More than 100 well-known Canadians and international celebrities have added their signatures to an open letter directed at Premier John Horgan, calling on him to preserve the province’s remaining old-growth forests..Among the list of celebrities are Canadian musicians Neil Young and Bryan Adams, former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, actress Jane Fonda, and climate change activist Greta Thunberg..The complete list can be viewed here..“British Columbia used to be the land of giants, with trees towering 250 feet tall,” writes the organization Canopy, in its open letter..“For thousands of years, these forests have cleaned our air and water, nurtured species, stabilized the climate, and been stewarded by Indigenous nations through the jurisdictional management of their traditional lands..“Today, less than 3% of these vital, old-growth forests remain.”.The letter, written in response to what is perceived as Horgan’s neglect towards the protection of old-growth forests, concludes with a clear message: “Premier Horgan, protect the irreplaceable.”.Protests — at Fairy Creek and nearby Cayacuse — began about 10 months ago when a dozen people tried to stop road construction and logging in the headwaters of the Fairy Creek watershed..However, an injunction authorizing the removal of anyone obstructing logging crews’ access to the cut blocks and worksites of Teal Cedar was granted April 1. So far 254 people have been arrested for “violating the injunction.”.Following a request by Huu-ay-aht, Ditidaht and Pacheedaht First Nations, a two-year deferral on logging in about 2,000 hectares of old-growth forest was approved by the provincial government according to Horgan on June 9, yet protests, blockades, and arrests continue..In a joint statement, the three chiefs said they are humbled by the support they have received from across BC and Canada, and request that forestry operations in approved regions continue without interruption..One RCMP officer told the Western Standard they don’t necessarily disagree with the demands of protesters, but the “dramatic language and tendency for media to ignore nuance only makes the situation worse.”.Reid Small is a BC correspondent for the Western Standard.,.rsmall@westernstandardonline.com
More than 100 well-known Canadians and international celebrities have added their signatures to an open letter directed at Premier John Horgan, calling on him to preserve the province’s remaining old-growth forests..Among the list of celebrities are Canadian musicians Neil Young and Bryan Adams, former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, actress Jane Fonda, and climate change activist Greta Thunberg..The complete list can be viewed here..“British Columbia used to be the land of giants, with trees towering 250 feet tall,” writes the organization Canopy, in its open letter..“For thousands of years, these forests have cleaned our air and water, nurtured species, stabilized the climate, and been stewarded by Indigenous nations through the jurisdictional management of their traditional lands..“Today, less than 3% of these vital, old-growth forests remain.”.The letter, written in response to what is perceived as Horgan’s neglect towards the protection of old-growth forests, concludes with a clear message: “Premier Horgan, protect the irreplaceable.”.Protests — at Fairy Creek and nearby Cayacuse — began about 10 months ago when a dozen people tried to stop road construction and logging in the headwaters of the Fairy Creek watershed..However, an injunction authorizing the removal of anyone obstructing logging crews’ access to the cut blocks and worksites of Teal Cedar was granted April 1. So far 254 people have been arrested for “violating the injunction.”.Following a request by Huu-ay-aht, Ditidaht and Pacheedaht First Nations, a two-year deferral on logging in about 2,000 hectares of old-growth forest was approved by the provincial government according to Horgan on June 9, yet protests, blockades, and arrests continue..In a joint statement, the three chiefs said they are humbled by the support they have received from across BC and Canada, and request that forestry operations in approved regions continue without interruption..One RCMP officer told the Western Standard they don’t necessarily disagree with the demands of protesters, but the “dramatic language and tendency for media to ignore nuance only makes the situation worse.”.Reid Small is a BC correspondent for the Western Standard.,.rsmall@westernstandardonline.com
