Friday June 11, 2021 | VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC
by Mary P Brooke, Editor | Island Social Trends
“Protecting our beloved old growth forests for generations to come is important to many people in my community and this is a significant step towards that,” said Mitzi Dean, MLA for Esquimalt-Metchosin, within the west shore region of Vancouver Island.
Earlier this week, Premier John Horgan and Minister Katrine Conroy announced the BC NDP government will honour the request by the Pacheedaht, Huu-ay-aht and Ditidaht First Nations to defer old growth logging in Fairy Creek Watershed and Central Walbran Valley.
That was in followup to the announcement of a new direction for the forestry industry in BC.
“Indigenous communities have the right to land management and I am glad that our government’s decision to protect Fairy Creek follows the lead of the Pacheedaht, Huu-ay-aht and Ditidaht First Nations.”
On Monday June 7, the three First Nations issued the Hišuk ma c̕awak Declaration, taking back decision-making responsibilities over their traditional territories while also asking the province to defer old growth logging in 2,000 hectares of old growth forest.
This deferral adds to nearly 200,000 hectares of old growth the BC NDP government has already protected, including in Clayoquot Sound and the Skagit “Donut Hole” in Manning Park. These areas had been left vulnerable by the BC Liberals (who governed in BC from 2001 to mid-2017).
Dean said all First Nations have the inherent right of self-determination and are uniquely positioned to be stewards of their territories.
West shore area:
Mitzi Dean has been the MLA for Esquimalt-Metchosin since first elected in 2017, and re-elected in 2020. The Esquimalt-Metchosin riding includes urban Esquimalt, the growing suburban Colwood, rural and forested-seaside Metchosin, and parts of View Royal in the west shore. In the current NDP government she is the Minister of Children and Family Development.
Dean’s riding is right next door to Premier John Horgan’s riding of Langford-Juan de Fuca (which includes Sooke and also the area in which forestry protests have been held); a well-organized protest was held outside Horgan’s constituency office in Langford on May 28.
===== RELATED ARTICLES by Island Social Trends:
Premier addresses old-growth logging in rollout of modernized forestry policy (June 1, 2021)
BC defers Fairy Creek logging, activists still unappeased (June 10, 2021)
Hundreds protest at premier’s constituency office over Fairy Creek logging (May 31, 2021)