B.C. has asked First Nations if they want old-growth forests set aside from logging, allowing time for long-term conservation and sustainable development planning.
TJ Watt stands beside a giant red cedar tree, left, before and after it was cut in an old-growth forest in the Caycuse watershed in Ditidaht First Nation territory on Vancouver Island, B.C. in this combination handout photo.
The neighbouring Hesquiaht and Tla-o-qui-aht nations were working on similar plans in the fall of 2020, when the B.C. government issued an order to defer logging across more than 170,000 hectares of old-growth forests around Clayoquot Sound, while it works with the nations to establish permanently protected areas.
However, it has yet to announce significant funding to support the complex process for nations to consider how to preserve old growth while developing alternative sources of revenue and economic opportunities aligned with stewardship goals. In its most recent public update on deferral areas provided nearly eight months ago, the Forests Ministry said the province had received responses from 75 First Nations in support of deferrals across 1.05 million hectares of at-risk forests, while 60 had requested more time and seven had indicated they didn’t support the plan.
The deferral areas contain some of the largest and most ecologically important old-growth forests left in B.C., said Another area in the Caycuse was logged a couple of months after the start of the deferral process, said Watt, Watt said he feels B.C. is putting First Nations in an unfair position by asking them to choose between generating forestry revenue and pausing logging without compensation or support for sustainable economic and ecological development.
In response to a series of questions, the ministry said the increase would “more than offset” any short-term revenue impacts arising from old-growth deferrals.
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