BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//InvisionCommunity Events 4.7.24//EN METHOD:PUBLISH CALSCALE:GREGORIAN REFRESH-INTERVAL:PT15M X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT15M X-WR-CALNAME:Community Calendar NAME:Community Calendar BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London TZURL:http://tzurl.org/zoneinfo/Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20230326T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20231029T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=-1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:United for Old Growth: 160+ organizations call on BC to foll ow through on old-growth commitments DTSTAMP:20230111T232121Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:1-1-fdd65b46861f09b0a048ec2e52519e9a@www.discoveryislandsforestconservationproject.ca ORGANIZER;CN="David Broadland":broadland@xplornet.com DESCRIPTION:\n Groups announce February 25 rally at Provincial Legislatu re\, issue declaration calling on the Province to accelerate action for th reatened forests.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n UNCEDED LEKWUNGEN T ERRITORIES/VICTORIA—168 organizations across British Columbia have issue d a declaration called United We Stand for Old-Growth Forests\, calling o n Premier David Eby and his government to fulfill their commitments on old -growth.  \n\n\n\n Signatories of the declaration\, including the Union o f B.C. Indian Chiefs\, the Climate Caucus network of municipal elected lea ders\, and B.C. General Employees Union (BCGEU)\, are urging Eby to follow through on his October 2022 promise to “accelerate” action to protect old-growth forests within 100 days\, and implement a paradigm shift in fo rest stewardship to safeguard biodiversity. \n\n\n\n The organizers annou nced plans for a mass mobilization to hold the province accountable\, with a march and rally scheduled for February 25\, Eby’s 100th day.\n\n\n \n “The government’s continued negligence and stonewalling on truly pr otecting old-growth and elder trees is endemic in its approach to climate change and the stewardship of our environment\,” said Grand Chief Stewa rt Phillip\, President of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. “This feigne d ignorance of what is happening to our forests by government and industry will be our downfall\, and the impacts of this inaction will prevent us f rom leaving our future generations with a rich legacy of vibrant\, healthy and productive forest lands.” Phillip added. “We must do everything i n our power to protect these ancient giants and we cannot stop putting pre ssure on our governments to do their jobs: to protect us and the environme nt\, not act as timber barons whose only concern is this year’s financia l statements.”\n\n\n\n Despite promising to implement all 14 recommenda tions from the Old Growth Strategic Review (OGSR) in 2020\, the B.C. gove rnment has permitted the destruction of thousands of hectares of the most at-risk old-growth stands in the province. The 2020 recommendations were t ied to a three-year framework with the goal to have all implemented in 202 3 — to date\, not a single recommendation has been fulfilled. \n\n\n\n Premier Eby pledged to accelerate action upon becoming leader of the B.C. NDP\, and called on Water\, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Nathan Cullen to “begin implementation of recommendations of the Old Growth Str ategic Review” in his mandate letter. However\, the most at-risk old-gr owth forests are still being clearcut while B.C. stalls on enforcing loggi ng deferrals. The deferrals are the bare minimum and most urgent recommend ation of the 2020 OGSR.\n\n\n\n “We must continue to hold our government s accountable for their contributions to the climate crisis that we are su ffering through\, and this environmental negligence and corporate greed mu st be stopped\,” said Kukpi7 Judy Wilson\, Secretary-Treasurer of the U nion of B.C. Indian Chiefs. “Our future generations are dependent on th e actions we take today\, and we are at a critical point in time for direc t action to protect forest ecosystems. For too long we have allowed govern ments to tear down our ancient elders\, who are our relatives\, but no mor e. We are standing up to protect them.” \n\n\n\n Protecting the last st ands of old-growth is as much an issue for human rights\, labour\, educati on\, and healthcare as it is for environmental groups. Organizers say this is a movement for all people\, which is reflected in the list of declarat ion signatories\, and are inviting all individuals and groups to participa te in the United for Old-Growth march and rally at the B.C. Legislature on February 25.\n\n\n\n The signatories are calling on the province to align all forest management with the principles of free\, prior and informed co nsent for First Nations. The declaration draws on the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs Resolution 2022-32\, affirmed by Chiefs in June 2022\, and calls for full financial support to enable logging deferrals\, and fulsome fundi ng for First Nations-led conservation initiatives. \n\n\n\n Organizers sa y the declaration is open to additional signatories and invite new groups to join and demonstrate the broad support for old-growth protection in the lead-up to February’s mass mobilization.\n\n\n\n “Whether it’s yout h yearning for a liveable climate\, working families seeking sustainable j obs in their communities\, doctors and nurses speaking up for a healthy pl anet\, Indigenous people defending what’s theirs\, or faith\, environmen tal and community groups standing up for irreplaceable ecosystems\, protec ting old-growth is a movement for everyone\,” said Jackie Larkin\, orga nizer with Elders for Ancient Trees\, a founding signatory on the United W e Stand declaration. “From elders to the youngest children\, everyone b elongs and all are welcome—we invite all organizations to join this decl aration\, and everyone who’s able to unite with us to make February 25th a day to remember.”\n\n DTSTART:20230225T213000Z DTEND:20230225T233000Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR