Old-growth logging activists defend use of second-growth trees to form blockade at Fairy Creek
Activists calling for an end to old-growth logging in B.C. are defending their use of second-growth trees that were reportedly felled to form a blockade in the Fairy Creek watershed area of Vancouver Island on Saturday.
Over the weekend, RCMP accused protesters of cutting down 18 living tees to lay across a logging road to prevent vehicles from driving into the watershed.
That same day, 16 people were arrested, 15 for obstruction and one for civil contempt of court for breaching the injunction, said police.
On Monday, activists with the Rainforest Flying Squad said that the use of second-growth trees to make the blockade was minimal compared to the amount of trees that are cut down to accommodate old-growth logging.
Protesters say that a significant amount of second-growth is cut down to create logging roads to old-growth cutblocks, and even more are felled around the sites themselves.
"They’re (the activists) only cutting on the right-of-way, which will be cut again anyway. That's common practice," said Bill Jones, an Elder with the Pacheedaht First Nation who supports old-growth logging protests in a statement Monday.
"It’s not really something to make a mountain out of. It’s not a threat to the ecology. It’s okay with me," he said. "There’s miles and miles of second-growth on rights-of-way that’s simply mowed down."
On Saturday, RCMP said they were concerned about wildfire dangers after one protester was reportedly seen smoking a cigarette at the top of a tripod structure.
Members of the Rainforest Flying Squad say they are aware of fire risks and have been using a "strict fire safety protocol" for roughly a month. The activists say they're re-emphasizing the importance of the fire safety protocol, while noting that regular logging activities also create their own fire risks.
"I don’t pretend that the Pacheedaht or any mankind owns the old-growth," said Jones. "I feel the-old growth belongs to the Great Mother and it’s our duty -- and all our duty -- to protect and care for it."
Nearly 500 people have been arrested on Vancouver Island since RCMP began enforcing an injunction against old-growth logging blockades in May.
As of Saturday, 494 people have been arrested, including at least 28 people who have been arrested more than once, according to RCMP.
While Pacheedaht Elder Jones has been supporting protesters in the area, elected Pacheedaht officials have repeatedly called for activists to leave the area, saying that the Nation expects its rights over its land and stewardship responsibilities to be respected.
In June, a group of three Vancouver Island First Nations and the province agreed to a two-year deferral of old-growth logging in large sections of the Fairy Creek watershed and central Walbran valley.
Protesters say that more has to be done, however, and are calling for the protection of all B.C. old-growth forests in perpetuity.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.