, if you have interest in the subject of this thread, I urge you to create a letter, using these talking points as inspiration, and then insert it into their tool to send it as an email to ministry staff.  ...and following that is the link to the stand.earth email tool.

KEY POINTS FOR YOUR LETTER:

   Less than 1% of forests in B.C. have large, old growth trees still standing
   Most of these old growth forests in B.C. are still open to logging
   The new majority government campaigned on an election promise to implement all 14 of the old growth review panel recommendations, which you received in April
   The most urgent recommendation was to ban the logging of at-risk old growth forests within 6 months
   50,000+ people have signed a petition to end logging in at-risk old growth forests across B.C.
   While we are waiting for cabinet to be announced, Ministry staff should prepare a detailed plan for the next Minister of Forests to take necessary action
   Your Ministry already has the necessary information to recommend key areas for immediate logging deferrals
   The government’s announcement of logging deferrals for 350,000 hectares of land in September only included 3,800 hectares of at-risk old growth forests: these types of misleading announcements erode public trust in your work
   You must ensure that the Ministry is equipped to work with, and support, Indigenous Nations on long-term protection plans
   Will you please respond with confirmation that you have received this email and advise the new Minister of Forests accordingly?

[size=18]SEND YOUR EMAIL HERE[/size]