The Wilderness Committee is available for comment today in response to a report from British Columbia’s Auditor General that is critical of the BC government’s timber management practices.

“This report raises red flags, especially given the many old-growth forests in BC that are currently in danger of being lost forever to the chainsaws,” said Tria Donaldson, Vancouver Island Campaigner for the Wilderness Committee. “We have been saying for years that the protection and management of BC’s forests has been inadequate, and this report from the Auditor General confirms that.”

The Auditor General’s report found that the government’s objectives for timber management were not well enough defined, that monitoring was insufficient, and concluded that “existing management practices are insufficient to offset a trend toward future forests having a lower timber supply and less species diversity in some areas.”

“We are also alarmed at the Auditor General’s assessment that species diversity could suffer in the future if current practices continue, especially because BC does not have an endangered species law,” said Donaldson. "It’s critical that government policy and practice protect BC’s invaluable forests, with their natural wonder and biodiversity.”

The report issued today calls on the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations to implement measures to monitor progress on forest management and to report back to the public. The full report is available online at bcauditor.com

Contact:

Tria Donaldson, Pacific Coast Campaigner, Wilderness Committee, cell: 250-686-9249