Protection of Old Growth Forests

Whereas ancient high productivity big tree old growth ecosystems are globally one of the most valuable climate mitigation and resiliency assets in terms of carbon storage, sequestration, protection against wildfire, storage of water and bank of biodiversity; And whereas of the miniscule fraction 2.7 of the original high productivity big tree oldgrowth forests less than 1 of BCs total current forested area, 75 are still slated to be eliminated through logging; And whereas alternatives exist to increase protection of biodiversity and employment, through the immediate transition to sustainable management of second growth forests with expanded value added processing and manufacturing; Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call on the Government of British Columbia to immediately defer logging in all high productivity, rare, oldest, and most intact old growth forests as recommended by the Old Growth Strategic Review, until all 14 of the panels recommendations have been implemented; including deferrals in such at-risk old-growth forests as the head waters of Fairy Creek, the Upper Walbran Valley, Nahm int Valley, Eden Grove, Edinburgh Mountain, Upper Tsitika Valley, East Creek, Klaskish Valley, Nimpkish Lake and the Inland Old-Growth Temperate Rainforest; And be it further resolved that the District of North Vancouver formally oppose the logging of at-risk old-growth forests; And be it further resolved that UBCM call on the Government of British Columbia to allocate funding to enact deferrals in an economically just manner, in the full spirit of reconciliation and to support the economic transition of affected First Nations and non-First Nation communities from unsustainable old growth logging for the development of long term sustainable local economies.