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Vancouver Island Conservation Vision Launched!
The WCWC has now launched its science-based Vancouver Island
Conservation Vision, which calls for the protection of 41% of the Island
based on conservation biology principles. 50 000 copies of our new
educational newspapers (one of our best) with a map centerfold and that
detail many of the key environmental, economic, political, and cultural
issues surrounding our ancient forests are now available for
distribution.
» View the Vancouver Island Conservation Vision Educational Report
» Business Petition to Expand Vancouver Island's Protected Areas System
Reprinted below are several news articles by the Times Colonist and
Canadian Press and our recent press release.
Implementing the Vancouver Island Conservation Vision would require that
the BC government undertake a renewed, systematic Protected Areas
Strategy for Vancouver Island, going beyond the arbitrary,
non-scientific 13% cap on protection of Vancouver Island's land base.
In addition, in order to sustain forestry jobs while the rate of cut is
reduced, it is crucial that the BC government expand Community Forest
Tenures to ensure that local forestry jobs are provided to and retained
in rural communities. They must also ban raw log exports and instead
establish regional log markets where wood is made available through
open-bidding for the value-added wood manufacturers (who employ more
people for the volume of wood cut).
A few facts about Vancouver Island:
- Only 25% of the Island's original ancient forests remain - 75% have
been cut down.
- Of 89 primary valleys that flow into the ocean on the Island over 5000
hectares, only 5 remain intact (no logging, no roads).
- 13% of Vancouver Island's land base is protected, but that only
encompasses 6% of its productive forests. Much of the parks system is
alpine tundra in Strathcona Park, subalpine forests, and bog forests.
How can YOU help to implement the Conservation Vision?
Help us Distribute our Educational Newspapers
Please come down to our office in Victoria (651 Johnson St.) and
Vancouver (341 Water St., 3rd Floor) to pick up a stack to distribute in
your community. Or if you live outside the major cities, let us know how
many you want and we'll send you a bundle (once we've fundraised enough
to cover the postage - please donate if you can, too!).
WRITE a letter!
Let the provincial politicians know whether or not you'd like
them to:
- Lift the arbitrary, non-scientific 13% cap on protection on Vancouver
Island
- Undertake a renewed Protected Areas Strategy for Vancouver Island
based on conservation biology science, and that entails open public
hearings across the Island to solicit public input. This process must
also entail meaningful and adequate consultation with First Nations.
- Protect at least 41% of Vancouver Island based on the WCWC's Vancouver
Island Conservation Vision, including the Upper Walbran Valley, pristine
valleys and islands of Clayoquot Sound, East Creek Rainforest, Nahmint
Valley, Nootka Trail, East Coast Crown lands, and dozens of other
ecologically important forests.
- Ban raw log exports, greatly expand Community Forest Tenures, and
mandate that more than half of all logs cut on Crown lands must be put
up for auction at regional log markets for purchase by small and large
wood processors.
Premier Gordon Campbell
Legislative Buildings, Victoria, BC V8V 1X4
Email: premier@gov.bc.ca
Phone: (250) 387-1714
Fax: (250) 387-0087
And also please write to your Provincial MLA Representative (Member of
the Legislative Assembly), including the new NDP MLA's.
Find your MLA and his/her contact info at:
www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm OR call Enquiry BC at: (250) 387-6121
in Victoria; (604) 660-2421 in Vancouver, or 1-800-663-7867 elsewhere in
BC
Volunteer!
Please let us know if you can volunteer with us to staff our
office, research key facts for us, organize events and outreach, and
help us make this Vision a reality!
Thanks so much for your help!
- Ken Wu, WCWC Victoria
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