B.C. First Nations make deal with Western Forests to defer old-growth logging
Cedar, fir and hemlock trees as old as 800 years have temporary protection after an agreement was reached between four Vancouver Island First Nations and a forestry company.
The deal between four nations in the Nanwakolas Council and Western Forest Products Inc. announced Wednesday will allow for a two-year deferral of logging for 25 square kilometres of rare, ancient and priority old-growth trees.
In November, the government said it would defer the logging of B.C.'s most rare old-growth trees and gave 200 First Nations a deadline to decide if they supported the deferrals or if they thought further discussion was required.
Nanwakolas Council president Dallas Smith said the nations took the first step because the area holds cultural and environmental importance.
“Cedar is the tree of life in our culture,” he said in an interview.
Smith said the nations want to make sure that this tree is preserved for all future generations, he said.
“For animals and birds to call home, to either carve totem poles, build big houses, build canoes, those sorts of things that we've sort of taken for granted while we've seen the stockpile deplete.”
The First Nations, Tlowitsis, K'omoks, Wei Wai Kum and We Wai Kai, have territory that extends south of Comox Valley up through Port McNeil and into the B.C. Mainland. However, Smith said this agreement only concerns central Vancouver Island.
The agreement is important not only to protect the big trees but the habitat around them because some of the giants left standing alone in a clearcut have later blown down, he said.
The agreement includes preservation of 10 square kilometres of forest identified by a B.C. government old-growth advisory panel as needing protection. Another 15 square kilometres of priority ancient forests were also deferred through other agreements between the nations and the forestry firm.
First Nations waited for years to ensure that their cultural values were incorporated into discussions about forests and all that they hold, Smith said, adding that came together with the agreement.
“Well, it's a small start with the 2,500 hectares,” he said.
“We still have other areas within our territory that are going to come under a similar regime.”
Eagles, hawks, ravens, deer, and elk, among other plants and animals, call those forests home, he said.
“Elk habitats very important to us in this discussion. Elk habitats are a big driver for this dialogue for us.”
Forests Minister Katrine Conroy said Wednesday the temporary halt of logging in large sections of old-growth is an important measure giving First Nations and the forest industry time and space to develop long-term strategies.
“A temporary deferral is a step in a long-term partnership and vision for forest management that will benefit local communities and ecosystem health,” she said at a news conference.
Shannon Janzen, Western's vice-president of partnership and sustainability, said the agreement shows that forest management can be balanced with environmental, social and cultural practices.
Smith said another part of their agreement is that any other harvesting will have to be done after approval with all First Nations communities.
“We do have some trees that we've set aside for totem poles or canoes because they take a tree of a certain magnitude to do so,” he noted.
“We've identified a few of those within the area that are acceptable to harvest, but we're really trying to limit and stop the big tree harvesting from our territory.”
The heat dome, floods and forest fires in the province last year highlighted the importance of trees and intact rainforests, Smith said.
The protection ensures that First Nations are helping to mitigate some of the impacts of climate change, while protecting biodiversity, he said.
“So, it's really important to have this network of protection areas that go up and down the coast so we can make sure we're doing our part.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Thieves use stolen forklift to rip cash machine out of U.K. bank
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
'There was a lot of black smoke': Crane operator sounds alarm while trapped during highrise fire in Halifax
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.