Petition to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia:

the Government of British Columbia has overestimated the timber inventory on Crown lands and authorized overharvesting of public forest resources, harming long-term socio-economic interests, biological diversity values, and Indigenous interests;

the Government of British Columbia has failed to align land-management decisions with scientific evidence, including failing to act on its promise to implement the recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review, imperilling remnant ancient forests and the ecological and cultural values contained therein;

the Government of British Columbia has allowed the BC Timber Sales division of the Ministry of Forests to authorize logging in old growth forests identified by the government’s own Technical Advisory Panel; 

Indigenous governments have expressed concern that they are increasingly placed in the position of absorbing public controversy and responsibility for conservation outcomes, without adequate promised conservation funding or realistic conservation alternatives;

1) Call on the Premier to appoint a new Minister of Forests who is committed to long-term sustainability of the forest resources of British Columbia, including old-growth forests; and

2) Call on the Government to establish an independent, joint commission of inquiry with Indigenous governments into overestimation of British Columbia’s timber inventory and overharvesting of British Columbia’s forest resources, pursuant to the Public Inquiry Act, SBC 2007, c. 9.