I’m thrilled to have landed the cover story of British Columbia Magazine with my before & after images from the Caycuse Valley! So much effort goes into capturing these shots and my hope is always that they reach as wide an audience as possible to help raise awareness about the threats old-growth forests still face. These images have now reached over 2 million people on Facebook alone, have been featured in international news media and magazines, and will now be delivered to households all over BC. Grab a copy to see the photo essay and write-up inside.
Maclean's: The Battle to Save BC's Old-Growth Trees - Before It's Too Late
The latest coverage on the old-growth issue in Macleans’ Magazine is a great read that takes a look back at the original 'War of the Woods', what's building again today on Vancouver Island, and how visual imagery is helping millions of people become aware and care about this crisis in the age of social media. Read the article here: www.macleans.ca/longforms/british-columbia-old-growth-trees
BC not on track to meet milestones for old-growth, First Nations and forestry transition
Environmental organizations issue report card six months after publication of old-growth panel recommendations
View the old-growth report card
Read the old-growth report card backgrounder
VICTORIA/unceded Lekwungen territories — Ancient Forest Alliance, Sierra Club BC and Wilderness Committee issued a report card today assessing the B.C. government’s progress on protecting old-growth forests. Today marks exactly six months since the provincial government published the report from its independent old-growth panel. Premier John Horgan promised to implement the panel’s recommendations “in their totality” shortly after.
The panel called for a paradigm-shift to safeguard the biodiversity of B.C.’s forests with a three-year framework, including logging deferrals for all at-risk old-growth forests within the first six months. Half a year later almost all at-risk forests remain open for logging and the B.C. government has not developed a plan with milestone dates and funding.
“Government promised a ‘new direction’ for old-growth forests and then spent six months dragging its heels and refusing to protect the most endangered stands,” said Andrea Inness, campaigner for the Ancient Forest Alliance. “The government published the recommendations six months ago, but it received the report containing them on April 30, 2020 — by any measure they’ve missed this crucial deadline.”
Endangered old-growth stands across the province continue to be targeted by logging companies and the exact forests the panel called for urgent action to protect are being lost. At the same time, the lack of a concrete plan is leaving First Nations and forestry workers with uncertainty about whether conservation, economic diversification and the transition to sustainable second-growth forestry will be adequately funded.
“As long as we continue to rely on a dwindling supply of endangered old-growth forests, B.C.’s forest sector will continue to face uncertainty and instability,” said Cam Shiell, environmental sustainability officer with the Public and Private Workers of Canada, a union that represents thousands of workers in the B.C. forest industry.
“The provincial government can’t delay action any longer, it must take meaningful steps to protect old-growth forests, lead the transition to sustainable, value-added second growth forestry and create the forest industry of the future.”
The organizations’ report card grades progress on five key areas related to the 14 recommendations: immediate action for at risk forests (D), three-year work plan with milestone dates (F), charting a new course prioritizing ecosystem integrity and biodiversity (F), funding for implementation, First nations conservation and forestry transition plans (F) and transparency and communication (F).
“Promising a new direction and then avoiding any meaningful action to ensure the most at risk old-growth forests are protected is not a ‘paradigm shift,’ it’s the same old talk and log,” said Jens Wieting, forest and climate campaigner at Sierra Club BC. “The Horgan government is getting terrible grades on old-growth, and is currently failing to keep one of its key election promises.”
In its initial response in September, the province acknowledged status quo management of old-growth forests had “caused a loss of biodiversity,” recognized the “need to do better” and announced nine deferral areas encompassing 353,000 hectares. Horgan and the BC NDP have claimed these deferrals ‘protected old-growth,’ but a closer review revealed most of this area is either already under some form of protection or is second growth forest and still open to logging.
According to independent experts, as of 2020, only about 415,000 hectares of old-growth forest with big trees remain in B.C., mostly without protection. Only 3,800 hectares, or one per cent of the remaining fraction of this kind of forest was included in the government’s deferral areas. Old-growth logging continues at an average rate of hundreds of soccer fields per day, always targeting the biggest accessible trees that remain.
