The
Vancouver Island old-growth forest that, over the decades, has sparked
bitter confrontations over logging is again in the spotlight after
survey tape was found near a grove of massive western red cedars.
Members
of the Ancient Forest Alliance found the tape in the Upper Walbran
Valley, near Castle Grove, which contains the Castle Giant, a western
red cedar with a five-metre diameter. The tree is listed in the
provincial big tree registry as one of the widest in Canada.
“Castle
Grove is ground zero for the ancient forest movement on southern
Vancouver Island, both historically and today,” said Ken Wu, Ancient
Forest Alliance executive director. “To try and log it is insanity — it
will only escalate the war in the woods to a whole new level,” he said.
The
logging tape, marked “falling boundary,” is less than 50 metres from
the Castle Giant, said Alliance campaigner TJ Watt who discovered the
tape.
However, the Forests Ministry said in an emailed response
to questions that no activity is planned in Castle Grove, although some
logging is planned in the area further south.
“The area in question could be partly protected by the park, an old-growth management area and ungulate winter range,”
the email said. “Ministry staff were not able to confirm without better mapping information from AFA.”
Teal
Jones Group of Surrey holds the licence for the area, but spokesman
John Pichugin said that he could not say whether the company has applied
for a cutting licence in the area until he has seen a map.
Wu,
who took part in the 1991 protests that resulted in the lower half of
the Walbran Valley and the Upper Carmanah Valley being added to Carmanah
Walbran Provincial Park in 1995, said it is time the province came up
with its promised “legal tool” to protect B.C.’s largest trees and
monumental groves.
“Of all places, Castle Grove is the place
where such a legal designation would make most sense. Otherwise the B.C.
Liberals’ rhetoric has been as empty as a clearcut,” Wu said.
The
e-mailed response from the ministry said there are legal mechanisms to
provide protection to unique or special trees and all British Columbians
finding special trees are encouraged to register them on the Big Trees
Registry.
“The ministry continues to look at other ways that may provide stronger pro-active protection,” it said.
After
the lower half of the Walbran, consisting of about 5,500 hectares, was
included in the park, environmentalist continued to push for protection
of the valley’s remaining 7,500 hectares.
In 2003 more protests
erupted over logging in the area that resulted in the arrest of elderly
environmental activist Betty Krawczyk.
jlavoie@timescolonist.com
