Old Growth Logging - BC

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San Juan Ridge (Gain Creek) RD JR850

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These are images of a planned cut block in Gain Creek (part of the Loss Creek potter shed), which is south of Port Renfrew along the San Juan ridge, this area is controlled by the Pacheedaht band council that has undertaken insanely extensive logging in this area.

Road building has already been approved into this forest, and a cut block has been laid out. When this forest is logged there will be no setbacks from the stream that flows through this forest. While I was there I observed "Cutting boundary" flagging tape within a meter of the creek.

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Carnation Creek

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Carnation Creek is a large section of valley bottom old growth just south of the Alberni Sound on Huu-at-aht Territory, this section of forest has been overlooked by the timber industry for the past several decades but remains unprotected as Western Forest Products continues to log the neighboring Klanawa Valley.

This is one of southern Vancouver island’s best old growth cedar forests, it has been left undisturbed for time in memorial yet as I walked into the forest I heard chainsaws on the neighboring ridge…

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Dakota Creek (Cape Scott) #HBFM601

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BCTS (BC Timber Sales) is planning on auctioning off a 42 HA old growth cut block immediately adjacent to Cape Scott Provincial Park in the Dakota Creek Watershed this year.

This would only be the SECOND cut block ever to be logged in the intact Dakota Creek Watershed. 

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Darling River RD MI950A-1

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The BC NDP has approved road building into an old growth cedar forest on the Darling River south of Bamfield, this cut block contains literally hundreds of western red cedar trees growing over 2.5 m in diameter.

This truly is one of the most spectacular sections of Old Growth Forest on Southern Vancouver Island and before the end of 2023 it is likely to be gone.

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Beyond The 2000 Road (Planned Teal Jones Cut Blocks At Fairy Creek)

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Teal Jones has plans for three cut blocks on the southwestern flank of the Fairy Creek Rainforest, just across the ridge from Fairy Creek. This intact slope contains extremely impressive yellow and red cedar forest with trees up to 9 feet thick growing at high elevations. This area is identified as a deferral candidate and as Marbled Murrelet Habitat, however, it remains unprotected. Teal Jones hasn't applied to log this area yet however when they do they are sure to face substantial opposition.

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Grant Bay RD W152 & W480

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Western Forest Products has applied to build a sprawling road network into a last fringe of old growth forest along the pacific ocean near the outlet of Quintino Sounds and north of Grants Bay. This forest contains old group red cedar with remarkable canopies and is near some of the most productive old growth forest on Northern Vancouver Island.

As of the end of February 2023 this road building has not been approved.

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The 2000 Road #7275 & #7276

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The 2000 Road lies just across the ridge from Fairy Creek on the southwestern flank of the old growth rainforest. The area was clear-cut in 2019 and then again in 2021 after dozens of people were arrested trying to stop the logging. The area is incredibly steep and landslides are common on the road. 

Teal Jones has decommissioned the road for now however there are 3 cut blocks planned on the next slope over.  

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Kwatleo Creek

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Kwatleo Creek on Northern Vancouver Island contains some of the most spectacular cedar forests remaining in British Columbia. The groves here are truly the best of the best of BC’s endangered old growth forest. This area is part of TFL 6 and is unprotected. This area has seen over 80 years of industrial logging, and it is truly remarkable that any of these grandest cedar groves remain intact. You can easily explore this area by following the road past Winter Harbor; these trees are immediately visible from the road a few kilometers before it dead ends at Grant Bay. This old growth forest stretches for over 100 ha. 

Weather conditions did not allow for a thorough exploration of this grove however in the short time we were there, and within minutes of entering the forest we found two cedar trees measuring 3.6 and 3.5 m in diameter. 

There are no logging approvals in this forest, however that could change any day. I will certainly be monitoring this area.

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Looper Creek #783307

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Cut block #783307 is a small patch of forest in one of the most intensively log sections of Looper Creek, a tributary to the Caycuse Valley. The cut block is at the headwaters of the creek and contains hundreds of monumental cedar trees. I explored this forest in the summer of 2022 and while I was there Wester Forest Product surveyors were in the cut block in preparation for logging.

In early November 2022, this cut block was logged.

 
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Bugaboo Creek #4733

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Bugaboo Creek cut block #4733 in TFL 46 contains some of the richest red and yellow cedar forest on the south island. In August 2022 I discovered a rare population of Oldgrowth Specklebelly Lichen in the cut block. Teal Jones and the Canadian government have come under great pressure to leave a 200m buffer around the lichen. Elder Bill Jones of the Pacheedaht First Nations has personally asked Canada‘s minister of environment and climate change to protect this population of Oldgrowth Specklebelly Lichen. He awaits a response. Bugaboo Creek is also home to at least 21 endangered Marbled Murrelet Sea birds who have been documented in the area by citizen scientists.

As of October 2022 the cut block has not been approved. 

Aerials of #4733 & Logging in #4732

 
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Klanawa Valley #871327

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Cut block #871327 is a mountaintop removal logging operation. Western Forest Products in partnership with the Huu-ay-aht Band Council received approval to destroy much of the last remaining old growth forests on this unnamed mountain in early 2022, by September much of the Logging had already taken place. We visited this forest in time to see a few of its gentle giants. Only a few weeks after we witnessed their majesty they were cut down.

