• Indigenous Nations Facilitate $1.1 Billion Nature Agreement with Governments Aiming to Protect 30% of Land and Sea in BC by 2030

• New Film “Rematriation” Explores Canada’s History with Logging as an Extension of Colonialism

• Trees + Seas Festival Makes Community Connections on the West Coast

• How the Wanačas Hiłhuuʔis Blockade Protected Tofino’s Water & Inspired Innovative Approaches to Environmental Justice Since 1984

• Celebrating the Frontlines of Environmental Conservation Movement Building & Actions for 45 Years!

• First Nations Coalition Supports Fisheries Minister’s Decision Closing 15 Salmon Farms in the Discovery Islands

• Salmon Farms Quietly Expanded in Clayoquot Sound? DFO’s Conflict of Interest Exposed as 2025 Salmon Farm Removal Date Nears

• Building Community + Remembering What’s Important at the Clayoquot Salmon Festival

• Salmon Story Reflections with Michael Mullin Friends of Clayoquot Sound Founder & Director

• Understanding the Social and Environmental Impacts of War Provides Motivation to Advocate for Peace

• UN Climate Summit Highlights Need for Fossil Fuel Phaseout

Read the FOCS 2024 Winter Newsletter here.

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Image Credit: AJ Roulstone @ajroulstone

Aiming to Protect 30% of Land and Sea in BC by 2030

In November, a $1.1 billion BC Nature Agreement was announced by the BC First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) with support from the federal and provincial governments. The historic funding agreement aims to enable BC to reach its minimum target of protecting 30% of land and water by 2030 through Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). This is the largest provincial protected areas fund in Canada to date, with Ottawa contributing $500 million and the provincial government contributing more than $560 million.

“With mutual recognition of First Nations as the original stewards and title holders to our lands and waters, we have reached a jointly developed framework with sustained funding to achieve our collective goals for biodiversity protection, restoration and stewardship,” reflected Terry Teegee, BC Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief. “We’ve experienced this past year, unprecedented drought, unprecedented wildfire season in Canada’s history, and the province’s history. And certainly part of that is conserving biodiverse areas in our respective territories, and in British Columbia,”

Clayoquot Sound has been included as part of the 2.6 million hectares identified as top priorities for logging deferrals by the BC government. Logging has been deferred locally since 2020 to enable the local Ahousant, Hesquiaht, and Tla-o-qui-aht Nations to develop the visions for their respective territories. The ancient rainforest ecosystems are vital to Indigenous cultures, while providing climate stability and clean water, and supporting unique and endangered species like wild salmon. Not to forget, the forests are also critical to a multi-billion dollar tourism industry in BC.

Over 80% of the original old-growth forests have already been logged and 5 million hectares of big trees, rare trees, and the very oldest trees remain unprotected in BC. In terms of providing a climate and biodiversity solution, time is of the essence to protect what’s left of the old growth forests globally.

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We screened the new documentary film, “Rematriation”, at the Trees and Seas Festival as well as the Clayoquot Salmon Festival. The film follows concerned residents of BC as they take a stand to protect the last giant trees from being cut down. Along the way, “Rematriation” delves into the layers of complexity surrounding old growth forest protection, as the filmmakers Alexi Liotti and Colm Keating provide lessons that reach far beyond the forests, permeating the very social fabric of Canadian identity.

A still image from the new documentary film, “Rematriation”, which explores the intersectionality of logging from scientific, cultural, economic and sociopolitical perspectives.
Credit: @rematriation_the_film

The Fairy Creek Blockades at Ada’itsx became publicly renowned in 2021 as an Indigenous led movement to prevent the cutting of this last old growth watershed. These ancient rainforests have been industrially undisturbed since the last ice age. The blockade actions to protect the forest that lasted for months and in the process became Canada’s largest act of civil disobedience, surpassing a record that the Clayoquot Blockades held until then.

Old growth forests, like Ada’itsx, represent one of the last lines of defence against climate change, while containing scientific properties we barely understand. Yet mismanagement and greed have left less than 2.6% of them standing. Considering all the political campaign promises to protect old growth, the BC government’s response was initially hypocritical. Despite numerous recent political conservation commitments to protecting at risk old growth forests in BC, the government encouraged the publicly funded Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to disband the blockades which led to hundreds of peaceful protesters being aggressively arrested. Over 2 years later, and many of those arrested are still making their way through the colonial courts.

