My letter to Premier Horgan..

(Via Conservation North's tool - here, so you can write too:  LETTER re. OLD-GROWTH FORESTS)

It's time to act for BC’s primary & old growth forests, some of the world's most important rainforest ecosystems & critical wildlife habitats.  Your govt. won a majority on promises to abide by your OldGrowth Panel's deadlines, & your delay is proving catastrophic..

BC's intact living primary forests have dwindled down to critical levels due to a century & a half of Govts' appropriation of sacred lands inhabited & used by 1st Nations for centuries.  Notably, at inception BC's forests were largely intact & teeming with biodiversity.

What's happened since is Forestry's continual wipeout by logging corps of entire swathes of BC's most precious 'Lungs of the Earth' -- i.e. our oldest living forests -- for the low-balled value of their marketable "timber":   A TRAGIC LOSS of priceless eco-benefits that virtually guarantees BC's failure to mitigate climate change-!?

Only in the last 3/4 decades have the BC govt's dire Natural Resource policies  come to light, & they hardly embody Canada's Constitutional stewardship needs.  But despite steadily-growing heartfelt opposition to BC's disastrous logging practices (ie. clearcutting), successive govts have charged forward in blind ignorance of its public & of science's best info.

Your govt has claimed to  better previous govts re. eco-improvements/ laws that protect BC's best assets & give communities false hope of Climate Action, with vows to "support" our vital forests & nice-sounding words like "decolonization" -- & even promises to implement the "paradigm shift" called for by your own Old Growth Panel -- yet our forests continue to be felled at such a sickeningly sped-up pace (backed by BC's Supreme Court as proof) that makes it clear your govt still supports logging corps' rapacious & unending greed/speed to KILL our ONLY natural climate protectors/C02 sinks.. i.e. FAILURE

Your govt could have begun to 'Build Back Better' by keeping your promises to implement the Old Growth Panel's forward-thinking recommendations - of which protecting Old Growth is KEY to Building Back Better & protecting all BCers' best interests!?

Failing those basic steps is disastrous enough.  But claiming otherwise in the name of reconciliation, WHILE forcing impoverished 1st Nations to participate in egregious clearcut wipeouts of their once-lush & proud great stands (whose pristine abundance had testified to deep native knowledge/ skills  capable of LEADING a renewable industry rooted in nature-based longevity) is grossly unacceptable!  

We will not win unless ALL remaining intact old growth ecosystems are left intact!

The best & newest science agrees:  industrial logging in BC is unsustainable -- & V. worrying, with resultant 'hotspots' causing critical biodiversity loss, droughts & other climate disasters.  Tho less than 10% of BC's old growth forests remain, most are slated to be logged -- which puts aLL of BC (if not the entire biosphere) in jeopardy..

Deforestation exacerbates human errors/weaknesses in this climate Emergency -- eg. Our emissions keep rising & adding to global warming.  In coming months/years, your actions TODAY will define our future -- & being 1 of few 'green' (forested) refuges left on Earth, we wait.. (but the safety-net a Just Transition to sustainability can give us NOW, cannoT!)

Old-growth forests, despite scientists' best efforts/R&D to invent effective C02 sequestration, are still the most -- no, the ONLY -- effective C02 sinks known to humankind. Allowing them to be cleared -- & our multi-billion$ eco-tourist industry to die out along with Old-Growth's threatened biodiversity -- is a sure suicide/ SPECIESCIDE we just cannot afford..

Please SEE how many educated BCers are choosing to be arrested rather than allow our last OldGrowth elders/ lifeboats to be logged like so much wood!? Then fire Katrine Conroy & save our best trees' lives (it's only fair!)

You yourself have said our ancient forests are "worth more standing" -- & you're right:   i.e. Keeping their entirety alive & intact is CRITICAL to mitigating biodiversity loss/ climate change, providing clean air/water, capturing/storing vast amounts of atmospheric C02, regulating ground/ surface water flow, preventing  fires/ floods: the list goes on & on of Old-Growth's uniquely timely qualities:  our living SAVIOURS, which you & (appare only ½) your govt want to deny us/ the world!? 

Right now, BC communities are seeing & feeling the deadly, direct effects of decades of destruction of these MOST IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEMS.  Yet status quo clearcuts & extraction continue apace!!? & Fairy Creek forest defenders are still being arrested -- proving your govt. is stalling on real Climate Action, with an old-school pro-logging puppet of a Forestry Minister dooming us all to a future of fire & Hell & orphaned investments:  WHY!!? 

At this point, clearing our last intact ancient forests equals the stupidity of demolishing the Great Pyramids for the value of their stones-!!?  (Actually worse, given our ancient forests' invaluable benefits that ensure successful outcomes for us all).  It's up to you & your govt. to intervene NOW with actual laws that protect BC's oldest wettest forests:  our globally-unique temperate rainforests, the giants of global Just Recovery, Beautiful BC heritage, Climate Action & so much more..

