News Release

Environmental and public concerns ignored by company and provincial government

VICTORIA – Today the British Columbia government approved a contentious cutblock in the central Walbran Valley on Vancouver Island. The central Walbran is one of Canada’s most important stands of unprotected old-growth rainforest. Logging company Teal Jones received a new permit from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations to cut endangered old-growth trees.

“This is a total abdication of responsibility from the BC government,” said Torrance Coste, Vancouver Island Campaigner with the Wilderness Committee. “This type of old-growth forest is simply too rare to destroy, and the fact that the government isn’t responding to this crisis is shameful.”

At low elevation, less than 10 per cent of Vancouver Island’s old-growth rainforest remains standing.

The Wilderness Committee obtained preliminary logging plans from Teal Jones at the end of May, and were shocked to learn the company had laid out eight new cutblocks in the central Walbran – a legendary tract of intact forest amongst a sea of clearcuts on southwestern Vancouver Island.

The area comprises only a fraction of Teal Jones’ forest tenure, but the company has refused requests to look at other harvest options. In the last few months, nearly 3,500 citizens have written to the Premier and Minister of Forests, demanding that the government deny logging permits in the Valley.

Among those opposed are citizens willing to re-ignite a War in the Woods-style conflict last seen in the Walbran Valley in the early nineties.

“We don’t want this go to a blockade,” Coste said. “The provincial government has the ability to avoid that, and it’s time for them to step up – they need to rescind this permit and start engaging with the company, local First Nations and the public on alternatives.”

The Wilderness Committee has requested emergency meetings with Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, but thus far the Minister has refused.

“The level of public opposition to these logging plans has been unprecedented. We’ve heard from thousands of people who can’t understand how the Minister of Forests can remain missing in action on an issue this critical,” said Coste.

Along with other groups, the Wilderness Committee has hosted public demonstrations and rallies, and visited the central Walbran several times in the past few months.

The Walbran Valley contains some of the oldest and largest redcedar and sitka spruce trees in Canada – some as wide as four metres across at their base. The Walbran is located in unceded Nuu-chah-nulth territory.

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For more information, please contact:

Torrance Coste | Vancouver Island Campaigner, Wilderness Committee
(250) 516-9900, torrance@wildernesscommittee.org

Photos of the Walbran Valley (available for media use, with credit included):
https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/victoria/walbran_valley_photos_2015