For the following day of the Trees and Seas Festival, we met at Wickanninish Community School and Jadyn Patton from Redd Fish Restoration guided the group in removing invasive species from the area. And on the final day, Marlayna Demco from Surfrider Pacific Rim led a beach clean at Cox Bay where we collected litter and marine debris to help care for the coastline. A big thanks to everyone who came out to give back, and to our generous community sponsors Long Beach Lodge Resort and Pacific Sands Beach Resort.

At the Tofino screening of “Rematriation”. To organize a screening visit: rematriationthefilm.com
Credit: FOCS @friendsofclayoquotsound

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• The Climate Emergency Crossroads: Forest Protection or Forest Fires?

• 30 Years After the Clayoquot Blockades Old Growth Forests Still Need Protection

• United for Old Growth March & Super-Rally Seeks Results for Forest Protection

• At the Expense of Wild Salmon, During the Wild Salmon Emergency: DFO Allowing Salmon Farms to Expand in Clayoquot Sound?

• Skookum John’s Salmon Story: Protecting Salmon for the Next 7 Generations

• Hands Across the Sand: Demands Action to End Fossil Fuel Subsidies

• Big Profits for Big Oil? Time to Make Big Polluters Pay

• “Dear Josie… Help Update the Mineral Tenure Act & Ban Mining in Clayoquot Sound!” #IMPERIALNOMORE

Read online here!

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2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the Clayoquot Sound blockades and protests against the logging of old growth forests. During that time of what is often referred to as the “War in the Woods”, Friends of Clayoquot Sound led the organizing on the ground. While much of the protested logging area has been spared from logging, a clear system of protection is still lacking.

In 2020 – for the 1st time in colonial history – the B.C. government announced the deferral of logging in over 350,000 hectares of forests provincially, including 260,000 hectares in Clayoquot Sound. With the logging deferral in place until 2024, there is now the opportunity for the Ahousaht, Hesquiaht, and Tla-o-qui-aht Nations to establish Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) within their unceded territories.

Prior to the current deferral period, the B.C. government’s outdated forestry system required the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations’ owned forestry company, MaMook, to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual fees for Tree Farm Licenses to the B.C. government for the ‘rights to log’ in their own territories. This meant that the local Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations had to log the old growth trees within their territories to pay the B.C. government which prevented other corporations from once again acquiring the Tree Farm Licenses and resuming more aggressive logging, like in 1993. Considering this representation of the B.C. forestry system, it makes sense how this economic exploitation is leading to further environmental destruction.

Yet today, the unrealized opportunity for old growth forests within B.C. is for reconciliation based protection. Now more than ever, protecting ancient rainforests is critical to defend the biosphere from the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Large conservation investments for Indigenous communities from governments and philanthropists are necessary. Through conservation investment, Indigenous Nations can be paid to uphold their traditional culture values and protect their territories, instead of being paid to assimilate to the exploitative, colonial system of extractive logging for the benefit of the few.

6 Actions We Can Take for Old Growth Forests

1. Support Indigenous led protection camps and actions on the ground.

2. Organize local solidarity actions on September 14 (read Page 3 for more info).

3. Call / send email to the Premier, Ministers, and local MLAs.

Premier David Eby / 250-387-1715 / premier@gov.bc.ca

Forest Minister Bruce Ralston / 250-387-6240 / flnr.minister@gov.bc.ca

Environment Minister George Heyman / 250-387-1187 / env.minister@gov.bc.ca

Stewardship Minister Nathan Cullen / 250-953-0900 / lwrs.minister@gov.bc.ca

Climate Readiness Minster Bowinn Ma / 250-387-3655 / bowinn.ma.MLA@leg.bc.ca

Low Carbon Innovation Minister & Mid Island Pacific Rim MLA Josie Osborne

/ 250-720-4515 / emli.minister@gov.bc.ca

1. Sign the bcgreens.ca and change.org petitions – search “Old Growth”.

2. Amplify by sharing and resharing educational content in social media networks.

3. Donate to the Protect Ada’itsx, FOCS, and groups working to protect old growth forests.

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Today, and every day, we stand together in an unprecedented show of unity amongst working people, Indigenous land stewards and knowledge-keepers, activists, scientists, youth, educators, communities, celebrities, environmental and social justice groups, faith organizations and more. Standing united against the destruction of old growth forests. Standing strong for future generations. On Saturday, February 25th, the United For Old Growth coalition is bringing a broad-based mass mobilization to the B.C. Legislature that reflects the majority of public will in B.C. for progressive solutions to the crisis in the woods.

