Hears nothing, says nothing. So far, the silence of the NDP government and, most notably, NDP MLAs, continues amid the buzzing sound of clear cutting. Once considered the party of social justice, the NDP have joined the ranks where corporate greed trumps public interest.

While BC citizens, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, peacefully protest against RCMP and industry in the hills of TFL #46, government remains solidly mute. Having approved 43% more old-growth harvesting over the past year, perhaps they are just waiting until all the old-growth that can be cut, is cut.

So much for truth and reconciliation, so much for addressing climate change, so much for stemming the loss of biodiversity. Who needs Western Screen Owls anyway? They just get in the way of the machines. The provincial biologist has gently suggested that Teal Jones halt its clearcutting until breeding season is over. Well, that worked like a charm, didn’t it?

According to scientists, there’s 400,000 hectares of productive old-growth left. At the current rate of cutting, there’s five to seven years of harvest left.

Then, NDP government, what are you going to do then, besides offer industry more millions of subsidy dollars to bail out the logging companies? You do know that they are using their profits to buy offshore mills? You do know that improved technology requires fewer jobs? You do know that the mighty forest industry is nothing but a shadow of itself? You do know that the forestry model you embrace so fondly as the most sustainable in the world is anything but?

It’s time to redesign our forestry framework right from the ground up, complete with a values-based and community-driven foundation. We need a forest stewardship plan that honours and respects Indigenous rights, culture and sovereignty, one that treasures all the gifts that old-growth forests offer us.

The citizens of the Rainforest Flying Squad will continue our peaceful protests on the ground, in the media, in public demonstrations, in phone calls, in letter writing campaigns, and in any way until the NDP government honours the election promise it made to protect our precious old-growth forests. We are a movement that is peaceful, honourable and immovable.

BTW, I hear rumblings of a recall campaign…

Author: Kathy Code has an extensive environmental background and is a long-time Rainforest Flying Squad member engaged in legal and media activities. She is Vice-Chair of the Ecoforestry institute Society and has a Master’s degree in Environment and Management.