Maya Weichelt
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Wildflower families of the Discovery Islands
Forest-related journalism
Ocean-related reporting
Primary forest survey: Quadra Island
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (white-coloured wildflowers)
Loss of forest cover on Quadra Island
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (yellow-coloured wildflowers)
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (pink-coloured wildflowers)
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (Blue-flowered wildflowers)
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (Red-orange-flowered wildflowers)
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (brown-coloured wildflowers)
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (purple-coloured wildflowers)
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Marine mammals
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Land mammals
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Marine birds
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Forest birds
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Amphibians
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Reptiles
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Marine Invertebrates
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Fish
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (Green-flowered wildflowers)
Logging in the watersheds of Quadra Island
Plant species observed on the Discovery Islands that are endangered, threatened or species of concern
Animal species observed on the Discovery Islands that are endangered, threatened or species of concern
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (Trees and Shrubs)
Lichen species of the Discovery Islands
Primary forest survey: Read Island
Primary forest survey: Cortes Island
Primary forest survey: Maurelle Island
Primary forest survey: Sonora Island
Primary forest survey: West Redonda Island
Primary forest survey: smaller islands
Primary forest survey: East Redonda Island
Place names: Quadra Island
Place names: Cortes Island
Place names: Read Island
Place names: Maurelle Island
Place names: Sonora Island
Place names: West Redonda Island
Place names: East Redonda Island
Place names: smaller islands
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (Grasses, sedges & rushes)
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (Aquatics)
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (Ferns)
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (Lichens)
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (Fungi)
Plant species of the Discovery Islands (Mosses and Liverworts)
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Butterflies, Skippers and Moths
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Dragonflies and Damselflies
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Bees, Ants and Wasps
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Beetles
Animal species of the Discovery Islands: Slugs and Snails
Loss of forest cover on Read Island
Loss of forest cover on Cortes Island
Loss of forest cover on Maurelle Island
Loss of forest cover on Sonora Island
Loss of forest cover on West Redonda Island
Loss of forest cover on East Redonda Island
Solutions
Photographic survey
Forest carbon release by logging on the Discovery Islands
Portal: Public subsidization of logging on the Discovery Islands
Loss of forest cover on the Discovery Islands
The cost of the public subsidy of clearcut logging on the Discovery Islands
Impact of clearcut logging on forest-related employment
Loss of forest carbon sequestration capacity due to logging
Forest stewardship plans for area-based forest tenures on the Discovery Islands
History of forest loss on the Discovery Islands
Portal: A paradigm shift in how Discovery Islands forests are managed is urgently needed
Portal: Over-exploitation of BC forests
Portal: Imagining a new relationship with forests
Portal: Loss of primary forest
Portal: Destruction of wildlife habitat and loss of biodiversity
Portal: Loss of the hydrological functions of forests
Portal: Increase in forest fire hazard
Portal: Loss of carbon sequestration capacity
Portal: Increase in forest carbon emissions
Portal: Plantation failure
Portal: Use of ecologically damaging practices
Portal: Permanent loss of forest to logging roads, landings and quarries
Portal: Soil loss and damage
Portal: Loss of forest-related employment
Portal: Loss of employment resulting from the export of raw logs
Portal: Costs of floods, fires and clearcutting of community watersheds
Portal: The economic impact on communities of boom and bust cycles
Portal: The instability of communities dependent on forest extraction
Portal: Psychological unease caused by forest destruction
Portal: Loss of trust in institutions as a result of over-exploitation of forests
Portal: Social division caused by over-exploitation of BC forests
Portal: Loss of economic potential of other forest-related sectors
