Elizabeth May calls for halt to logging plans of Nanoose Bay Ancient Forest within UN Biosphere Reserve

Today Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May joined the call to
halt logging plans for a 64 hectare tract of Coastal Douglas Fir (CDF)
forest on Crown land within a UN Biosphere Reserve near Nanoose Bay on
central Vancouver Island. The Nanoose Bay Ancient Forest, also known
as “District Lot 33” (DL 33), is home to dozens of giant, old-growth
Douglas firs, an important wetland, and many species at risk including
northern alligator lizards and red-legged frogs. It is located within
the Mount Arrowsmith United Nations Biosphere Reserve, established in
2000.

On December 22 during the holiday season the BC Forest Service
signed-off on a cutting permit for the Nanoose First Nation, the
Snaw-naw-as band, to log the stand.  On January 1 one hundred local
citizens rallied against the planned logging, which has yet to
commence, at the endangered forest.

“The core mandate of UN Biosphere Reserves is to support biodiversity
and human communities through sustainable economic activities,
conservation policies, education, and research. Old-growth logging in
one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems, BC’s Coastal Douglas
Fir forest where only 1% of the original old-growth remains, is
anything but sustainable for the biodiversity or for the human
communities,” stated Elizabeth May. “There are so many other, better
economic activities that could and should go on in a UN Biosphere Reserve – this is about as far as
you could get from sustainable.”

Local residents’ calls on the BC government for the forest’s
protection have been joined by the unanimous support of all the
Regional Districts in the area, and by municipalities through an
official resolution through the Association of Vancouver Island and
Coastal Communities.

Concerns about the logging plans are not only at the municipal and
regional levels. In June 2010 the Forest Practices Board, BC’s
independent watchdog on forest and range practices, released a report
which stated: “In the Board’s opinion, harvesting mature or old forest
in the CDF, such as that found in good condition on DL 33, is not
consistent with a vision of overall ecosystem integrity.”

“Where is Conservative MP James Lunney on all this? This is taking
place in his riding of Nanaimo-Alberni. The federal government is not
only a signatory to the creation of UN Biosphere Reserves, but also
funds them. Rather than allowing a seriously unsustainable practice to
occur in a designation that is supposed to be an international role
model for sustainability, Lunney and the Harper government need to
step forward to ensure a green alternative to old-growth logging
here,” stated May.

Prior to becoming leader of Canada’s Green Party in 2006, Elizabeth
May spent much of her time working to protect Canada’s forests –
against insecticide and herbicide spraying in Atlantic forests in the
1970’s and ‘80’s, for the protection of BC’s old-growth forests in the
1980’s and ‘90’s, and for the protection of boreal forests in the
2000’s. She is the author of the primary environmental book on forest
policies in Canada, “At the Cutting Edge: The Crisis in Canada’s
Forests.”

To speak with Elizabeth May, Green Party of Canada leader, contact:

Ken Wu, Communications Director, Saanich-Gulf Islands office
saanichgulfislands@greenparty.ca