B.C.urged to protect at-risk old growth forests while it works to transform policy

The most at-risk ecosystems should be set aside fromlogging while British Columbia shifts its forestry policies toward amore sustainable system, says a forester who helpedwrite aprovincial report on old-growth forests.

The report last April co-written by Garry Merkel urged B.C. toact within six months to defer harvesting in old forest ecosystemsat the highest risk of permanent biodiversity loss.

"There (are) some of those ecosystems targeted for harvestingright now,'' he said in an interview this week, six months afterB.C. released the report and pledged to implement therecommendations from the panel of two independent foresters who werecommissioned to write it.

"I do share the impatience of a lot of folks.''

At the same time, Merkel said he doesn't question thegovernment's commitment to implementing the panel's recommendationsand the process overall will take years.

"This is very much in my mind an intergenerational process thatwe're working through.''

Old-growth forests are crucial to the overall health ofecosystems in the province, said Merkel, affecting everything fromthe raindrops that collect in the tree canopy to the water that runsin salmon streams below.

The risk of biodiversity loss is high when at least 30 per centof the natural old forest in an ecosystem is not kept intact, hesaid, adding B.C.'s old growth retention targets in some areas arelower than that threshold.

The old growth panel's report says it's projected that almost allof B.C. would be at high risk of biodiversity loss once most of theavailable old forest is harvested under the current managementapproach.

Just over 13 million hectares of old forests remain in B.C.,according to provincial data. The report notes as much as 80 percent of that land consist of smaller trees with lower commercialvalue.

A separate analysis by independent ecologists published andsubmitted to the province last spring says about 415,000 hectares ofold-growth forests that produce the biggest trees with the highestecological and cultural value remain in B.C. It also says thedistribution of large protected areas was "biased towards higherelevation and lower productivity ecosystems.''

The province announced last September it would temporarily deferold growth harvesting in close to 353,000 hectares in nine differentareas, while further work was underway to protect up to 1,500exceptionally large trees.

The deferral areas consist of a combination of old growth andsecond growth, or trees that are planted or regenerate in previouslycleared forests.

Forests Minister Katrine Conroy said in an interview thedeferrals protect 196,000 hectares of old growth, and that roadmaintenance and harvesting second growth are still allowed.

The province was able to act quickly in those areas because ithad already been working with nearby First Nations, she added.

B.C. will hold discussions with First Nations and others,including forestry companies, workers and environmental groups, todetermine the next areas where harvesting may be deferred, saidConroy.

The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and conservation groups in theprovince wrote a letter last month calling on the government toprovide funding for First Nations that would forego revenue in theevent of harvesting deferrals.

The letter also requests funding for economic diversificationthrough eco-tourism, stewardship programs and activities consistentwith protecting old growth, similar to the plan for the Great BearRainforest on B.C.'s north coast.

It points to a value-added forest industry using second growthtrees as a sustainable way forward, which would mean exporting fewerunprocessed logs and manufacturing more wood products, such astreated lumber, timber-frame homes, shakes and shingles.

"We need to be retooling mills all across B.C. to processsmaller, second-growth trees,'' said Andrea Innes, a campaigner withthe Ancient Forest Alliance. "We need to be investing in researchand development to make sure that we're staying competitive in theglobal market and being able to produce high-quality products ... while also making jobs.''

In statements released Thursday, the Ancient Forest Alliance, Wilderness Committee and Sierra Club B.C. say the province has yet to develop an old growth transition plan with key dates and milestones, following the panel's recommendation to approve one in six to 12 months.

They urge the government to immediately defer logging for allat-risk old growth and commit to transition funding for FirstNations affected by deferrals.

Inness said much of the 353,000 hectares set aside last fallconsists of lower productivity forests, and only about 3,800 hectaresof that land was previously unprotected, productive old-growthforest that would have been logged otherwise.

The Forest Ministry said in an email the deferral areas containboth old and younger trees because old forests don't always grow incontinuous patches.

The proposed timeline in the panel's report was drafted beforethe COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the province's work "quite significantly,'' said Conroy.

Susan Yurkovich, president of the B.C. Council of ForestIndustries, said no one wants to harvest beyond what is sustainable, because the future of the industry relies on access to wood fibre ata reasonable cost.

38,000 jobs

Yurkovich said old growth represents about a quarter of the treesharvested in B.C. each year. But Inness said tens of thousands ofhectares of the most ecologically valuable trees are being cut.

About 38,000 jobs are tied to harvesting old growth in B.C., saidYurkovich.

The province needs a clear plan that reflects an array of views,prioritizes forest health and provides stability for everyone fromindustry to Indigenous communities to tourism operators, she said.

"I value parks and protected areas as well. We would also liketo say out loud that we also value the working forest,'' she said. "It builds communities. It provides very significant contributionsto the GDP of our province and those things fund schools andhospitals and roads.''