It’s a cool and wet spring. Despite the chilliness, there is so much to be grateful for. Our friends and families. The blossoms along urban streets and in the forests. The first bees and small butterflies. The beautiful tumbling garlands of blooms nestled in the uncurling leaves of the Bigleaf maples. The mosses that seem to shout out their glorious textures and shades of green so that all of us can feel a little joy.

Still, I wake in the mornings and maybe I listen to the news. Grief catches me—grief for all the violence and human suffering in Ukraine, throughout the African continent, in Afghanistan, Myanmar—and on it goes. So much violence and pain in this world, calling on our big hearts to do what we can.

And grief rises for the ancient forests of this province that are still being logged. Now is the opening of logging season. Ancient trees are being felled in greater ‘Ada’itsx, in the north Island, on Nootka Island in Nuchatlaht Territory, on the coastal mainland, in the Southern and Northern Interior—everywhere.

Grief is with us, and so is clear-eyed anger and determination. It’s not easy work trying to move a government that drifts like a huge disabled behemoth that has lost its sense of direction. It’s not easy when the government places the onus on Indigenous communities to take the risks involved in deferring logging that might bring some small resources to their communities. It’s not easy when getting clear information from the government is virtually impossible. And it’s not easy when logging companies and other extraction industries hold the upper hand beyond urban centres. But whoever said it would be easy.

We remain. Ever committed. Ever intrepid. Ever in solidarity with the ancient forests.
There is some progress on the logging deferral of old-growth trees. According to the Wilderness Committee, “In total, 1.7 million hectares of forest land are now temporarily off-limits from logging, giving First Nations the time needed to create land-use plans that will ultimately determine which areas receive permanent protection in the form of new Indigenous Protected Areas and forest reserves. However, it should be noted that 1.55 million hectares, or 60% of the 2.6 million hectares of at-risk old-growth recommended for deferral by the TAP, still lack deferrals and recent research has shown are in some cases still being logged.” The Ancient Forest Alliance perspective is here.

The new deferrals are not nearly enough, but we welcome each step and we will keep up the pressure for an immediate end to all at-risk, old-growth logging. (See State of Logging Deferrals)

Just in: STAND.earth has released shocking satellite images that reveal recent logging in the most at-risk old-growth forests in BC. “The technical panel that was appointed by the B.C. government itself implored decision-makers to immediately pause logging in these areas months ago, but the B.C. NDP chose instead to leave the majority of these at-risk old-growth forests on the chopping block.” They found recent logging permits for areas overlapping both proposed old-growth deferrals and caribou habitat, as well as heartbreaking photos of recently logged ancient trees. We hope you will take action on this. (See Actions)

STAND.earth has also released a critical study which opens the door for more action against the companies that are reaping profits from these ancient stands. (See Who’s logging the old growth? below)

The direct-action group, Save Old Growth, continues to keep old-growth logging in the forefront by blocking highways and conducting hunger strikes. Numerous activists have been arrested. (See Save Old Growth—direct action)

Thanks to the Relyea Family and other artists, the Elders for Ancient Trees and Esquimalt United Church Social Justice team for a wonderful fundraising concert on April 8 that raised over $3,000.

We also ask you to send your wishes and prayers for healing to Elder Bill Jones who has just undergone surgery. Please also send healing energies to Eartha, an elder and long-time forest defender living alone on Denman who has been suffering from COVID-like symptoms since the end of December.

Yours,
Jackie & Susan

Actions

Join STAND.earth, Sierra Club and Wildsite to expose old-growth logging. Add your voice to the mounting pressure to save old growth. It only takes two minutes, but could have a big impact. Share with friends!
Join the movement to save endangered species.
Wilderness Committee is launching an ambitious program to shake up the BC government—the same bunch who promised endangered species legislation and never delivered. Right now, over 1,900 species and subspecies are at risk in BC, many of them dependent on old-growth forests. Learn more here, and sign on to their letter to pressure for legislation to save these species.

Keep up the political pressure on MLAs to stop all old growth logging NOW. Contact BC cabinet ministers and your MLA. Congratulate them on some progress. Point out that almost two-thirds of old growth is still not protected.
Upcoming events
Every Wednesday, 4-6 pm, Rally for Ancient Forests+Forest Protectors. Meet at Victoria Visitor Centre, 815 Wharf at Gov’t & Humboldt.

Every Friday, 10-2 pm (EXCEPT Good Friday, April 15), Rock Painting for the Arrestee Art installation on Cook St, north of Hilda. Painting is at the Art Hub, 901 Kings Rd behind Quadra Hillside Community Centre. Materials provided. No cost, though donations to the Art Hub are welcome. Wear a mask. Children welcome.

