Less than 1% of forests in B.C. have large, old growth trees still standing, and the majority are on the chopping block.
The B.C. NDP recently promised to immediately ban logging in these at-risk old growth forests if re-elected, and then they won a majority government. But election promises mean nothing without a detailed plan to make them a reality.
The new Minister of Forests can implement logging bans as soon as they are appointed, but cabinet appointments keep getting delayed. Every day that goes by, more of these irreplaceable forests are logged. To make sure the new Minister is prepared to act immediately upon taking office, we're putting old growth on the priority list for ministry staff.
Send a personalized email to key Ministry staff to keep this issue on their radar and make sure the new Minister of Forests is ready to act fast to protect the last standing giants in B.C.
We provided some sample points for you to draw from, but please use these to write an email in your own words and tell Ministry staff why you care about this issue. This will ensure it won't end up in the spam folder! Don’t forget to edit the subject line too.
KEY POINTS FOR YOUR LETTER:
- Less than 1% of forests in B.C. have large, old growth trees still standing
- Most of these old growth forests in B.C. are still open to logging
- The new majority government campaigned on an election promise to implement all 14 of the old growth review panel recommendations, which you received in April
- The most urgent recommendation was to ban the logging of at-risk old growth forests within 6 months
- 50,000+ people have signed a petition to end logging in at-risk old growth forests across B.C.
- While we are waiting for cabinet to be announced, Ministry staff should prepare a detailed plan for the next Minister of Forests to take necessary action
- Your Ministry already has the necessary information to recommend key areas for immediate logging deferrals
- The government’s announcement of logging deferrals for 350,000 hectares of land in September only included 3,800 hectares of at-risk old growth forests: these types of misleading announcements erode public trust in your work
- You must ensure that the Ministry is equipped to work with, and support, Indigenous Nations on long-term protection plans
- Will you please respond with confirmation that you have received this email and advise the new Minister of Forests accordingly?
