FoCWs info booth at the Feb 25th 2023 forest rally

Central Walbran logging deferral extended.
In response to a FoCW request to the relevant ministries of the NDP government we received this reply in part from the Ministry of Forests in regards to the expiry on June 9Th 2023 of the current logging deferral in the Central Walbran.

‘On July 20, 2022, the Province extended the Part 13 deferral areas, including the Central Walbran Valley, until March 1, 2024………… this deferral and its extension are intended to provide the necessary time for the Province and the Pacheedaht First Nation to work together on a long-term approach to this important area.’
‘Aligning with our commitments under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the Province is continuing to explore ways to meaningfully collaborate with First Nations to co-develop an action plan to support the implementation of the OGSR recommendations. This includes the Province and First Nations working in partnership to defer ancient, rare, and priority large stands of old growth within BC’s most at-risk old growth forests. These harvest deferrals are intended to allow time to develop a new approach for old growth forest management to protect and support ecosystem health and community prosperity across British Columbia.’

FoCW calls on the government and the Pacheedaht First Nation to protect this important area in perpetuity, by adding the deferral area wholly to the provincial park or to create an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA), within the deferral area.