The B.C. governmentB次元官网网址檚 old-growth protection plan recommends a two-year deferral of hundreds of areas that Forests Minister Katrine Conroy describes as the provinceB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渓argest, rarest and most ancient old-growth forests,B次元官网网址� covering 26,000 square kilometres across the province.
But what is actually protected depends on talks with Indigenous land rights holders, and could result in limited logging as landscape plans are developed. Conroy says some first nations have already indicated significant areas in their traditional territories that have already been deferred, and others are B次元官网网址渧ery much interested in deferringB次元官网网址� as plans are worked out.
In areas with logging permits identified as sites at high risk of ecosystem loss, licence holders are being asked to voluntarily defer harvest, and ministerial orders may be used to rescind permits and prevent new ones from being issued.
The province is aiming for a new old-growth strategy for 2023 with landscape management plans to replace the timber harvesting model that has been used for a century on B.C.B次元官网网址檚 Crown forest land. Work to update the provinceB次元官网网址檚 inventory of big-tree, ancient and rare old growth, with all of the identified rare and ancient zones recommended for deferral by a panel chaired by forester Garry Merkel.
B次元官网网址淒uring the deferral, one of the things weB次元官网网址檙e going to be doing is talking to Indigenous nations about their wants, wishes and needs for the traditional territory the forest is situated on and talking about, is it looking at a total deferral?B次元官网网址� Conroy said in unveiling the plan Nov. 2. B次元官网网址淚s it looking at selected harvesting? Is it looking at working with them on an integrated landscape management plan? Moving forward, this is what weB次元官网网址檒l be doing with the nations in that two year timeframe to see what direction weB次元官网网址檙e going to be moving in.B次元官网网址�
The ministry estimates that if all of the are protected, it would result in the loss of 4,500 jobs in the forest industry. Conroy says a program of retraining and early retirement is in the works, but industry representatives say the impact could be much greater.
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B次元官网网址淲e recognize that British Columbians are passionate about protecting at-risk old growth and we share that passion, but there were many viable options to find a balance that most people in our province could support,B次元官网网址� said Bob Brash, executive director of the Truck Loggers Association. B次元官网网址淐urrent old-growth harvesting represents only a fraction of the current 11.4 million hectares of old forests, of which over 75% is already protected or outside the timber harvesting land base.B次元官网网址�
The Huu-ay-aht First Nations on Vancouver Island are among those with planning underway, with deferrals announced in June as protesters continued to disrupt logging in their territory.
B次元官网网址淲e will take the time we need to get it right,B次元官网网址� Huu-ay-aht First Nations Chief Councillor Robert Dennis Sr. and Hereditary Chief Derek Peters said in a released Nov. 2. B次元官网网址淭hat said, we expect to be in a position to decide by Jan. 15, 2022, if there will be any further old growth deferrals over the next two years in our traditional territory.B次元官网网址�
tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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