Please watch and share our new BC Old-Growth Policy Update by the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance’s Executive Director Ken Wu. Note: it was filmed just before the positive new forest policy announcements by BC’s new Premier David Eby last week, which we have included in the write-up below.
And please continue to speak up and SEND a MESSAGE (*via our newly updated action page) to the BC and federal governments to keep pushing them to move forward!
On the ground, Premier Eby’s new commitments will shortly result in a major torrent of new and expansive Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) (generally legislated via Provincial Conservancy designations) over the ensuing few months and years on an unprecedented scale.
In the near term, generally, these will be the IPCAs that have been in the works for a while, and generally those of lower timber value in more mountainous, rugged and northern landscapes – with some notable and major exceptions of spectacular, high-productivity old-growth. If conservation financing dollars for First Nations are sufficient (*keep pushing! see the link above) – and if there are ecosystem-based targets that prioritize the most endangered ecosystems (*we must make this happen) – then over the next 1 to 5 years roughly, depending on the First Nations community, there will be a major expansion of protected areas and forest reserves that encompasses much of the productive old-growth forests and most endangered ecosystems (generally in the lower elevations and valley bottoms – the biologically richest but most contested landscapes to protect) across BC.
What’s needed most right now are:
- The immediate major funding to offset the lost forestry revenues of First Nations to enable them to implement logging deferrals in the most at-risk, high-value old-growth stands.
- Ecosystem-based targets to prioritize protection for the most endangered ecosystems.
What has BC Premier David Eby committed to?
Since he came to power 3 months ago, Eby has committed the province to:
- Expand protected areas to 30% of BC by 2030 (currently 15% is protected). **Previously, there was no commitment to expand protected areas.
- Devise a conservation financing mechanism (i.e. funding for sustainable economic development linked to new protected areas) to support First Nations Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) through philanthropic funds and carbon offsets. This is the fundamental game-changer to it all. It is unclear if government funds will be included (we insist there must be…see our action alert). **Previously, there was no commitment to conservation financing nor to even recognize IPCAs.
- Prioritize biodiverse areas for protection (which needs greater definition and policy development). **Previously, lots of hectares of alpine, subalpine and low productivity forests were the focus of protected areas instead of the lower elevations of biological richness.
- Remove the constraints on conservation designations in BC’s forest practices regulations (the “not unduly restrict” clause that for decades limited the expansion of forest reserves) (announced Feb.15th…after this video was filmed. There are a few more caps that must still be lifted, and likely will be). **Previously, for decades since the NDP brought in the forest practices regulations in the 1990s, these constraints have limited the forest reserve network such as Ungulate Winter Ranges, riparian reserves, Visual Quality Objectives, etc. (not parks and legislated protected areas, mind you).
- Develop a Biodiversity Declaration that will put biodiversity and ecosystems first in forestry and land-use decisions. This is huge. **Previously, there was nothing like this, nor does anything like this exist in North America – and it could be the biggest game-changer of all if done right (more on that later…)
- Support a transition with funding to a lower volume, more value-added forest industry retooled to handle smaller diameter trees (instead of the forest giants). **Previously, some policies were underway to help the engineered wood products industry, but this is the first explicit policy to target value-added for smaller diameter (largely second-growth) trees, which is where the transition must go.
- In addition, the province is negotiating a BC Nature Agreement with the federal government of major financial scale that will be used to expand protected areas. **Previously, the BC government has played hardball with the federal protected areas cash that has been on the table for years. Indications are now that negotiations are closer to fruition and First Nations consultations are the key.
These are all vital steps forward that are needed to help pave the path for a major protected areas expansion over the coming months and years, and BC’s Premier David Eby should be thanked for these important steps forward (email him at Premier@gov.bc.ca), while asking him to keep going further to get the job done to protect the most endangered ecosystems and old-growth forests in BC.
However, there are still many gaps in the BC government’s policies that must get filled or developed. Go to our website to read more about these policy updates and what still needs to be done to protect old-growth in BC.
These specific policy developments have been fundamentally defined and driven from the start by the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance (EEA) and our thousands of supporters and allies like yourself! You can see the history of our various policy asks and campaigns over the years that specifically match what the government is now doing, by going to the News section of our website.
Please continue to SPEAK UP! Your voice and that of hundreds of thousands of others have taken us this far – we are getting close to a sea change to vastly expand the protection of endangered ecosystems for all in BC. Let’s keep pushing!! Go to our Take Action page and please donate whatever you can here to help us continue to build these vital campaigns to protect the most endangered ecosystems in BC and Canada!
For the Wild,
Ken Wu, Celina Starnes, Nick Davis, Jessie Ye
The Endangered Ecosystems Alliance team