The B.C. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday about whether the province is doing enough to protect an endangered old-growth forest.

 

The Western Canada Wilderness Committee and ForestEthics Solutions requested a judicial review, saying B.C.'s forestry regulations contradict laws about issuing notices about endangered ecosystems, in this case the coastal Douglas fir forest on southeast Vancouver Island.

 

“We're hoping the province is going to do their duty,” Torrance Coste, WCWC's Vancouver Island campaigner, told 24 hours. “It's down to an area as small as Stanley Park; that's as endangered as you can get for a forest.

 

“We're hoping that, on the public land the province controls, the province will issue orders to logging companies in that forest type to take care of the forest and treat it is an endangered species. We want to see the last tiny fragments of this forest type protected.”

 

A Ministry of Forests spokesman said the minister could not comment as it is before the courts, but acknowledged the coastal Douglas fir is “recognized as an endangered ecosystem” with only 256,800 hectares remaining. However, less than a tenth of that is on provincially owned land, 40% of that already protected.

 

Crown lawyer Leah Greathead disputed the maps presented, saying there'd been no opportunity for expert response.

 

“While these maps may be created upon government data, that wasn't presented to the ministry when they made the demands,” she said. “There's no opportunity for those who have expertise, in the ministry of environment in particular, to comment on it.

 

“It's a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of a judicial review.”