Saturday, April 23, 11 a.m. at Salmon Camp, Fairy Creek Family Day,
sponsored by Parents 4 Climate and Elders for Ancient Trees.
Due to various complications, this event will probably be postponed until June. Stay tuned for more information. (Note: If it’s NOT postponed, we’ll send you an invitation separately.)

Saturday, April 23, 2 p.m. Protest to stop renewal of salmon-farm licences in Indigenous Territories. Get on the Community Action Bus and join renowned biologist Alexandra Morton in suporting Indigenous leadership and sovereignty in territorial waters. March to protect wild salmon from the continued environmental and Indigenous rights disaster of open-pen Atlantic salmon farms on this coast in Campbell River. Details here.

Saturday & Sunday May 14 & 15, Reconnecting to Life Weekend Workshop with Jackie Larkin and Maggie Ziegler. A transformative process for difficult times. Mary Lake Sanctuary (WMÍEŦEN), Saanich. More details here and information on the facilitators here (password: Jackie+Maggie).
What’s happening in ‘Ada’itsx/Fairy Creek

The logging season is beginning. Camp is gearing up and is now open for land defenders to join. A posting from the defenders reads in part: “We are getting ready to welcome returners and newcomers up to camp. This is a CALL OUT for people to join the frontlines to serve as Land Defenders in arrestable and support positions. The first step towards coming to camp for a long-term stay is to download an app called Signal.” Read more here.
State of logging deferrals

On Mar 29, the BC government announced additional logging deferrals for a total of 1.7 million hectares of old growth, including 1.05 million hectares in the most at-risk areas.

The Wilderness Committee responded, welcoming the deferrals. “The province earmarked 2.6 million hectares of the most at-risk old-growth forest for deferral in November last year. With the deferrals announced today, the government is about 40 percent of the way there. ‘Any reprieve for threatened old growth in B.C. is welcome, and we congratulate the First Nations who have shown tremendous leadership in completing these deferrals,’ said National Campaign Director Torrance Coste. ‘We’re hopeful this signals a real shift in commitment for this government and that progress on safeguarding old-growth forests will accelerate.'”

HOWEVER…. “About 7.6 million hectares, or two-thirds of the remaining old-growth forests in B.C., are without permanent protection. Of that total, the province has committed to defer logging in 2.6 million hectares, about five percent of the total forested area in B.C. Even after today’s announcement, around four-fifths of the old-growth forests deemed “at-risk” by the government’s Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel remains open to logging.” Read the Ancient Forest Alliance response here.

Who’s logging the old growth?

STAND.earth has produced some dynamite research in a report on who is REALLY mowing down BC’s ancient forests. Their media release notes that “…research indicates that 10 companies are responsible for 57 per cent of the total risk, and that the top five companies have at least 47 per cent of this risk. The top 10 companies, in order of risk, are Canfor, West Fraser, Western Forest Products, Tolko, Interfor, Sinclar Group, Weyerhaeuser, Gorman Group, Louisiana-Pacific and Pacific Bioenergy.

“Instead of following through on its promises to protect old growth, the B.C. government is allowing a few big timber companies to turn huge profits from the destruction of irreplaceable old-growth forests.” said Tegan Hansen, Forest Campaigner at STAND.earth. “The future of these forests—and of all of our communities that rely on them for drinking water, flood and fire protection, carbon storage, jobs and more—should not be in the hands of a few big timber companies. We need deferrals implemented now, before more old growth is permanently lost.”

STAND has announced that they will very soon be able to release the names of the major purchasers of products from these 10 companies. This could open up a whole new pathway for us to pressure for change.
Legal updates

Court Case regarding evidence of police misconduct at Fairy Creek
From RFS: On Feb 23, 2022, BC Supreme Court Justice Douglas W. Thompson handed down his decision, allowing a precedent-setting Abuse of Process Application to move forward to a full hearing. It’s the first to be applied to a large group of people with contempt charges relating to a single injunction order. The Application is being advanced by lawyers for Fairy Creek land defenders who think police misconduct was so extensive that those charged with contempt should not be prosecuted. RCMP have been accused of widespread and systemic misconduct, which will be reviewed in detail as the hearing moves forward.

If the Application succeeds, it could pave the way for improvements to enforcement clauses of future injunctions. “The police are not above the law and must adhere to the law while enforcing it,” states Karen Mirsky, lead counsel for the case. Mirsky says that she and her colleagues have evidence suggesting the RCMP went beyond their enforcement mandate in an attempt to end the protest movement by targeting those who were not actively breaching the Court’s injunction.

“This case is about so much more than the approximately 400 people who stand charged with contempt of court,” adds Mirsky. “Seven hundred other people were arrested or detained at Fairy Creek without charges, some of whom were not actively breaching the injunction.

