{"id":16944,"date":"2024-09-30T15:58:39","date_gmt":"2024-09-30T15:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalgreens.org\/?p=16944"},"modified":"2024-09-30T16:09:38","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T16:09:38","slug":"biodiversity-hotspots-fairy-creek-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalgreens.org\/fre\/biodiversity-hotspots-fairy-creek-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"Points chauds de la biodiversit\u00e9 : Fairy Creek, Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Fairy Creek Old Growth forest on Vancouver Island, British Columbia (BC), Canada is one of many in BC where conflict between logging companies and Indigenous and \u201cgreen\u201d forest defenders has been intense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Green Party of Canada is very fortunate to have our Deputy Leader Rainbow Eyes (also known as Angela Davidson), an Indigenous forest defender who has been on the front lines at the Fairy Creek blockade and has been arrested for her non-violent resistance, provide her own case study in the first part below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the second part Green Party of Canada member Clement Kent, Ph.D. provides links and context to understand the conflict between forest defenders and the government and logging companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Part 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Name of the forest<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fairy Creek, our temple<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Name of the area<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pacheedaht & Ditidhat Traditional territories<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Size of area<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Key drivers of deforestation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greed, value of old growth timber, colonization<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Key companies involved<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teal Cedar Products INC aka Teal Jones<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Key government agencies involved<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BC Timber Sales, Ministry of Forests BC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Nature of biodiversity in the area – eg flora and fauna and ecosystem services – its unique value eg bats<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Screech owl, Marbled Murelet, Speckled belly lichen. All endangered species, live only in old growth forests. Cedar tree is West Coast Indigenous tree of life <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What happens to the Land is a direct representation of what had happened\/happening to the people” – Elder Bill Jones<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solutions –<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We come together. We communicate with each other. Tune into the call of the forest. We go back to culture. We work as one\/we are one which is naut’sa mawt to the Coast Salish people. To the Kwakwaka’wakw people we say Maya\u2019xala which means respect for all living things. Going back to Indigenous ways of life & culture will naturally lead to healing Mother Earth. As indigenous people we are working so incredibly hard to come together as one after the colonial genocide of our people. This is the hardest work. But we will succeed. When all indigenous peoples come together as one…the world will follow.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Part 2. British Columbia\u2019s Old Growth Rainforests<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of us associate rainforests with places like the Amazon or the Congo. However, temperate rainforests used to be common on the west ocean coasts of Britain, Canada, and the United States. Cool sea water currents create local climates with warmer winters than usual at those latitudes, moderate summer temperatures, and abundant rainfall. Over time, rainforest tree specialists evolved like dawn redwoods and giant sequioas in the US, Douglas Fir and Red Cedar (Thuja plicata<\/em>) in Canada, and sessile oaks in Britain. \u201cThe world’s largest-known Douglas Fir, the Red Creek Fir, the world’s largest-known red cedar, the Cheewhat Giant, and Canada’s largest spruce, San Jo’s Smiley, are all found on Vancouver Island.\u201d – Ancient Forest Alliance<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temperate rainforests provide stable moist climates. Some trees can live thousands of years and grow very large. Their wood is often scented with antifungal and antibacterial compounds that inhibit decay. \u201cWestern red cedar is one of the most valuable commercial tree species in British Columbia. The western redcedar industry generates over $1 billion in economic activity annually and provides nearly 1900 jobs.\u201d – Canadian Forest Service 2018<\/a>. Old growth red cedar logs sell for about $860 per log in 2024<\/a>. <\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logging of BC\u2019s old growth rainforests has reduced formerly very large stands to a few remnants. As awareness of environment and of Indigenous rights grew, efforts to protect these remnants have generated some of the largest protest movements in Canada\u2019s history:<\/p>\n\n\n\n