BC Timber Sales License TA2381 with clear-cut 41 hectares of old growth forest on steep slopes above Nahmint Lake west of Port Alberni. BCTS is planning on auctioning this forest in the third quarter of fiscal year 25 meaning that it will likely be up for auction in early 2025. This massive cut block targets a forest identified as suitable Marbled Murrelet by the BC government's 2018 Marbled Murrelet habitat suitability map. It would clear-cut forest directly above wildlife habitat area 1-729. This area is one of the most intact forests on Southern Vancouver Island, the steap hillside is blanketed in old growth forest from the top of the mountain to the shores of Nahmint Lake, and the sale area includes a small tributary to Nahmint Lake which is entirely intact and has never seen logging. This timber sale would also require the expansion of the Riverside Main logging road to sneak around steep cliffs on a slope that is currently roadless, and allow for the destruction of several small wetlands. This cut block contains 8.1 million board feet of timber (19,000 m³) which, given the amount of roadbuilding involved in this timber sale will probably sell for several million dollars at most. It's insane that BCTS is continuing to target old-growth forest despite repeated commitments from the NDP that they are "protecting" old growth.
Nahmint Lake Timber Sale TA2381 (BCTS)
Bavis Creek - TA2406
Bavis Creek enters the San Juan river from the south and contains the only large section of high productivity old-growth south of the San Juan river and North of the San Juan Ridge, it extends from the top of the ridge down a steep slope towards the San Juan river, just miles away from the biggest Douglas fir tree on earth. Timber Sale license TA2406 would clear cut the heart of this forest if BC Timber Sales chooses to move it to auction.
Gain Creek #LCN37 & Logging
Gain Creek on Pacheedaht Territory is home to some of the worst government approved clear-cut logging on Vancouver Island. The old growth forests of Gain creek are being targeted for ~corporate gain~ by Pacheedaht Andersen Timber Holdings. This watershed is unseeded territory and public land, part of TFL 61 near the Jordan River. For the past several years logging has pushed up into the Gain Creek watershed which flows off of the San Juan Ridge. The company has clear cut through the creek in multiple places and newly approved cut blocks would clear cut through waterfalls to target some of the last old-growth forests of the area.
Gordon 4000 #LP06
Cut Block #LP06 is located in the tenure of the Qala:yit partnership, which supplies logs to the Pacheedaht Mill Port Renfrew. This cut block contains massive yellow cedar trees that are likely over 1000 years old, it is also home to a population of Oldgrowth Specklebelly Lichen. As of March 2024 logging contractors have constructed a road into the forest and clearcutting seems eminent.
Suzie Q Timber Sale (WADNR)
The Suzie Q Timber Sale which is scheduled for auction in the beginning of 2025 contains an intact 10+/- acre stand of old growth, one of the only stands of old growth remaining in South Western Washington. This timber sale is located in Grays Harbor County and revenue generated from it would go towards Evergreen State college among other beneficiaries.
House Cone (Central Walbran) RD GL12M
RD GL12M is a 5km logging road approved to be blasted into an intact slope of the “House Cone“ mountain in the Central Walbran. This area is not protected by provincial deferrals. There are about half a dozen plan cut blocks along this road, these are images from two of them near the base.
Looper Creek Headwaters & Block #774415
The Looper Creek headwaters contains some of the last pristine old growth forest on Southern Vancouver Island and is critical habitat for the endangered Marbled Murrelet seabird. Western Forest Products holds logging approvals across the area and has been actively logging for the past several years.
Beyond The 2000 Road (another planned cut block at Fairy Creek)
Teal Jones has plans for three cut blocks on the southwestern flank of the Fairy Creek Rainforest, just across the ridge from Fairy Creek. This intact slope contains extremely impressive yellow and red cedar forest with trees up to 9 feet thick growing at high elevations. This area is identified as a deferral candidate and as Marbled Murrelet Habitat, however, it remains unprotected. Teal Jones hasn't applied to log this area yet however when they do they are sure to face substantial opposition. These are images of the biggest of those three blocks.
Bears Timber Sale (WA DNR)
The Bears Timber Sale is scheduled for 2026, this forest is in Thurston County and contains over 7 acres of old growth. The county commissioners have asked the department of natural resources to stop auctioning off legacy forests.