We feel that everyone who was at Fairy Creek during the Injunction period had their rights infringed upon. The police have advanced the contempt files that are straightforward, and in doing so have isolated the Court from review of their enforcement tactics. This is one reason why we are asking that all charges be dropped.”
The full hearing is yet to be scheduled and is likely to take place in late 2022.

RFS Legal Support needs your help
Rani Earnhart is helping to coordinate the over 70 people lined up and willing to make affidavits in the court case. One or two volunteers are needed to help her. Volunteers will need very good oral and written communication skills to conduct interviews with those making an affidavit and must be committed to respecting the privacy of the information.

This is very necessary work and help would be much appreciated. Contact Rani at rfslegalsupport@protonmail.com.

Trials of those arrested at ‘Ada’itsx are proceeding
Justice Thompson continues to preside in the many trials of those arrested last year. They are currently scheduled into next year.
If you are able, show up at the Nanaimo courthouse to show support for all the brave land/tree defenders from Fairy Creek. The courts are trying hard to make forest protectors the criminals. Let’s show them the crime is police brutality and destroying the ecosystems.

The next step in Rainbow Eyes’ (Angela Davidson) case was heard on April 12. The Crown asked for her to be jailed. After hearing from Angela’s lawyer, Karen Mirsky, and reading all the strong letters of support sent by many communities, Judge Thompson is considering allowing Indigenous law and ceremony to be included in the next part of her case on Thursday.

To get a sense of the kind of inspirational leader that Rainbow Eyes is, check out her wise and moving Instagram post.

Battling Teal-Jones at the highest level, the Supreme Court of Canada
The battle against the Teal-Jones injunction at Fairy Creek—a fight the Elders were able to support up to the Supreme Court of BC—is now moving up to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Elder Bill Jones, Carole Tootill and Kathleen Code are seeking to ask the Supreme Court of Canada to consider the whole question of injunctions in a broader context: In cases of civil disobedience, is the court precluded from looking at issues beyond those of the private parties? And If not, can the court exercise its discretion to look to a broad conception of the public interest in considering if an injunction is just and equitable?

Right now the case is at the “leave to appeal” stage. We’ll keep you updated on the progress of this case, which is fundamental to the democratic process in Canada. Read the RFS media release for more information.

Sierra Club suing the BC government on their climate plan
Meanwhile, Sierra Club BC, represented by Ecojustice lawyers, is suing the BC government for not having plans to achieve all climate targets on the path to net-zero by 2050, for every sector of the economy, including forestry, as set out in its own climate change legislation. SCBC contends that the 2021 Climate Change Accountability Report falls woefully short by failing to include a plan for 2025, 2040 and 2050 climate targets. It also omits the government’s plan to cut carbon pollution from the oil and gas sector, fuelled mainly by the province’s natural gas sector.
Save Old Growth – direct action

If you want to get a hot discussion going, try raising the issue of Save Old Growth and their direct-action tactics. In January, SOG blocked highways in several cities, leading to 54 arrests. The group paused in order to give the government a chance to respond to the group’s demand to end old-growth logging. Hearing no response, on April 4 they began a second round of highway disruptions, blocking roads in Victoria, Nanaimo, North Shore. (See In the News: April 4 & 8). Follow them on Instagram: @save.old.growth.

As of April 8, another 18 people have been arrested. The group promises disruptions in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Revelstoke, Abbotsford and along the Alberta/BC border. This highway-blocking strategy has increased media coverage of old-growth destruction while at the same time raising the ire of a multitude of drivers.

Says Julia Torgerson, a spokesperson for Save Old Growth: “We’re past signing petitions, writing letters and doing marches. The people in power have ignored these for decades. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough. At this time we all need to be entering into civil resistance.”

Another Save Old Growth tactic is the hunger strike. As of April 11, Brent Eichler was on Day 18 of his hunger strike and Howard Breen on Day 11. Others have been doing shorter strikes in solidarity, including two 18-year-old UVic students, Jordana Pangburn and Grace Charness.

The hunger strikers are asking for a public meeting with Forests Minister Katrine Conroy, but so far haven’t received a response, although Brent has spoken to a number of NDP MLAs. Howard Breen was arrested at a non-violent action in Nanaimo on Thursday, and is currently being held on remand in Victoria.

