Forest Practices and Climate Change
BC’s forestry practices are putting us all at risk of increased temperatures, wildfires, flooding and loss of biodiversity
British Columbia’s rate of deforestation has been compared with the Amazon and our forest practices and standards are certainly nowhere near sustainable.
Herbicide spraying
Logging companies in BC are required to keep competitive species at bay. Each year about 10,000 hectares are sprayed with herbicides. People are becoming more concerned about the effects of glyphosate exposure and spraying of berry and medicine patches important to First Nations people. Please see petitions below to stop herbicide spraying of forests (Calls to Action) .
BC Timber Sales
BC Timber Sales manages about 20 per cent of the province’s allowable annual cut for “Crown” (mainly unceded First Nations’ territory) timber.
Raw log exports
British Columbia currently raw logs rather than process them here as timber in BC. This is resulting in significant job losses and deforestation. By preserving old growth and limiting raw log exports we can protect both old growth and jobs.
Wasteful forest practices
Forestry practices in BC are extremely wasteful. Slash piles lay abandoned while trees are cut for the wood pellet industry for biomass burning.
URGENT
CALL TO ACTION
Help stop the proposed spray of herbicides
on berry and medicine patches in BC
TAKE ACTION
Biodiversity Loss
Extinctions
Biodiversity and extinction
The BC government kills wolves to ‘save’ caribou when what is needed is to stop logging and other resource activities in areas where caribou live. Spotted owl habitat is being logged despite there being only two spotted owls, Canada’s last surviving breeding pair, left in the wild.
Articles
National Observer – Glyphosate spraying in N.B. akin to ‘eco-genocide,’ Indigenous communities say | June 2022
National Observer – Teacher’s fight against glyphosate pitted him against N.B.’s most powerful interests | May 2022
Global News – Critics of herbicide spraying in southwestern B.C. call for more public information | April 2022
The Narwhal – Spraying herbicides from helicopters? Concerns mount over plans for southern B.C. forests | April 2022
Vancouver is Awesome – West Van council to pressure B.C. gov to extend herbicide spray feedback deadline | March 2022
Fraser Valley Current – Why BC uses herbicides to control ‘competition’ in its managed forests | March 2022
Fraser Valley Current – Herbicide spray plan for Fraser Valley forests draws scrutiny| March 2022
North Shore News – Outcry grows as B.C. government agency plans widespread South Coast herbicide spray | March 2022
Vancouver Sun – B.C. government urged not to spray herbicides over fears they will contaminate Indigenous food source | March 2022
Maisonneuve – Giving Up Glyphosate | Jan 2022
The Land Between – Environmental impacts of glyphosate in Ontario’s forestry industry | Jan 2022
Conservation North – Why is BC allowing the logging of primary forest for pellets? | December 2021
Prince George Citizen – Prince George rally demands glyphosate spraying maps be made public | August 2021
Conservation Council of New Brunswick – “Not the time for small goals”: Corbett calls for major forest management reform at Standing Committee meeting on glyphosate use | June 2021
rabble – Stopping the ‘rain of death’ on Canada’s forests | May 2021
CTV News – ‘It’s a dead forest’: northern bush pilot, First Nations decry herbicide spraying | January 2021
CBC News – Protesters in Prince George demand ban on controversial glyphosate herbicide | November 2020
The Narwhal – New research aims to uncover long-term effects of glyphosate spraying on forests | August 2020
CBC News – ‘It blows my mind’: How B.C. destroys a key natural wildfire defence every year | November 2018
Resources
BC Forestry Reform – BC Forestry Reform Facebook group
Evergreen Alliance – Citizens, foresters, scientists and journalists collaborating to protect the future of BC forests
Stop the Spray Alberta FB – Information on herbicide spraying
Stop the Spray BC – Information on herbicide spraying
Stop the Spray Canada – Movement to ban herbicide spraying of Canada’s forests
Stop Spraying NB – Information on herbicide spraying in New Brunswick
Stop the Spray (Nova Scotia) – Information on herbicide spraying in Nova Scotia
Stop the Spray Ontario – Volunteer based group focused on stopping the non-essential use of chemical herbicide defoliants within Ontario’s public forests
CALL TO ACTION
Stop spraying BC forests with herbicide to kill trees like poplar that wildlife need
TAKE ACTION
CALL TO ACTION
End the aerial spraying of forests in Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia) once and for all
TAKE ACTION
CALL TO ACTION
Stop the use of non-essential chemical herbicides in Ontario’s public forests
TAKE ACTION