Two yellow cedar trees on the Sunshine Coast are among more than 50 getting special protection from the province.
Forest minister Doug Donaldson announced today that under a Forest Act protection measure, 54 trees listed in the University of British Columbia’s Big Tree Registry, and a one-hectare grove around each of them, will be protected from harvesting.
“This province is fortunate to have trees that have been standing in place for hundreds of years – some for more than a thousand,” said Donaldson. “We want to protect these majestic giants so today’s families and future generations can enjoy them, just like our parents and grandparents did.”
According to the province there are 347 trees within the registry, but only 54 trees met the criteria for protection, although further opportunities to add to the list will be made available as additional trees are identified and verified.
Donaldson also said the measure is “the start of a broader conversation about the future of old-growth management in this province” and starting this fall, an independent two-person panel will engage with First Nations, industry, stakeholders and communities on old-growth management.
The B.C. Green caucus called the announcement “inadequate given the ongoing, unsustainable logging of old growth across the province.”
Critic Adam Olsen, the MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, said, “If government were serious about protecting B.C.’s old growth forests they would be immediately protecting the few remaining, high productivity old-growth ecosystems - not a handful of trees.”
The Ministry of Forests, Lands Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development was not able to provide details about the locations of the two Sunshine Coast trees covered by the July 17 announcement.
- Coast Reporter
