News Release

Time for BC government to rescind contentious logging permits, says Wilderness Committee

VICTORIA – Environmentalists at the Wilderness Committee are increasing their efforts to stop old-growth logging in Vancouver Island’s Central Walbran Valley, with a decentralized “phone blitz” today urging the BC government to address the issue.

Today’s action – part of a series of “Walbran Wednesday” events – will target BC Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson, who has ultimate authority over logging permits in the province.

Walbran Wednesday participants phoned Minister Thomson last month, and callers were told by staff that the Minister was aware of the controversy in the Walbran Valley and was looking into it. Since then, however, no action has been taken by government and old-growth logging continues in the Walbran.

“For each of these events, we’ve typically been calling on a different authority complicit in the destruction of the Walbran Valley – including the logging company and district offices,” said Torrance Coste, Vancouver Island Campaigner with the Wilderness Committee. “But Minister Thomson is failing to provide leadership on this critical issue, so we’re calling on him again this month.”

Last week, a citizen was arrested for peacefully blocking loggers contracted by Teal Jones from accessing active cutblocks. This is the first arrest in the Walbran in over two decades, and it highlights the growing public unrest with old-growth logging in the area.

So far, BC Premier Christy Clark, Forest Minister Steve Thomson and Environment Minister Mary Polak have failed to take action despite receiving over 7,000 letters from citizens asking them to protect the Central Walbran.

“The BC government seems to believe that if they keep ignoring the Walbran Valley, this whole issue will just go away,” Coste said. “This is a huge mistake. Opposition to old-growth logging in the Walbran grows every day, and we’re not going to let the Minister of Forests forget that.”

Next Wednesday, the Wilderness Committee and concerned citizens will bring the crisis in the Walbran Valley to the provincial government’s doorstep with a creative action on the lawn of the BC Legislature.

The Wilderness Committee is calling on the BC government to immediately rescind logging permits for cutblocks north of the Walbran River, to permanently protect an intact 486-hectare area in the Central Walbran Valley and work towards ending old-growth logging across Vancouver Island.

The Central Walbran Valley is in the unceded territory of the Pacheedaht First Nation.

–30–

For more information, please contact:

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

Additional resources:

Photos of the Walbran Valley
https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/walbran_valley_photos