Old-Growth Policy Overview - August 2023

Here the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance's Ken Wu gives a new overview on where BC's old-growth forest policies are at, as of early August, 2023.

Old-Growth Forests vs. Second-Growth Plantations - The Differences

See a summary of the structural differences between coastal old-growth temperate forests and the ensuing second-growth tree plantations that they are being replaced with - which are re-logged every 50 to 60 years in BC, never to become old-growth again. Old-growth forests are vital to support unique endangered species, the climate, tourism, clean water, wild salmon, and First Nations cultures whose unceded territories these are.

Old-Growth Policy Update - February 17th, 2023

Watch a video filmed on February 10th, 2023 where Endangered Ecosystems Alliance’s executive director Ken Wu gives an update on recent old-growth policy developments in B.C. up until that point.

**Note: it was filmed before the new forest policy progress announcements by Premier Eby a couple days ago, which we have included in the write-up below. Please watch and SEND a MESSAGE to the BC and federal governments asking them to keep moving forward at: https://www.endangeredecosystemsalliance.org/news/bc-needs-an-effective-federal-provincial-nature-agreement

Protected Areas Progress in Canada - Post UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) Summary

Hear a quick summary overview by the Endangered Ecosystem Alliance's Executive Director Ken Wu about some of the progress for protected areas expansion policies and funding that were announced from Canada and several provinces during the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal between Dec.7 to 19, 2022:

Canada committed $800 million in conservation financing support for Indigenous planning for new protected areas in the Great Bear Sea (Northern Shelf marine region in BC), in the Northwest Territories, in northern Nunavut, and in the James Bay lowlands in Ontario.
BC's new Premier David Eby committed to the national protected area target of protecting 30% by 2030 of the province's land area, to develop conservation financing mechanisms to support First Nations Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA's) and to prioritize protection for the most biodiverse areas. Still missing is the federal-provincial funding package, the BC Nature Agreement, that would fuel the whole thing.
Quebec promised $650 million in funding over 7 years to expand protected areas via private land acquisition, support for Indigenous protection initiatives, and for endangered species habitat protection.
The Yukon, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia also announced protected areas expansion.
The federal government promised they would legally-enshrine the 30% by 2030 protection target via an accountability act, giving a legal basis for the federal government to push the provinces to get on board (in most cases, the provinces are the conservation laggards as most have not committed to the federal targets nor to provide related funding).
Ecosystem-based targets (protection targets for all ecosystems) are still needed, otherwise government's will continue to skirt around saving the most contested areas most coveted by industries. An Endangered Ecosystems Act where targets are devised by science and informed by Indigenous knowledge is ultimately needed.

Nature Protection in Canada - Time for Ambition and Ecosystem-Based Targets

Check out the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance's new 5 min video on "Nature Protection in Canada - Time for Ambition and Ecosystem-Based Targets" explaining key issues as 195 countries converge in Montreal to negotiate new international protected areas targets and policies at the UN Biodiversity Conference.

Most importantly SEND a MESSAGE to your provincial government and to the federal government to scale-up their protected areas ambition here.

The Coastal Dry Forests of British Columbia

Check out our mini-documentary video on the Coastal Dry Forests of British Columbia (ie. the Coastal Douglas-Fir and Very Dry Coastal Western Hemlock ecosystem).

These ecosystems, which include the charismatic and endangered Garry Oak and Arbutus ecosystems, are found on eastern Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and the Lower Mainland where the cities of Victoria, Nanaimo and much of Richmond, West Vancouver and Vancouver are located, in the territories of diverse Salish First Nations.

Despite constituting less than 1% of BC's land area, most of the population lives here, with the greatest concentrations of species at risk in the province.

A provincial land acquisition fund from the BC NDP government is vital to purchase and protect private lands with these endangered ecosystems, and any unprotected Crown lands and unused Department of National Defense lands with quality habitat should be sought for protection as Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA's) by the provincial and federal government, including with the critical financing for First Nations.

This video, written and narrated by Ken Wu and edited by Darryl Augustine, is part of our "Amazing Ecosystems of Canada" mini-documentary video series - please DONATE to help us produce and deploy (via Facebook ads) these videos far and wide!

Despite constituting less than 1% of BC's land area, most of the population lives here, and the greatest concentrations of species at risk in the province are found here.

This video, written and narrated by Ken Wu and edited by Darryl Augustine, is part of our Amazing Ecosystems of Canada mini-documentary video series.

The Great Grasslands of BC’s Southern Interior

See the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance's mini-documentary video on the amazing grasslands of the Interior Valleys in British Columbia, home to some of the greatest concentrations of unique and endangered wildlife in Canada with an emphasis on the South Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys.

Featuring interviews by Syilx hereditary chief Rob Edward, grasslands ecologist Don Gayton, and South Okanagan naturalist and conservationist Doreen Olsen.

Written and narrated by Ken Wu. Edited by David Earles, this is part of our Amazing Ecosystems of Canada mini-documentary video series.

The Coastal Old-Growth Temperate Rainforests of British Columbia

The core issues are explained in this video surrounding the controversy over the logging of old-growth coastal temperate rainforests in BC, in a video produced by the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance.

Old-growth forests are vital to sustain endangered species, First Nations cultures (whose unceded lands these are), clean water, wild salmon, carbon storage, and for tourism and recreation.

Well over 90% of the grandest old-growth forests in BC with the largest trees have been logged and time is running out fast as the industrial logging of these last old-growth stands occurs at a breakneck speed, spanning an area over 5 times the size of the city of Vancouver each year.

Most forests in BC are second-growth now, and if the BC government fostered a value-added, sustainable second-growth forest industry they could sustain forestry employment levels in BC while protecting the remaining old-growth forests.

Be sure to SEND a MESSAGE to the BC and federal governments to protect old-growth forests.

Directed by Darryl Augustine, written and narrated by Ken Wu, this is part of our Amazing Ecosystems of Canada mini-documentary video series.

Full credits at the end of the film

Our approach to expanding protected areas in 2021

This video is a quick description of the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance's niche in the conservation movement by its founder Ken Wu, regarding its mission and approach in the lead-up to the UN Biodiversity Conference in mid-2021 - the greatest opportunity in history to expand protected areas.