Logging watchdog probes government agency over felled B.C. old-growth trees

A provincial watchdog is investigating allegations that the government agency responsible for cutting timber on public land did not follow provincial rules to preserve old growth trees outside Port Alberni.

For the past year, the environmental group Ancient Forest Alliance has been chronicling the logging of massive trees, many hundreds of years old,on Vancouver Island, particularly the NahmintValley.

In June, the forest alliance complained toprovincial officialsabout B.C. Timber Sales, the agency that regulatesloggingon public land. Now, the watchdog group, the Forest PracticesBoard, isheading to the area to review what was felled and conduct interviews,

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In May, the forest alliancediscovered what it described as one of the biggest Douglas firs in Canada in the Nahmint, which is the territory of theHupacasathandTseshahtFirst Nations.

The tree, estimated to be 70 metres tall, three metres indiameterand possibly 800 years old was cut despite the alliance arguing it, along with others, should have been spared.

"The ongoing logging of some of Canada's largest trees and most spectacular ancient forests in the Nahmint Valley is proof that BCTS cannot be trusted to sustainably manage B.C.'s endangered old-growth forests," said forest alliance campaigner Andrea Inness in a release.

Darlene Oman, who speaks for the board, says it is looking into theBCTS'scompliance with the Vancouver Island Land Use Plan and its own coastal legacy tree policy, which is a new policy meant to preserve old trees of a certain size for theircultural, aesthetic and ecological value.

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Ministry investigation

Oman says the board is also looking into whether an investigation the Ministry of Forests conducted into the matter by its own enforcement branchwas "appropriate."

The Ministry of Forests has not said anything about that investigation or if results are forthcoming.

Meanwhile, the ministry says it recognizes the value of old-growth forests for biodiversity andis currently working on a new old-growth strategy as part a province-wide land use policy review.

It also says this year, B.C. Timber Sales began reviewing cut blocksin the Nahmint Valley areas approved to be logged after the sale of timber licences to determine whereold growth trees existand possibly protect them.

It says so far,200 old-growth cedars, greater than one metre in diameter, will be protected.

A total of 319 hectares or 3.19 square kilometres of cutblockshas been approved for logging in the NahmintValley by BCTS.

The Ancient Forest Alliance wants all future logging plans for the NahmintValley put on hold until the Forest PracticesBoard's investigation is complete. A report is expected sometime in 2019.