Two of the province’s worst logging operators stake their claims as conservationists vow to put up a fight

Vancouver, British Columbia – The BC government’s own logging operation, known as BC Timber Sales (BCTS) and one of the province’s largest private-land loggers, Island Timber Lands have both recently unveiled plans to log in one of the most contentious forests of British Columbia – Clayoquot Sound.

BCTS has a very bad reputation amongst BC’s conservation community. For example, BCTS was identified as the largest single logger of spotted owl habitat in Canada. The spotted owl is an oldgrowth forest dependant species that is considered to be the most endangered bird in Canada.

The BCTS logging plans cover an area of pristine oldgrowth forest in the Upper Kennedy River Valley, which is part of the Clayoquot Sound area – and that’s got environmental groups like the Western Canada Wilderness Committee riled up and preparing for a fight.

“Back in 1993, with the permission of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation (TFN), who are the aboriginal owners of this forest, we built an amazing hiking trail in the Upper Kennedy Valley so people could witness for themselves the incredible beauty of an ancient rainforest with thousand year old trees. We called it the Witness Trail,” explained Joe Foy, Campaign Director with the Western Canada Wilderness Committee. “There is no way we can let this area be logged without one heck of a fight,” he said.

Currently the Wilderness Committee is in discussions with the TFN on how best to revitalize the Witness Trail by reclearing some sections and repairing the boardwalk system. The Upper Kennedy has been declared an eehmiis area (meaning ‘very special’ in the local language) by the First Nations of Clayoquot Sound.

In the lower Kennedy River Valley another logging company, Island Timberlands has recently revealed plans to log private lands in the Cannery Bay area. “This area has great cultural significance to the TFN and their wishes must be taken into account before any logging goes forward,” said Foy.

Island Timberlands has a terrible reputation amongst many Port Alberni residents for the company’s poor logging practices and for shipping the timber they cut as raw logs to foreign mills.

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For more information contact:

Joe Foy – Office tel: (604) 683-8220; Cell tel: (604) 880-2580