 
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Klanawa Valley #764325

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As of November 2022 cut block #764325 in the Klanawa Valley has been approved. Western Forest Products has obtained approval to build a 5 km road along the Klanawa River to access this spectacular stand of rare and endangered valley bottom old growth red cedar forest, but work hasn’t started. This forest is listed as a deferral candidate under the old growth strategic review however, despite news coverage to the contrary the Huu-ay-aht Band Council did NOT accept deferrals on their territory. The band council excepted 96% of deferral areas, which sounds good until you realize that the 4% that they left out were the exact areas like this one that they intended to clear-cut in the near term. They received the PR victory while still being able to partner with Western Forest Products in clearcutting this area.

Valley bottom old growth logging is almost over, nearly all of the high-productivity valley bottoms have been destroyed and the fact that a forest such as this remains along a major river on southern Vancouver Island is something of a miracle. It deserves protection. While we explored this old growth forest we were surrounded by the sounds of helicopters dragging logs off of a nearby mountain and of trees crashing down in the distance, the same fate awaits this forest if no one intervenes.

 
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Loss Creek #449H

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These are images of the aptly named Loss Creek Cut block number #449H. I first visited this forest in the summer of 2021 and found it dense with old growth red cedar, my return trip in June 2022 found a perfect example of what the BC NDP calls “sustainable forestry.” This area was a deferral candidate under the old growth strategic review however it never received protection. There’s a reason for that. TFL 61, in which loss Creek is located is managed by The Questo Company, which is run by Jeff Jones and the Pacheedaht band council, the same people responsible for rejecting the (very limited and inadequate) deferrals offered by the BCNDP. 

Before Logging

 
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Caycuse (Hidden Valley)

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In 2019 the Teal Jones Group began a massive wave of clear-cut logging in the Caycuse valley which took down almost all of its iconic stands. The photographer TJ Watt documented the loss of some of the biggest trees in his famous before and after series. 

This forest is just across the mountain from where those before and after photographs were captured, it's a hidden side Valley in the upper Caycuse Valley and has the highest site index of any old growth forest south of Port Alberni. (Site index is a forestry term referring to the productivity of a section of old growth forest.) The site index of this forest is 26. This Hidden side valley, along with Looper Creek in the lower Caycuse, are the only sections of this valley that remain somewhat intact. Looper Creek is being actively logged and parts of this side valley are flagged for logging. 

 
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Quatse Lake #63914

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Up until 2021 this was the only remaining section of old growth on Quatse Lake which is the water supply for the Quatsino First Nation. Western Forest Products clear-cut this area leaving a meager buffer to protect the lake. Up until recently this was the closest and most accessible old growth forest for cultural uses for the Quatsino Nation.

 
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Sassin #774221

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These are images of cut block #774221 that was defended by Sassin Camp through 2021. Western Forest Products began clearcutting this Forest in early 2021 which prompted the creation of Sassin camp, even though Sassin camp is now gone western Forest products hasn’t tried to clear-cut the rest of this cut block. 

As of October 2022 the forest is on borrowed time. 

 
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Zeballos Lake

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The valley above Zeballos Lake on Northern Vancouver Island was an intact old growth forest up until 2018 when Western Forest Products began a series of devastating clear-cuts in the valley. These images show the aftermath of their logging. The lower half of this intact Valley has been destroyed however the upper half remains pristine, this Alpine wilderness is continuous with Wass lake provincial park and is one of the largest unprotected roadless areas on Vancouver Island, it deserves protection. Western Forest Products is currently seeking approval for a cut block #O65 which would extend this devastating road network farther up this alpine valley. 

 
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Walbran Valley #782106

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These are images of the lower section of Western Forest Products cut block #782106 in the upper Walbran Valley, this area was defended by the Walbran Watch Camp but is now vulnerable to logging. 

As of October 2023 cut block #782106 is approved and logging could begin any day.

 
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Loup Creek #LP11

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These are images of the spectacular old growth forests that once grew in cut block #LP11 this forest is gone. It was logged in early 2022 by the Qala:yit Community Forest partnership between the Pacheedaht Band Council and the Cowichan Community Forest.

The Loup Creek Watershed, a tributary to the Gordon River Valley was extensively logged in the 70s and the timber industry is coming back for what’s left, there are very few sections of old growth left in the watershed but those that remain are among the most spectacular in the region. You can view a photo album of a currently at-risk forest in Loup Creek on the Ancient Forest Alliance’s website.

 
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Edinburgh Mountain #7163 (TR 11 & Eden Creek)

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These are images of cut block #7163 above Eden Creek on Edinburgh Mountain. I took these pictures in spring 2022 after hiking up the mountain and sleeping overnight in the snow. These images also show the extensive road network that Teal Jones has constructed, (out of sight of tourists) on Upper Edinburgh Mountain. This area is referred to as Truck Road 11 and is known to have a resident population of endangered Western Screech Owls.

As of October, 2022 Eden Creek cut block #7163 hasn’t been clear-cut.