- Target:
- Katrine Conroy; MOF, Josie Osborne; MOLWRS
- Region:
- Canada
Forests For the Future Slocan Valley needs your help to protect at-risk designated ‘Old Growth priority deferral areas’ in the Russel Creek, Koch Creek, and Greasy Bill drainages from active logging. These drainages are located along the Koch creek watershed that feeds into the Slocan River. The government is not upholding their commitment to protecting old growth forests provincially and are putting BC citizens' interests secondary to industry.
The drainages of Russel creek, Koch Creek, and Greasy Bill contains stands of ‘Old Growth Trees’ that serve as habitat for wildlife, sustain watersheds, support the local ecosystem, and sequester and store carbon dioxide combating climate change.
There are several designated ‘Old Growth Priority Deferral areas’ located in these drainages. Old growth priority deferral areas are areas identified as an old forests at “highest risk of irreplaceable biodiversity loss’ by the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) appointed by cabinet in 2021.
We are at risk of losing the last remaining old-growth trees in these drainages, some trees are over 250 years old and could be lost forever. That is why we are gathering community support to save these ancient forests and forest ecosystems. Due to the media releases on the ’old growth priority deferral areas’ in the fall and winter citizens of BC may be led to believe that this process and these identified OG areas would be temporarily protected, while new approaches to forest management practices are developed. This is not the case, our local old growth and old growth forests across BC are currently at risk of being cut down.
Our goal is to ask the Licensee holder, the Ministry Of Forests, and the Ministry of Land, Water, and Resource Stewardship to respect the boundaries of the ‘Old Growth Priority deferral areas’ to leave the old trees standing and maintain healthy ecosystems around them to ensure their survival for future generations.
Dear Honourable,
Josie Osborne; Minister of Land, Water, and Resource Stewardship
and
Katrine Conroy; Minister of Forest
We the residents of the Slocan Valley are concerned with the active cut blocks located up the Russel Creek, Koch Creek, and Greasy Bill Drainages. The primary concern in these areas is regarding the remaining stands of old growth trees. There are several designated ‘Old Growth Priority Deferral areas’ polygons located along the Russel Creek, Koch Creek, and Greasy Bill drainages identified as an old forests at “highest risk of irreplaceable biodiversity loss’ by the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) appointed by cabinet in 2021.
The active cut blocks are also located in the Unceded traditional territory of the Sinixt People, and the Licensee holder is operating without the consent of the Autonomous Sinixt people in these harvest areas.
We are asking for the ‘Old Growth Priority Deferral Areas’ and other identified Old Growth forests not to be harvested and boundary lines are honored by the Licensee holder in these areas. We ask the Licensee in these areas to voluntarily pause harvesting of old growth in these areas. We ask that the Minister of Forest; the Honorable Katrine Conroy order a Part 13 under the Forest Act, to rescind approved permits and prevent new permits from being issued in the designated OG deferral areas identified in Russel, Koch Creek, and Greasy Bill drainages.
We would like to see the NDP government fulfill their election promises and truthfully carry out the 14 recommendations identified by the Technical Advisory Panel during the Old Growth Strategic Review Process.
Future generations need our meaningful action now to protect their futures.
Thank you for your time
Sincerely,
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The STOP THE LOGGING OF OLD GROWTH DEFERRAL AREAS; KOCH WATERSHED petition to Katrine Conroy; MOF, Josie Osborne; MOLWRS was written by Forests For The Future and is in the category Environment at GoPetition.