Learn more at wlfdc.org
Bear Unit 2
Bears Unit 1
Aerials
Parkinson Creek Timber Sale (BCTS)
BC Timber Sales intends to auction off five tracks of old growth forest in the end of 2023 in the Parkinson Creek area just south of Port Renfrew. These are images from two of those cut blocks.
Mt. Bolduc (planned cut block)
Mount Buldoc is one of the largest tracks of old growth forest remaining on Southern Vancouver Island, it contains a massive amount of old-growth yellow cedar. This area is currently being developed as a cut block by BC timber sales in partnership with the Pacheedaht Band Council, however nothing is approved yet.
Lower Fairy Creek (planned cut block)
These are images of a cut block that Teal Jones has planned in the lower reaches of the Fairy Creek watershed. Because of the Fairy Creek blockade and over 1188 people who got arrested logging in this area is currently deferred until 2025.
Granite Creek #9337 - June 2023
Granite Creek cut block #9337 is an old growth cut block in the Granite Creek watershed up 5 Mile Main near the Fairy Creek HQ. Teal Jones has constructed logging roads into this cut block in 2022 and is primed to log it in 2023.
Along with Images of the road building into cut block #9337 are images of Heli Camp taken in June 2020
Bugaboo Creek #4733 - June 2023
As of June 2023 Bugaboo Creek cut block 4733 has still not been submitted to the provincial government for approval, however, Teal Jones has constructed roads into this forest and it's primed to begin cutting as soon as they gain approval. Bugaboo Creek 4333 has some of the highest densities of old growth yellow and red cedar in TFL 46 and is one of the most important sections of forest for the endangered Marbled Murrelet seabird left on Southern Vancouver Island. Cut block 4733 also contains one of the only populations of Oldgrowth Specklebelly Lichen on Southern Vancouver Island.
This forest remains a top priority for protection and has been proposed as wildlife habitat area by independent scientists.
Edinburgh Mountain #7165 & #7163 Mid-Logging
In late 2022 the Teal Jones group again logging on upper Edinburgh mountain in cut blocks 7165 & 7163, these forests known as the Truck Road 11 cut blocks contain old-growth red cedar and on is in the watershed of Eden Creek, endangered birds have been documented in the area including the western screech owl.
These forest will be gone by the end of summer 2023
San Juan Ridge (Gain Creek) RD JR850
These are images of a planned cut block in Gain Creek (part of the Loss Creek potter shed), which is south of Port Renfrew along the San Juan ridge, this area is controlled by the Pacheedaht band council that has undertaken insanely extensive logging in this area.
Road building has already been approved into this forest, and a cut block has been laid out. When this forest is logged there will be no setbacks from the stream that flows through this forest. While I was there I observed "Cutting boundary" flagging tape within a meter of the creek.
Carnation Creek
Carnation Creek is a large section of valley bottom old growth just south of the Alberni Sound on Huu-at-aht Territory, this section of forest has been overlooked by the timber industry for the past several decades but remains unprotected as Western Forest Products continues to log the neighboring Klanawa Valley.
This is one of southern Vancouver island’s best old growth cedar forests, it has been left undisturbed for time in memorial yet as I walked into the forest I heard chainsaws on the neighboring ridge…
Dakota Creek (Cape Scott) #HBFM601
BCTS (BC Timber Sales) is planning on auctioning off a 42 HA old growth cut block immediately adjacent to Cape Scott Provincial Park in the Dakota Creek Watershed this year.
This would only be the SECOND cut block ever to be logged in the intact Dakota Creek Watershed.
Darling River RD MI950A-1
The BC NDP has approved road building into an old growth cedar forest on the Darling River south of Bamfield, this cut block contains literally hundreds of western red cedar trees growing over 2.5 m in diameter.
This truly is one of the most spectacular sections of Old Growth Forest on Southern Vancouver Island and before the end of 2023 it is likely to be gone.
Beyond The 2000 Road (Planned Teal Jones Cut Blocks At Fairy Creek)
Teal Jones has plans for three cut blocks on the southwestern flank of the Fairy Creek Rainforest, just across the ridge from Fairy Creek. This intact slope contains extremely impressive yellow and red cedar forest with trees up to 9 feet thick growing at high elevations. This area is identified as a deferral candidate and as Marbled Murrelet Habitat, however, it remains unprotected. Teal Jones hasn't applied to log this area yet however when they do they are sure to face substantial opposition.