The world needs these key forests as much as we do, having cleared most of their own indigenous H²0-/ 0²-supplying forests long ago (which they doubtless regret, having become drought-ridden deserts like the others:  Iran, Iraq, Australia, California.. Brazil..?)

Isn't it time you & your govt SHOW US that you actually care, & have the integrity to do what's right -- for our kids' (& their kids') futures, if nothing else? 

Even industry pro's know climate change is real -- with insurance pull-outs from TMX just the start of the REAL recovery from Colonial oppression's ugly hold on our destinies.  YOU & YOUR GOVT. can put us on top (with our friends Old-Growth) oR doom us to the bottom of a bitumen spill -- but either way, change is coming.. & it won'T be kind to the culprits of Climate's/ Nature's downfall:  ie. polluters & their champions..

Thank you Premier Horgan, for hearing input from one whose family's dedication to the NDP ended with me, as I'm young/old enough to see only eco-INaction from your party, which i can't condone.. (I trust you understand)

Sincerely from my heart,

I oppose BC's unethical woLF CuLL program!

[My letter to the Prince George Citizen]

Re:  CULLING WILDLIFE IS NEVER THE ANSWER!

Dear Editor(s),

I strongly oppose the B.C. wolf kill program.  Sustained killing of wolves, in the absence of protecting adequate caribou habitat, is unjustifiable. This inhumane activity is contrary to the values of most British Columbians.

The Govt. has permitted forestry, mining & other resource companies to disturb & destroy caribou habitat, & now that some herds are on the brink of extinction, wolves are made the scapegoat (again).  It is avoidance of what really should be done, which is to stop destruction of wildlife habitats.

We would be wise to consider that reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park led to a much stronger, healthier & more resilient ecosystem.  In BC these ecosystems evolved with wolves as an apex predator, & they will not function properly without them.

What these systems did NOT evolve to cope with is massive habitat disturbance/loss as a consequence of logging, mining & oil/gas activity.  Approved old-growth clearcutting, Northern Gateway/TMX pipelines, Site C hydro project & various LNG pipelines do more harm to caribou herds than ANY wolf population.  BC's Wolf Mgmt. Plan itself stated that its wolf-killing programs "have not resulted in any measurable benefits for caribou", while Alberta’s wolf cull "failed to achieve any improvement in Boreal Woodland Caribou survival" (Journal of Zoology, Nov. 2014).

Notably, the UN declared 2021-2030 the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration -- to fight the catastrophic impacts of degraded/destroyed ecosystems on biodiversity, climate, food security & water supply.  ALL experts in this field -- from biologists + conservationists to observers + scientific researchers -- have provided overwhelming evidence that HUMAN INTERFERENCE IN WILDLIFE HABITATS IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE HEALTH + LONG-TERM SURVIVAL OF WILDERNESS ECOSYSTEMS.  

Recognizing the importance of biodiversity & the lasting impacts of species loss, in 2017 the BC NDP Govt. promised to enact a Species At Risk Law by 2020.  In 2019, Premier Horgan announced that no such law was pending "in the foreseeable future".

Govts. must recognize the intrinsic value of healthy species & ecosystems, & the critical role they play in supporting healthy human economies.  We have a moral obligation to prevent species extinction, first by habitat protection -- based on the knowledge of independent ecologists/ traditional knowledge holders.  In accordance with BC's Declaration on the Rights of indigenous People's Act, the Govt. must work with indigenous communities to develop this law.  Before it's too late.

https://www.raincoast.org/2015/01/voices-against-the-wolf-cull/

BUDGET 2021 - Submission to BC's Legislative Committee

I managed to post my feedback on BC Govt's plans for Budget 2021 by the deadline today, thanks to Ancient Forest Alliance's helpful tool emphasizing the urgency of prioritizing protection of BC's old-growth forests -- at this link, if you're interested:  https://www.ancientforestalliance.org/action-alert-speak-up-for-ancient-forests-submit-your-feedback-on-budget-2021-before-june-26th/  I've copied & pasted my submission (with added highlights) here:

To the Select Standing Committee on Finance & Govt. Services,

To create a truly sustainable and resilient economy, we must protect the natural ecosystems on which we all depend for our health and survival. Many of BC’s important ecosystems are endangered, threatened by the very real hazards of climate change, overdevelopment and widespread toxic spraying which leaves them vulnerable to beetle infestations and wildfires.  These precious ecosystems support large concentrations of endangered species, wild salmon habitat, drinking watersheds, climate balance, important First Nations cultural sites and outstanding recreational/ tourism opportunities.  Protecting BC's sustaining natural assets --of which old-growth forests unquestionably classify as the most valuable-- is a crucial part of the [NDP-promised] Species At Risk Act, which needs to be legislated ASAP to meet our climate-change goals and our requirements as environmental stewards.

BC’s coastal and temperate old-growth forests are vital for sustaining unique/ endangered species, a multi-billion dollar tourism industry, many First Nations cultures, a stable climate and clean water for communities/ wild salmon.  And we are fast losing these key life-support systems to rampantly destructive clear-cut logging whose short-term, private gains do not come close to offsetting the deadly debilitating costs of destruction by deforestation.

