A path forward for old growth forest management

The present state and potential future of old growth forests has been a hot topic in British Columbia. Protests surrounding logging of old growth trees in the Fairy Creek valley near Port Renfrew captured significant media attention in 2021 and 2022, and discussions about how best to manage old growth trees have been ongoing within government, the forestry profession, non-governmental organizations and industry circles.

In April 2022, UBC Forestry held a panel discussion entitled “Old growth forests — what is the path forward?” The session was moderated by UBC Forestry Prof. Sally Aitken and featured Registered Professional Forester (RPF) Cam Brown (BSF’93), elected Chief Councillor for Huu-ay-aht First Nations Robert J. Dennis Sr. (Emchayiik), independent ecologist Rachel Holt (RPBio, RPF) and Tahltan Nation member Garry Merkel (DSc hc).

After a lively and insightful first session, a second “Follow-up Q&A session” was held in May 2022 to offer an opportunity for further discussion with audience members. Following this, panelists Rachel and Cam came together to draft a document that summarizes the key takeaways from the events. Highlights from their report are included below.