Province takes step towards protecting ‘Avatar Grove’

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The Ancient Forest Alliance says the BC government has taken a step towards protecting Port Renfrew’s ‘Avatar Grove’

Speaking on CFAX 1070 with Adam Stirling Tuesday afternoon, the group’s spokesperson Ken Wu says the government made the commitment on Saturday

“they are planning to establish an Old Growth Management Area to encompass the entire Avatar Grove. That’s a significant step forward, especially for a government that, when we first found the area and launched a campaign, said that business as usual would continue and it’s part of a logging tenure, and the whole area had been flagged for logging at the time. So now they are saying there won’t be logging there”

Wu says the committment needs to go through further stakeholder consultation. He says the Old Growth Management Area could be made official within a couple of months.

Wu says this is an important step forward but Avatar Grove needs stronger, more permanent legislated protection as a provincial park or conservancy.

The Avatar Grove is home to some of the country’s largest and oldest trees, some over 14 feet wide.

[Original CFAX 1070 article no longer available]