Example Public Comment - Cut Block 8027

Below is an example of a public comment for FOM Number 2887, which would log ancient forests directly adjacent to the Fairy Creek Watershed.

The Ministry of Forests is accepting public comments on this proposal until February 22nd. Public comments can be submitted online here, just click "Submit a comment” then select “Cut Block 56684 8027” or “Overall FOM”: https://fom.nrs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects?id=2887#details Your comment must be under 4000 characters.

Please also email your public comment to the Ministry of Forests (FOR.Minister@gov.bc.ca) and David Eby (premier@gov.bc.ca)

You are welcome to copy and paste this comment; however, comments that have a personal touch are always more impactful. Please consider adding a paragraph or two about your personal relationship to old growth, or your personal motivations for opposing this cut block. Or use this document to create your own.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to submit a public comment regarding Teal Cedar’s proposed cutting permit for cut block 8027 and road permit GR8003D. I urge the Ministry of Forests to deny this application and prioritize permanent protection of this area.

The 1,910 hectares of contiguous old growth spanning the Fairy, Braden, and Renfrew Creek watersheds represents the largest unprotected old growth forest on southern Vancouver Island. When the MOF issued a logging deferral for Fairy Creek in 2021, it failed to include the 887 hectares of old growth forests in the Braden and Renfrew Creek watersheds in the deferral, leaving most of the at-risk old-growth forests around Fairy Creek unprotected. Now Teal Cedar is proposing logging in one of these adjacent forests. The proposed cut block lies 30m from the ridgeline of the Fairy Creek watershed and would introduce new road construction and logging into the largest remaining unprotected old-growth forest on southern Vancouver Island. Approving this cut block would further fragment one of the most important remaining old-growth landscapes in the region and create edge effects that damage the adjacent stands in the Fairy Creek watershed.

The stand targeted by cut block 8027 qualifies as ancient forest under BC’s definition, with monumental yellow cedar trees exceeding 400 years in age. Ancient forests are the rarest and most biodiverse subset of old growth and were specifically recommended for priority deferral by the Old Growth Strategic Review (OGSR).

The proposed cut block also threatens habitat for species at risk. This stand supports one of the largest documented populations of Old-growth Specklebelly Lichen (OGSB) in Canada, a species that depends on ancient forest conditions and is highly sensitive to disturbance. The logging of a neighboring cut block has already reduced this population; further fragmentation could eliminate it. The management goal under the SARA management plan for OGSB is "to maintain all known extant populations and any future populations of Oldgrowth Specklebelly that may be found in BC,” which requires avoiding harvest and maintaining adequate buffers around host trees. In addition, the area overlaps a proposed expansion of Wildlife Habitat Area 1-100, which was submitted by Dr. Royann Petrell in 2022 to protect Marbled Murrelet nesting sites that she has documented annually since 2021. Proceeding with logging before this proposal is resolved would undermine species recovery efforts. Furthermore, Dr. Petrell has submitted evidence of the presence of Western Screech Owls in the vicinity of this cut block. Given this species’ reliance on old growth, the harvest of this area is likely to involve the destruction of one or more nest sites.

Beyond ecological values, this forest has major cultural and climate importance. The Fairy Creek area is widely valued by Canadians and is internationally recognized for its old growth forest. Old-growth stands here store extremely high levels of carbon — estimated at roughly 600–1,300 tons per hectare — making their conservation directly relevant to provincial and national climate goals. The area also holds significant recreation, tourism, and spiritual value.

For these reasons, I respectfully urge the Ministry to reject cutting permit 8027 and road permit GR8003D, and to move toward full protection of this old-growth forest.

Furthermore, the province's failure to implement the recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review, and its recent decisions to roll back deferrals across the province is alarming. The MOF appears to be prioritizing short-term expediency over the science-based recommendations of the OGSR, and in so doing is undermining national and international efforts to halt the loss of biodiversity and slow climate change. I request that the ministry prohibit all logging of areas identified as priority deferral areas under the OGSR.

Sincerely,

[your name]
[where you are from – optional]