Eco-group hopes premier will protect eponymous grove

 

The Ancient Forest Alliance is appealing to the provincial government to protect endangered old-growth forests by dubbing a recently found grove of massive trees Christy Clark Grove.

The grove, which the AFA found on unprotected Crown land near Port Renfrew, contains a Douglas fir with a circumference of 9.5 metres, making it the eighth-widest known Douglas fir in Canada.

The group has nicknamed the Douglas fir the Clark Giant, while a massive red cedar has been dubbed the Gnarly Clark.

“We’re hoping that Christy Clark won’t let the Christy Clark Grove get cut down and will show some leadership by creating a plan to protect B.C.’s endangered old-growth forests,” said AFA co-founder TJ Watt.

The grove is in the Gordon River Valley, not far from Avatar Grove, an area brought to public attention by the AFA shortly before some of the trees were due to be harvested.

After an increase in public pressure and an influx of tourists wanting to look at the big trees, the grove was protected by the provincial government.

However, AFA co-founder Ken Wu said the province is continuing with an unsustainable forest strategy and has not followed through on a commitment to create a new legal tool to protect B.C.’s largest trees.