What are the Fairy Creek protests all about?

Before there were towering skyscrapers and cell towers, there were trees.

Responsible for the absorption of 45% of global carbon emissions, trees are incredibly important in our fight to lower our carbon footprints.

Today, we’d like to shine a spotlight on the anti-logging protests occurring at the Fairy Creek watershed.

Located deep in the forests of southern Vancouver Island, a battle rages between those who seek to protect our forests, and those who seek to profit from them.

What is happening at Fairy Creek?

Now known as the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history, the protests and blockade at Fairy Creek seek to end old-growth logging in British Columbia.

The protest began in August 2020, after a group of activists set up a barricade to impede logging operations in the pristine Fairy Creek watershed. The protests take aim at John Horgan and the British Columbia N.D.P government, who have failed to make good on their promises to slow old-growth logging.

The B.C. government released their old-growth strategic review report well over a year ago. So far none of the proposed changes have been fully implemented.

In recent months, tensions between protesters, the RCMP and the government have only escalated. In April of 2021, logging company Teal Jones Cedar filed for a court injunction against the blockade, which facilitated the arrest of nearly 1,100 land defenders.

These arrest numbers have surpassed Canada’s previous arrest record at 1993’s “War of the Woods”, a similar protest which occurred in B.C.’s Clayoquot Sound.

Why is Fairy Creek so important?

Fairy Creek is home to an abundance of old-growth trees, flora and fauna. It is one of few unprotected forested areas left untouched on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

According to British Columbia government data, nearly 74% of the province's original old-growth forests have been logged.

Satellite imagery shows the encroaching scars of logging surrounding the Fairy Creek watershed. Photo: Screenshot, Google Maps.

On top of its environmental significance, the Fairy Creek watershed holds deep cultural and spiritual importance to the local Pacheedaht First Nation band.

Thanks to the ongoing efforts by protestors at Fairy Creek, old-growth logging became a key environmental topic of the 2021 Canadian Federal Election.

The newly re-elected Liberal party campaigned on the promise to establish a $50 million BC Old-Growth Nature Fund and develop a nature agreement with the B.C. government.

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What is an old-growth forest?

Old-growth forests are home to the ancient sentinels of the Earth. In Canada, few areas are home to old-growth forests as dense and widespread as British Columbia.

Within British Columbia, a forest is considered “old-growth” if it contains trees more than 250 years old. In some cases, old-growth trees have stood for over 800 years.

Other defining characteristics of an old-growth forest include:

• Very large trees, stretching up to 60 meters tall or more
• Openings in the forest canopy
• Heavy presence of fallen and dead trees
• Abundance of ferns, mosses, fungus and lichens

Nearly 13.7 million hectares of forest in British Columbia are considered “old-growth”.

Every year, 200,000 hectares of forested lands are logged throughout B.C., with 27% of the annual harvest being old-growth.

Why must we protect old-growth forests?

Old-growth forests are huge carbon sinks.

British Columbia’s old-growth forests can store up to 1,000 tonnes of carbon per hectare. That is one of the highest rates on the planet!

Clearcutting these old-growth forests results in the release of all that carbon. It ends up right back in our atmosphere, where it builds up and contributes to global warming and climate change.

It can take 13 years or more for replanted younger forests to reach a significant level of carbon absorption.

Old-growth forests are also far more resilient to the effects of climate change. They can withstand floods, droughts and wildfires much better than younger forests.

What can you do to help?

Even if you aren’t located in B.C. or are unable to join the protests personally, there are many ways to make an impact from home.

Stay up to date with the current state of the blockades by following The Rainforest Flying Squad on Facebook & Instagram. You can also sign petitions to end old-growth logging by Lead Now, Ancient Forest Alliance, and on change.org.

If you prefer to monetarily support the efforts at Fairy Creek, you can donate directly to the Fairy Creek Blockade. Also, be sure to visit The Last Stand For Forests website to learn more on the issue.

The importance of protecting our forests and supporting those who defend them has never been more crucial.

If we fight today, the planet's forests will reward us for millennia.