A benefit concert to remember

The Benefit Concert for the Trees gifted attendees with a series of heart-filled performances last Friday afternoon. It was an amazing tribute to the talent in our movement. Opera-singers Gary and Anne Relyea, whom many of you will remember from some of our bus rides to ‘Ada’itsx/Fairy Creek, proved the grandeur and power of elder voices. Gary’s sister and brother-in-law from Michigan added to the entertainment, as did another Elder arrestee, Amalia Shelhorn, who moved many of us to tears as she danced her love for the forests across the stage. And kudos to the younger performers: the inimitable Luke Wallace, who sang from a deep place of sincerity and love; and Kuu’lay (otherwise known as Charlotte), who drummed and sang her beautiful Indigenous songs. Many threads of music, all woven together.

About 70 people attended, and 33 more by Zoom. Donations received at the door totalled $3,252.35, and we are hoping for many follow-up e-transfers and cheques. The funds will go primarily to legal costs and also to specific projects related to the camp.

For those of you who missed this glorious event, here’s the link to the Zoom recording.
IN THE NEWS

Apr 12, The Narwhal, Spraying herbicides from helicopters? Concerns mount over plans for southern BC forests
Apr 11, The Tyee, op ed: We Should All Be Standing with the Nuchatlaht

Apr 8, North Shore News, 1.7M hectares of old-growth deferred, protesters block Highway 1 in West Van

Apr 7, The Tyee, (Ben Parfitt) BC’s Chief Forester Jumps to Multinational Wood Pellet Corporation Diane Nichol, BC’s Chief Forester, moves to Drax, the British wood-pellet industry that she promoted while working for the BC Ministry of Forests. Who is in bed with whom?

Apr 4, Times Colonist, Old-growth logging protesters arrested after blocking Douglas Street
Apr 4, Nanaimo News Bulletin, Old-growth logging protesters block Nanaimo street to bring attention to their cause

Apr 3, Times Colonist, Majority of First Nations agree to old growth deferrals

Apr 2, Times Colonist, Save Old Growth says it’s gearing up for hunger strike, highway blockades

Apr 2, Times Colonist (Les Leyne) B.C. defers cutting big swaths of old-growth forests; fears that thousands of jobs are at risk (And see the response to Leyne’s article—on how raw materials are being sent for processing elsewhere—in a letter to the editor from Jim Pine, an Elder for Ancient Trees.)

Apr 2, Northern View, Extinction Rebellion head goes on hunger strike over log exports; gets support from Peachland

Apr 1, CBC, BC government announces additional logging deferrals for at-risk old-growth trees

Mar 30, The Energy Mix, 83% of Canadians Want Better Forest Protection, More Action from Ottawa

Mar 29, The Narwhal, BC allows logging in critical habitat of one of the province’s sole recovering caribou herds

Mar 28, TImes Colonist, BC ER doctor says patients are attempting suicide over climate anxiety
Mar 26, Times Colonist, Environmental group gives guarded support for company’s old-growth forest plan

Mar 25, Ancient Forest Alliance Major Old-Growth Logging Deferrals on Mosaic’s Private Lands on Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii

Mar 23, Evergreen Alliance (Grace Golightly) Marbled murrelets are protected…aren’t they?
Resources

A new website on old-growth ecology
The Old Growth Solutions Group and the Mother Tree Network team have joined forces to launch this new website focused on the science of ancient forests. It provides a summary of scientific information about ancient forests with particular reference to ancient coastal temperate rainforests on Vancouver Island.

Evergreen Alliance
This collection of articles on BC forestry is constantly being expanded with new material. Don’t forget to check it out.

Old Growth Forests: What is the Path Forward?
Watch the replay of this UBC Forestry panel discussion. With Gary Merkel, Rachel Holt, Chief Dennis and industry rep Cam Brown.

Poetry for the Trees
Caitlin Press has a new book of poetry, Worth More Standing: Poets and Activists Pay Homage to Trees, edited by Christine Lowther, a lifelong activist living in Clayoquot Sound. “Poets, both settler and Indigenous, pay tribute to trees through reflections on the past, connections to the present, and calls for the protection of our future.”

Read more, and find out how to buy it. Hint: Turn in a request to your library;libraries usually purchase books if they receive several requests.

Inspiration!

Watch ‘Ada’itsx Fairy Creek Diary, a superb in-depth docufilm. A montage of striking footage and interviews, by Yellow Cedar, a BIPOC senior who filmed quietly for a year or more while living in Fairy Creek.
Ecological & Indigenous Wisdom at Fairy Creek – Jenika and Michael Wayman, two of our Elders, present to the live session of the Green Party of Canada general meeting on Mar 26, along with Elder Bill Jones, Ann Mortifee, Brian Smallshaw and Hugh Waller. To view the presentation, move your cursor along to 3:10:51, where Brian Smallshaw begins by introducing Elder Bill Jones.

Mar 30, Times Colonist, Rare Butterfly returns to Vancouver Island
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Elders for Ancient Trees Newsletter is written and edited by Jackie Layton.