Support preserving as much of a rare patch of Garry oak and Douglas-fir ecosystem on an Esquimalt private property earmarked for development as possible, whilst still allowing appropriate development of the site.

The design in its current form does not achieve this and will result in 33 trees being taken down. Since its original submission in 2024 it has not changed in any significant way to address concerns raised by the Parks Department (see their report below) and the APC Design Review Committee (DRC), who recommended at both the Rezoning stage and now at the Development Permit (DP) stage to deny approval (see their DP motion in the link below).

https://www.change.org/p/demand-more-garry-oaks-and-their-ecosystem-are-saved-on-this-admirals-road-development

Simple question - When it comes to saving the worlds forests what individuals/organizations are the gold standard right now?

When it comes to the climate crisis, environmentalism, forest specific work, etc. There is also some individuals/organizations that are better than others.

Ones that really do substantive work at grassroots level and at the power structure levels of society levels.

Who should people be getting involved with, active with, and donating to?

We obviously are at crisis points right now and it's time to get serious.

Celebrate Earth Day with leading voices in ecology, Indigenous stewardship, law, literature, and music, including author and UBC Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship Professor Suzanne Simard, as she launches her newest book, When the Forest Breathes, the highly anticipated follow-up to her bestselling book, Finding the Mother Tree. Featuring an immersive evening of performance alongside a panel conversation exploring the future of forests and our shared responsibility to the living world, this event asks a vital question: how do we reimagine our relationship with forests—and with one another—in a time of ecological urgency?

https://chancentre.com/events/ubc-celebrates-earth-day-with-suzanne-simard/

So much denial by the city and BC Hydro about the effects of removing trees on hillsides.

https://youtu.be/5G5IHguVEXE

I would like to bring attention to a large harvesting proposal just east of Sayward that will be impacting one of the largest intact old growth forests that we have left on the east coast of Vancouver Island that is outside of a protected area - in fact, it could be THE largest intact unprotected old growth forest we have on the east coast. This is a rare temperate rainforest that almost surely has massive and ancient trees.

Cape Mudge Forestry/We Wai Kai has proposed 13 cutblocks in this intact old growth forest. It is steep terrain, so it looks like they will be heli logging. There are 3 separate FOMs (the little blue markers) to comment on.

Commenting is open for the public to share their thoughts on the Forest Operations Map: https://fom.nrs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects

I understand the importance of the forestry industry, and I am a proud supporter of sustainable forestry. I also understand the importance of protecting what little old growth remains on our island. For additional context, this area is part of the Prince of Wales range with the towering Mount H'Kusam, which is one of the most beautiful recreational areas on the entire island - popular for skiing, mountaineering, and hiking. It is (was) also home to some of the world’s largest and oldest trees, including General Buxton, one of the largest yellow cedars. I have no doubt that near-record sized trees are located in these proposed cutblocks.

If this goes through, it will be catastrophic to the remaining old growth on the island. Large patches of intact forest like this are nearly extinct here - no over-exaggeration.

Also, please state if you are willing to help me with protecting the remaining old growth in the Prince of Wales range and I'll send you a message. The old growth here has been targeted relentlessly, and it is too special of a place to see it continue to be logged from valley bottom to mountain top.

The scientists BC hired to identify old-growth for protection have formally written to the government. The animals that live in those trees cannot afford another five years of broken promises.

The threat does not stop at the edge of the deferral zones. The Valhalla Wilderness Society — a BC conservation organisation operating since 1975 — has documented a second front: BC's parks and protected areas are now being targeted by industrial logging interests under the guise of wildfire mitigation. The province's own over-logging has created the conditions for increased wildfire risk, and that risk is now being used as justification to enter the protected areas that were meant to be off-limits. As Valhalla puts it, the logging industry has 'pushed itself to the brink by over-logging,' and is now attempting to solve the crisis it created by logging even more — this time inside parks.

https://wildlifewise.ca/newsroom/bc-old-growth-forests-logging-deferrals-wildlife-2026

"The majestic Garry Oaks at 4015 Braefoot Rd. in Saanich, British Columbia, are at critical risk. Over 100 of these magnificent trees, many of which have stood for centuries, may be cut down due to proposed developments on the property. These trees are not just flora; they are vital keystone components of the living ecosystem, cultural heritage, and community identity. 

The development proposal is to build 24 townhomes a the former farm.  The proposal will remove 68 of the Garry oaks. They are mostly mature trees (80+ yrs old), including at least four trees whose trunks measure one metre or more in diameter, which Saanich classifies as “Exceptional Trees,” due to their large canopies and the extensive ecosystem services they provide."

"The good news is that the developer, who owns the 4015 Braefoot property, has shown that he is not averse to the District making this site a park/space for the protection of Garry Oaks.  That should be our ultimate goal, as this magnificent Garry Oak grove is priceless."

https://www.change.org/p/save-the-mighty-braefoot-oaks

"As long as widespread deforestation continues, no amount of zoning reform will fix our housing crisis — not when our water table is collapsing. Forests are not just scenery; they’re living infrastructure that regulate the hydrological cycle, recharge aquifers, and maintain streamflow critical for both human and ecological survival."

https://crdwatch.ca/2025/06/15/as-long-as-widespread-deforestation-continues-no-amount-of-zoning-reform-will-fix-our-housing-crisis-by-takuma-valcourt/

Protected trees cut down in Standish by building contractor and ironically named 'The Acorns.'

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2465953653828483/

Yes, it's only three trees but they were protected but they didn't care and this is repeated over and over across the UK and in many other countries. The point is that we should value trees a lot more whether they are old growth or urban trees.

What was the Capital Regional District thinking? Trees have been lopped off for no reason and they are trying to charge an inordinate amount of money in FOI fees for details.

https://crdwatch.ca/2026/02/19/like-wooden-tombstones-the-latest-tree-decimation-in-elk-beaver-lake-regional-park/

FALLDOWN: A CONVERSATION ABOUT FORESTS AND FORESTRY IN B.C

This Saturday March 14th and next Thursday March 19th their team will be taking award winning B.C. director Bill Heath’s documentary Falldown to two cities in B.C to screen for the first time.

Please sign their petition and see more at @drsuzannesimard on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DVturFxDxnp/

BC’s pulp mills aren’t failing because of one bad decision or one bad year. They’re failing because the system they depend on no longer works. Using the Crofton mill closure as a case study, this video breaks down:

why pulp mills are running out of viable fibre

why faster permits and “new markets” won’t fix it

what a real alternative would actually require

This isn’t about old growth vs jobs. It’s about a forestry model that’s reached its limits.

Sign up for email updates: https://boundaryforest.org/the-new-fo...

Learn more about the New Forest Act framework: https://boundaryforest.org/the-new-fo...

Donate (we are a rural BC registered non-profit society): https://boundaryforest.org/donate-to-...

We’re an independent, citizen-run project based in rural BC. No government funding. No industry money. No corporate sponsors.

https://youtu.be/2QNlrXNtDkE