Organizers behind the United For Old Growth rally say momentum is building for a giant mobilization in Victoria in less than ten days. Rallying behind a declaration signed by more than 210 organizations, participants in this march and rally will call on Premier David Eby and the BC NDP government to honour their promise to move faster to protect old growth forests and reform forest stewardship across the province.

Signatories include the BC General Employees Union (BCGEU), the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association and the BC Teachers’ Federation Committee for Action on Social Justice. Initial signatories to the declaration are the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), Elders for Ancient Trees, Sierra Club BC, Stand.earth, and Wilderness Committee. Many of the hundreds of endorsing groups are organizing contingents to join the February 25 rally.

“Make no mistake, due to decades of lack of oversight and mismanagement, old growth forests in BC are in a state of disaster,” said Chief James Hobart of the Spuzzum First Nation.“The priority of the BC NDP government seems to be to continue to greenlight the old-growth onslaught, but together we can send a clear message to the NDP and change that light to red.”

The February 25 event will begin with a march from Centennial Square at noon, followed by a rally on the front lawn of the BC Legislature at 1:30 p.m. Rally organizers are inviting everyone to attend and to bring banners and art for the march.

Speakers and performers at the rally include:

• Chief James Hobart, Spuzzum First Nation
• Kwakwaka’wakw Hereditary Chief David Knox, Kwakiutl First Nation
• Janelle Lapointe, Afro-Indigenous climate justice and Indigenous rights organizer, Stellat’en First Nation
• Elder Bill Jones, Pacheedaht First Nation
• Rainbow Eyes, land defender, Da’naxda’xw/Awaetlala First Nation
• David Suzuki, legendary environmentalist and broadcaster
• Dr. Karen Price, independent ecologist and provincial Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel member
• Christina Enns, Tla-o-qui-aht/Dakota youth
• ANSWER2 Drummers
• Sarah Osborne, singer-songwriter

The walk from Centennial Square will be led by drummers from local First Nations, and feature a strong artistic component –for several months hundreds of artists and volunteers have been creating banners, mobile murals and 3D art pieces in preparation for the rally.

The United We Stand for Old Growth declaration calls on the BC government to keep its promises, including to immediately halt logging in the most at-risk forests; provide full financial support to First Nations and implement a just transition for forest communities; and ensure all forest-related decisions uphold First Nations Title and Rights.

“Old growth forests are a critical element to prevent the worst ravages of the climate crisis. Not only are they carbon sinks, but they stop erosion, prevent forest fires and inhibit flooding,” said Tara Ehrcke, Ditta Cross, and Sarah Newton of the BC Teachers’ Federation Committee for Action on Social Justice. “We owe it to those already suffering from climate catastrophes, and to all the world’s children, to do everything in our power to maintain a liveable planet. The government has set up a blueprint for primary forest protection: we have to ensure they act on it.”

The declaration is gaining steam ahead of a February 25 march and rally, as thousands of people prepare to come together for old growth forests on the unceded territories of Lekwungen-speaking peoples in Victoria, B.C. The rally is being held on Eby’s 100th day in office, aligning with the timeline of his pledge to accelerate action on old growth within his first 100 days.

“The strategic review panel made its recommendations long ago. Why are logging companies, even the government’s own logging company, BC Timber Sales, still logging in deferrals? This is a pointless and harmful game. The stakes could not be higher; the very future of our children is at risk. BC has already been experiencing devastating floods, landslides, and forest fires; what more must happen for government and big business to stand in solidarity with their fellow humans and the ecosystems that keep us all alive?” said organizers with Old Growth Revylution, which is hosting a parallel rally in Revelstoke on February 25.

The BC NDP government promised to implement all 14 recommendations from the Old Growth Strategic Review in 2020, including to immediately stop (or defer) logging in the most at-risk old-growth forests. The recommendations had specific implementation timelines, ranging from six months for deferrals to three years for establishing a robust monitoring system – but to this day not a single recommendation has been fulfilled, and old growth and at-risk forests mapped for deferral are still being destroyed. Over the same period, over 1,100 people have been arrested while peacefully defending old-growth forests in multiple regions of B.C.

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