800 year-old tree poached from Provincial Park--Act now to save our old trees

I heard about this tree poaching on the news the other day.  It is indeed a shocking destruction.  The following  Quote of the Day is an alert from the Wilderness Committee and an opportunity to send a message to the environment minister, Terry Lake, to call for increased parks budgets to protect out valued old growth forests in Provincial Parks.

Hi Eldy

If a tree gets poached in the forest, does anybody hear? We do!

 

Our outrage that an 800-year-old red cedar tree was chainsawed up by poachers at Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park has gone viral. Media across the country have covered this and people across the continent have spoken out, sharing our shock and anger.

 

This reckless act of vandalizing our protected old-growth forests is a direct result of cuts to the BC Parks budget, which has left the province with a mere 10 full-time rangers for 1,000 parks and protected areas. The Wilderness Committee has always pushed for better protection in existing parks, but the province has cut funding to BC Parks on an almost annual basis over the last ten years. 

 

We need you to take urgent action now to save our provincial parks!

 

Write to Minister Terry Lake NOW and tell him to increase the parks budget so additional park rangers can be brought on to help protect our parks.  

 

Share the story with your friends on Facebook  – Tweet Terry Lake @terrylakemla and tell him to protect BC parks. Don’t forget to copy us@wildernews

 

And finally, please give now to our campaign to protect BC’s parks! Poaching of ancient trees in our parks is unacceptable but it is only going to get worse if we don’t take action to SAVE OUR PARKS.”

-Torrance Coste | Vancouver Island Campaigner- 
Wilderness Committee

 

Thank you for supporting wilderness.

The Wilderness Committee is Canada’s largest membership-based, citizen-funded wilderness preservation organization. We work for the preservation of Canadian and international wilderness through research and grass roots education. The Wilderness Committee works on the ground to achieve ecologically sustainable communities. 

I went to the Wilderness Committee website and forwarded the following letter to Terry Lake:

Dear Sir:
Poaching of old growth trees in Provincial Parks is a shocking and unacceptable occurrence. The following actions should be implemented:
-Double the operational budget for BC Parks as recommended by the government-appointed Park Legacy Panel;
-Increase the amount of full time BC park rangers from the current 10 to at least 100 rangers.
-Implement the recommendations of the BC Auditor General to protect the ecological integrity of our park system;
-Strengthen park protection laws to ensure ecological integrity of protected areas is first and foremost; and,
-Reinstate government-funded interpretive programs.

BC parks more than pay for themselves. A report commissioned by the provincial government in 2001 shows that “for each dollar invested by government in our protected area system, there were about $10 in visitor expenditures.” Although provincial parks and protected areas make up almost 14% of the land-base scientists recommend that 40-50% of the land base needs to be safeguarded to retain invaluable ecosystem services, help us fight against climate change and to provide habitat for endangered species such as grizzly bears and badgers.

Please make our Provincial Parks’ a priority, by supporting them with the funding and management recommended by the Auditor General, so they may continue to be places of natural wonder for future generations of British Columbians.

We can all make a difference is we take the time to write…every person counts!

Today’s “stone” is Day 143  write letters, get results, have a say

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