B.C. appointed them to map old-growth. Now they say province is failing to save it

By Brenna Owen
The Canadian Press
March 13, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Ecologists Rachel Holt and Karen Price, landscape analyst Dave Daust, veteran forester Garry Merkel and economist Lisa Matthaus, members of a former panel the British Columbia government appointed to identify old-growth for potential protection in 2021 now says they’re concerned about continued logging in those same rare and “irreplaceable” forests. In a document sent to Premier David Eby, Forests Minister Ravi Parmar and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill they say the proposed old-growth deferrals were meant to be an interim measure to reduce the risks of logging, allowing time for long-term planning. But the process has not worked as intended says the document provided to The Canadian Press. Instead, the B.C. government continues to approve logging in forests the panel identified, while long-term plans have yet to be finalized, Holt said in an interview.

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