Logging

Clearcutting of Grove of Forest Giants on Northern Vancouver Island – Photos and Videos Document the Destruction

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An ancient cedar tree lies prone amidst the destruction of an old-growth clearcut with myself on the trunk for scale. Likely 700+ years old, this tree and scores of others like it would have been standing just before we arrived that day.

However, in 2022, Western Forest Products began clearcutting 25 hectares (roughly 50 football fields) from an incredible old-growth cedar grove in Quatsino territory on northwestern Vancouver Island, BC.

I was floored by the sheer number of monumental redcedars cut down, some nearly 10 feet (3 m) wide. It’s the most shocking example of industrial old-growth logging I’ve witnessed since the logging in the Caycuse and Nahmint Valleys.

Despite being home to scores of giant trees, this particular grove — and likely hundreds of others — was not included in the BC government’s independent old-growth science panel, the Technical Advisory Panel’s (TAP) original logging deferral recommendations due to the forest being incorrectly labeled as 210 years old in the province’s forest inventory database (40 years younger than the province’s 250-year-old threshold for being considered old-growth on the coast).

The TAP made clear recommendations to the BC government that on-the-ground assessments should be used to identify and defer big-tree old-growth forests that were missed in their preliminary analysis. So far, despite requests from us and others, that has not been happening.

As the BC government moves to protect 30% of BC by 2030, it’s imperative that they set ecosystem-based targets based on science that prioritize the most at-risk old-growth forests, such as those with big trees, for protection.

They must also commit significant provincial funding and conjoin it with major federal funds to support sustainable economic alternatives for First Nations linked to deferrals and new protected areas.

Otherwise, irreplaceable ancient forests like this one will continue to fall.

This photo series was created with support from the Trebek Initiative.

SPEAK UP! SEND a MESSAGE to the BC government calling for the protection of endangered old-growth forests.

The photos and story became the TOP STORY on Apple News for a day as well as the most read article on The Guardian for 48 hours.

Outside Magazine: Forest Selfies Are Helping Save B.C.'s Old-Growth Trees

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The public response to the before and after images of ancient trees cut down in the Caycuse watershed has been overwhelming. In this Outside Magazine piece, I chat with Malcolm Johnson about the process involved with capturing the beauty and loss of old-growth forests and what's needed to protect them.

“I’d love it if the need for my job didn’t exist. There are plenty of things I’d rather be doing than trudging around photographing giant stumps. It’s emotionally exhausting work, and it’s devastating to go back and see these places that you’ve grown to love get destroyed. Someday it would be nice to not associate feelings of anxiety with the forests I care about and just be able to rest knowing that they’ll be around for generations to come. It’s as simple as that, really."

See the photos and read the article here: https://www.outsideonline.com/2420507/bc-forests-photos-before-after

Before & after old-growth logging of a giant cedar in the Caycuse Valley on Vancouver Island.

Investigation Into BC Timber Sales Old-Growth Logging in the Nahmint Valley

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The BC government's own logging agency, BC Timber Sales, is failing to comply with the Province's own inadequate standards for old-growth forest protection, according to a Ministry of Forests investigation into old-growth logging in the Nahmint Valley near Port Alberni.

Media Release: BC Timber Sales Continues Old-Growth Logging in Nahmint Valley Despite Government Investigation Showing Nearly Two Decades of Non-Compliance

The Narwhal: “‘Indicative of a truly corrupt system’: government investigation reveals BC Timber Sales violating old-growth logging rules”

Anthropocene: The Human Epoch

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Be sure to check out Anthropocene: The Human Epoch, the latest documentary film by the award-winning creators of Manufactured Landscapes (2006) and Watermark (2013).

The film, which had shoots in 43 locations in 20 different countries, also features scenes of Avatar Grove and old-growth logging on Vancouver Island as one of many examples of how humans are dramatically altering the natural world.

I had the amazing opportunity of guiding the crew to the big trees and big stumps around Port Renfrew over the past 2 years and it's been a great reminder that, even on a global scale, the ancient forests of BC are some of the most precious and threatened places on the planet.

The film features some of my own footage too, including recent logging in the Nahmint Valley and raw log exports in Port Alberni. For more than a decade I have looked up to renowned photographer Edward Burtynsky and I'm honoured to have worked alongside him and the rest of the talented team as well.

Read director Jennifer Baichwal's recent interview in the Times Colonist.

Below are a few behind-the-scenes snaps from our time shooting in Port Renfrew.

The Walrus Magazine - Big Lonely Doug

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The Walrus Magazine has recently published a story about Big Lonely Doug, the forestry worker Dennis Cronin who decided to leave him standing, and the battle for old-growth forests on Vancouver Island. The article by Harley Rustad features two of my photos, along with one from Dennis which shows the tree standing in the forest (never thought I would see that view!). Let's hope Doug's message is heard loud and clear and we save his old-growth friends who remain endangered on Edinburgh Mt. and across BC. Read the article here: https://thewalrus.ca/big-lonely-doug/

Here are some behind the scenes shots from my time showing writer Harley Rustad around to Big Lonely Doug and the adjacent Eden Grove, one of Vancouver Island's most spectacular and endangered ancient forests that was once part of the forest around Doug.

Press: Tall trees turning Port Renfrew into tourist hot spot

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Earlier this week I toured the Port Renfrew region with CHEK News for a video about how old-growth forest tourism at the Avatar Grove, Big Lonely Doug, and other nearby ancient stands has transformed the local economy. Dan Hager, the Chamber of Commerce president, speaks up for a Tall Tree tourism economy, while Ken Wu and myself speak about the importance of saving the remaining old-growth forests. The news clip also features some of my drone footage from the Walbran Valley!

See video here: http://www.cheknews.ca/tall-tree-turning-port-renfrew-into-tourist-hot-spot-143533/

Flashback: Gordon River Valley 2009

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In today's digital age there's rarely a shortage of new content to share, but that being said, there's always 100 fold more tucked away in giant hard drives, likely never to see the light of day again. So, as a fun and interesting way to share forgotten photos, stories, and moments from years past, I'll be posting 'Flashbacks' from my archives each Friday.

This set of images here is from late 2009 when I'd bought my first 4wd vehicle, a Subaru Loyale wagon, for $1,500 and began exploring the south island's backroads in my spare time looking for big trees and big stumps. These shots are from up high on logging roads in the Gordon River Valley near Port Renfrew. I was definitely pushing it back in those days with the tiny tires on sharp rocks but curiosity will often take you much further than logic and reason. Watch for more photos and snippets from the past each week.

Looking down the Gordon River Valley towards Port Renfrew from the Bugaboo Main region. The valley bottom old-growth forest - where Big Lonely Doug now stands alone in a clearcut - is still visibly intact in the distant center of this photo. I can't help but think how incredible it would have been to have found it back then...