Recent independent research shows that only a tiny fraction (less than 3%) of BC’s highly productive old-growth forests --i.e. those capable of growing big trees-- remain standing today.  Studies have also shown that keeping old-growth forests standing provides a greater overall economic benefit than cutting them down - not only for the critical habitats they provide for BC's threatened biodiversity, but for their prodigious C02-storing services that no other element on Earth provides.  We need these forests intact to help keep our GHG levels from rising and to give this province a chance at fighting the worst effects of climate change.  Importantly, it must be noted that ALL of the C02 stored in old-growth forests is released into the atmosphere when logged.  And once they are logged, these important non-renewable natural assets are lost forever.  Allowing our precious old-growth forests to be logged at their current rate is therefore tantamount to criminal dereliction of our duty as stewards of our own sustaining wilderness ecosystems.

I therefore recommend the BC government prioritize the conservation of endangered old-growth forests in its 2021 provincial budget by:

1) Establishing a dedicated $40 million per year BC Natural Lands Acquisition Fund to purchase private lands of high conservation, scenic, cultural, and recreational value from willing sellers to add to BC’s parks and protected areas system. This $40 million annual fund should increase by $10 million/year until the fund reaches $100 million/year.

2) Contributing funding toward the sustainable development and economic diversification of Vancouver Island First Nations communities in lieu of old-growth logging, similar to the $120 million (including $30 million in provincial funds) provided to First Nations in the Great Bear Rainforest in support of ecosystem-based management in that region.

3) Allocating dedicated funding toward the creation, planning, implementation and management of a provincial Natural Lands Acquisition Fund to systematically purchase and protect endangered ecosystems on BC’s private lands for the benefit of communities and species alike -  along with Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in BC.  IPCAs are increasingly being recognized as effective mechanisms for conserving lands and waters while also supporting the languages, cultures, health, wellbeing, jobs and economies of Indigenous communities - and therefore must be supported and funded in Budget 2021.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Sarah M. Chesterman

TMX jeopaRdizes BC's biodiveRsiTy

My letter to editors --via LeadNow's tooL @ this link:
https://act.leadnow.ca/tmx-letter/


Dear editor,

The indigenous-led movement opposing the Trans Mountain expansion project (TMX) is solidly backed by Raincoast Conservation Foundation -- https://www.raincoast.org/ -- whose exemplary studies of Southern Resident Killer Whales show that our Killer Whale population --only 73 individuals as of Oct. 2019-- is critically endangered, facing serious threats "exacerbated by noise, physical disturbance & contaminants" that are having "substantial cumulative & negative effects on their chances of survival & ability to recover."  Raincoast's scientists deem this an "unquestionable emergency" requiring immediate "vital actions" to prevent the "high likelihood that Southern Resident Killer Whales will continue their spiral towards extinction" -- these include "operational measures to reduce noise & disturbance from commercial vessels traveling in/near Southern Resident foraging areas" & taking "steps to limit the cumulative effects of vessel traffic", consistent with the Species At Risk Act's Killer Whale Recovery Strategy.

Evidence submitted to the National Energy Board (NEB) showed the TMX project would lead to a sevenfold increase in tanker traffic through critical Southern Resident habitat, & the NEB in its project reconsideration report concluded “Project-related marine shipping is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects on the Southern Resident killer whale".  The Federal Court of Appeal ruled in Aug. 2018 that Cabinet's approval of TMX failed to comply with the Species At Risk Act, yet despite updated evidence presented in Jan. 2019 by Ecojustice showing TMX-related shipping would impact endangered killer whales, federal govt. approved TMX again in June 2019.. & in Sept. 2019 Federal Court of Appeal declined to hear Ecojustice's challenge on behalf of Raincoast..

It's CLEAR our federal/provincial govts, aided by the Courts, are guilty of their own FAILURE TO UPHOLD RULE OF LAW in dismissing Canada's Species At Risk Act & reneging on their own stated intentions/promises vis-a-vis 'climate emergency' -- primarily to advance private corporate interests of the polluting fossil-fuel activities proven by leading science as KEY CAUSES exacerbating global warming.  Recalling Premier Horgan's promise to do "whatever it takes" to stop TMX, the utter hypocrisy of govt's TMX approval is further exemplified by RCMP raids on Wetsu'wet'en land defenders fighting for BC's future VS. ongoing Govt-approved UNSUSTAINABLE resource development that MAKES A MOCKERY OF 'CLIMATE ACTION' & 'RECONCILIATION'.  We need to RALLY IN SUPPORT OF INDIGENOUS-LED, SCIENCE-DRIVEN EFFORTS & show Govts we'll no longer sit in silence while they fast-track global warming & jeopardize our futures with old policies & subsidies that only guarantee THE WORST OUTCOMES!

Sincerely,

SARAH CHESTERMAN
Vancouver, BC