Reflecting polling results show more than 90% support for old-growth protection, the old-growth panel report found broad agreement for a paradigm-shift to respond to the biodiversity crisis in B.C.’s forests. The lack of social license for continued old-growth logging in the province is also highlighted by the ongoing blockades at Fairy Creek on unceded Pacheedaht territory (southern Vancouver Island), which have been in place for seven months.
“Nothing the Horgan government has done so far is preventing the most endangered old-growth forests in the province from being mowed down, and the public knows it,” said Torrance Coste, national campaign director for the Wilderness Committee. “The BC government must immediately defer logging in at-risk old-growth and commit substantial funding to support the economic diversification of First Nations and forestry communities to ensure the long term sustainability of both jobs and the environment.”
Ancient Forest Alliance, Sierra Club BC and the Wilderness Committee will continue to mobilize their tens of thousands of supporters and hold the government accountable on it’s old-growth promises. The next report card will be issued on Sep. 11, 2021.
News Coverage
National Observer: B.C. is flunking on old-growth forests, environmental report card says
The Globe & Mail: B.C. urged to protect at-risk old-growth forests while it works to transform policy
Times Colonist: Province failing to protect old growth forests, environmental groups say
Globe & Mail: Nothing but delays: Old-growth logging continues as B.C.’s commitments to change slip
The Tyee: BC Promised to Protect Old Growth. How Is It Doing?
Treehugger - Photos Raise Alarm Over Old-Growth Logging in British Columbia
The following is an interview & photo essay with Treehugger.com. With 120 million annual readers, the continued destruction of BC's endangered forests is now reaching a global audience. www.treehugger.com/photos-raise-alarm-old-growth-logging-british-columbia-5115170
Outside Magazine: Forest Selfies Are Helping Save B.C.'s Old-Growth Trees
The public response to the before and after images of ancient trees cut down in the Caycuse watershed has been overwhelming. In this Outside Magazine piece, I chat with Malcolm Johnson about the process involved with capturing the beauty and loss of old-growth forests and what's needed to protect them.
“I’d love it if the need for my job didn’t exist. There are plenty of things I’d rather be doing than trudging around photographing giant stumps. It’s emotionally exhausting work, and it’s devastating to go back and see these places that you’ve grown to love get destroyed. Someday it would be nice to not associate feelings of anxiety with the forests I care about and just be able to rest knowing that they’ll be around for generations to come. It’s as simple as that, really."
See the photos and read the article here: https://www.outsideonline.com/2420507/bc-forests-photos-before-after
Before & after old-growth logging of a giant cedar in the Caycuse Valley on Vancouver Island.
Big Waves - West Coast Van Isle 2021
in Landscape
Big waves measuring 20ft or 6m tall barrelled into the west coast of Vancouver Island earlier this month. The sun was out as well, giving them a beautiful blue-green colour. It almost looked like Hawaii! Seagulls surfed the sky above, providing a sense of scale. All in all, it was one of the most breathtaking days I’ve ever spent at the ocean! Fine art prints are available here: www.tjwatt.com/prints. If you don’t see the image you’re looking for, just shoot me an email at: prints@tjwatt.com and we’ll get it sorted out!
McKelvie Valley near Tahsis to be Protected from Logging
Nice to start the year off with some good news! It looks like the amazing McKelvie Valley near Tahsis will be protected from logging! Congrats to Mayor Martin Davis, the village of Tahsis, and everyone who advocated for its protection over the years. See the news article with details here.
Located in Mowachaht/Muchalaht territory, the McKelvie is the last intact watershed in the Tahsis region and is home to incredible old-growth forests, important wildlife habitat, and is the source of drinking water for the community. Western Forest Products had previously planned to blast roads and clearcut vast swaths of the valley, as highlighted in our 2019 Community Spotlight video below.
It's a great feeling to know that this beautiful area will now remain pristine for years to come and that public efforts and advocacy can and do make a difference!
Ancient Cedars Cut in Caycuse
Top-down view of one of hundreds of ancient cedars clearcut in the Caycuse Valley by Teal-Jones. Counting the rings on this tree, it was an estimated 800 years old or older. Who's waiting around until the year 2800 to see a tree like this again?
📨 Send an instant message to politicians demanding they protect BC's endangered old-growth forests today: ancientforestalliance.org/send-a-message