The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) are calling for the protection of an at-risk forest on Vancouver Island known as the “Jewel of the Tahsish.”
According to the old growth advocates, this stand is nationally significant and one of the largest remaining unprotected old-growth karst forests in BC.
Karst forests are located in areas where trees grow atop limestone,and are among the rarest, most productive and sensitive old-growth ecosystems in Canada.
The karst forest the AFA are referring to with this call to action is around 235 hectares in size and is located in the upper watershed of the Tahsish River near Cross Lake on northwestern Vancouver Island, within the territories of the Kyuquot/Checleseht and Quatsino First Nations.
The AFA has noted that they have called on BC to prioritize the area for old-growth logging deferrals, but the grove remains unprotected.
According to the organization, thousands of hectares of old-growth forest once grew on karst in the impacted region, but after years of logging, the vast majority have now been cleared.
“It’s hard to grasp how rare this old-growth karst forest is unless you’ve made the long journey there,” said TJ Watt, campaign director at the AFA.
“It’s like an emerald oasis in a sea of clearcuts and tree plantations that now define much of the landscape on northern Vancouver Island.”
He noted that the forest itself is shaped by remarkable karst features including sinkholes and caves.
Once logged, karst ecosystems are reportedly slow to recover because soils can take centuries to rebuild on exposed limestone.
The AFA says evidence suggests that logged karst landscapes are also more vulnerable to wildfire, since air cavities in the bedrock can provide oxygen that feeds flames.
For these reasons, and to protect the wildlife that thrives in this unprotected ecosystem, the AFA is calling on the province to deliver funding for First Nations-led logging deferrals and a proactive BC Protected Areas Strategy to secure lasting protection of the region.
“We urge the BC government to lead by example and work with local First Nations to defer logging and secure permanent protection for this extraordinary ecosystem,” said Watt.
“These karst forests are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of logging. Just nearby, we witnessed firsthand the devastating impacts of logging on karst, where a clearcut later caught fire and resulted in burnt, desolate landscapes where diverse old-growth forests once thrived.”
See photos of the Tahsish old-growth karst forest below:
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