Amber Peters

B.C. is “failing to preserve ecological integrity” in its provincial parks and the parks system itself is not ready for climate change as old growth forest continues to fall, says a biologist with Valhalla Wilderness Society. Amber Peters said old growth clearcutting has continued throughout the province and locally despite the Old Growth Strategic Review Panel’s recommendations released in 2020 calling for a halt to the practice. She said three of the government-appointed Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel scientists who identified at-risk old growth for priority deferrals in 2021 wrote a follow-up report in 2023 revealing that over 50 per cent of the most at-risk old growth identified has been logged or is targeted for logging. …“A film called BC is burning is claiming that we need to prevent forests from becoming ‘over-mature.’ … Forest Minister Ravi Parmar has advocated for ‘thinning’ in parks and old growth areas, parroting the forest industry narrative,” she said.