Old-growth forests provide habitat for many species and absorb carbon from the atmosphere while protecting against erosion, flooding, and landslides. Ancient trees continue to fall under the B.C. NDP's watch and second-growth tree farms cannot replicate the biodiversity found in remaining old-growth areas like the Fairy Creek watershed. B.C. needs permanent, long-term solutions like conservation financing. Logging activities destroy habitats for many species, and the protection of bear dens should not be left up to the individual policies of forestry companies.
The BC Greens' plan for Old Growth
Conservation financing offers First Nations and other communities an economic alternative to forestry and resource extraction, enabling them to conserve valuable ecosystems. Government funding, alongside private donations, has proven effective in creating businesses and jobs in places like the Great Bear Rainforest.
Committing new resources and energy to reform our relationships with Indigenous communities and their economies is a key part of reconciliation. In accordance with call to action #92 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report, we must recognize Indigenous rights to their land and its resources with a focus on long-term sustainable development. Tourism, recreation, and clean energy projects will ideally provide sustainable economic alternatives.
Coastal black bear dens are typically found in or beneath large-diameter trees, such as those found in old-growth areas. The dens can be used by multiple generations of bears to give birth to cubs and survive cold, wet winters. However, forestry removes many of those large trees, and replanted areas are harvested before the trees reach an adequate size. Recently, the province blamed its inaction on a lack of information on the population status of black bears. Legal protections for these essential habitats exist only in the Great Bear Rainforest and on Haida Gwaii, while the rest of the province relies on inconsistent voluntary policies determined by logging companies.