Portal: The economic cost of converting forests into sawdust and wood chips
Portal: The need to reform BC forest legislation
Portal: The need to expedite treaties with First Nations
Portal: The need to get informed, organized and ready for change
Portal: Surveys
Portal: The case for much greater conservation of forests on the Discovery Islands
Portal: Greater conservation of forests is needed to mitigate climate change
Portal: Retention of old and mature forest is necessary to protect biodiversity
Portal: Compared with old and mature forest, logged areas have a higher fire hazard
Portal: The extraordinary beauty of the Discovery Islands needs to be protected
Portal: We support Indigenous title and rights on the Discovery Islands
Portal: Logging on the Discovery Islands is heavily subsidized by the public
Species at risk on the Discovery Islands
Historical record of forest fires on the Discovery Islands
Lakes and wetlands of the Discovery Islands
Recreation Resources: Morte Lake-Chinese Mountain area
Recreation Resources: Nugedzi Lake-Mount Seymour area
Recreation Resources: Newton Lake-Small Inlet-Waiatt Bay area
Recreation Resources: Mud Lake-Nighthawk Lake area
Recreation Resources: Eagle Ridge-Blindman's Bluff area
Recreation Resources: Heriot Ridge area
Recreation Resources: Shellalligan Pass area
Recreation Resources: Two-Mile Lake-Clear Lake-Hummingbird Lake area
Recreation Resources: Maud Island-Saltwater Lagoon
Recreation Resources: Hyacinthe Point area
Recreation Resources: Raven Lake-Raven Ridge area
Recreation Resources: Main Lake Provincial Park
Recreation Resources: Octopus Islands Provincial Park
Recreation Resources: Darkwater Lake-Darkwater Mountain
Salmon bearing streams
Portal map: Salmon bearing streams of the Discovery Islands
Library: Logging and plantations create higher forest fire hazard
Libary: Conservation of forests needed to protect biodiversity
Library: Conservation of forests is needed to mitigate climate change
Library: Supporting Indigenous title and rights
Central library
Portal: Discovery Islands' place names
Export of raw logs from the Discovery Islands
Log exports from the Discovery Islands
Discovery Islands forest tenures and logging plans
Discovery Islands Protected Areas
Place names of the Discovery Islands
Portal: Calculation of direct local employment
Watersheds of Quadra Island
Watersheds of Read Island
Watersheds of Cortes Island
Watersheds of Maurelle Island
Watersheds of Sonora Island
Portal: Watersheds of the Discovery Islands
Engaging the mindustry
Species at risk of local extirpation
Artistic Expression
Volunteer
Discussion
Project calculations
Definitions
Fisheries surveys of Discovery Islands creeks
Portal: Resolution of forest-use conflicts
Vancouver Island Land Use Plan
About the Discovery Islands Conservation Project
Recent satellite imagery of forest cover loss on the Discovery Islands
Forest planning documents
Sources for April 2023 complaint to Forest Practices Board
Woodlot 2031 (Okisollo Resources)
Herbicide use
DI Forest Bulletin
Sources for 2024 submission on TFL 47 Johnstone Strait FSP
Comments on proposed cutblocks and roads
Blogs
Events
Downloads
Everything posted by Maya Weichelt
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To: Theresa Cleroux, Planning Forester, BCTS Provincial Operations (Chinook) Jillian Tougass, SCFD District Manager, BC Ministry of Forests Hello Theresa and Jillian, Surge Narrows Forest Advisory Committee, a committee of the Surge Narrows Community Association, is responsible for relaying information about proposed logging and other environmental impacts. The committee acts as liaison between the Surge Narrows community and other entities. Please accept these comments regarding BCTS proposed logging on Maurelle Island, 2023-2027. We appreciate that BCTS provided information in a meeting at Surge Narrows on September 11th. Twenty five community members were able to attend, and this was a good opportunity for sharing some local knowledge and perspectives. It became clear that the priority for BCTS and the Provincial Ministry of Forests is the AAC, set at 47,000 cubic meters. Compromise seemed limited to tweaking the currently mapped cutblocks, and while community priorities were acknowledged, BCTS could not tell us who to contact or how to effect deeper changes. The following comments reflect community held concerns that remain unresolved. Local Economy The Discovery Islands are heavily impacted by logging, but tourism is the #1 employer for local residents. Based on the importance of tourism to the local economy, the VQO’s for Maurelle Island should never have been downgraded. We understand that the dividing line for 2 forest districts might have confused your view, but this is a serious mistake that needs to be reversed. Biological Diversity Protecting biological diversity is a high priority for governments worldwide, including in BC, where there are many plans underway. The Discovery Islands have excellent low-elevation growing sites and could easily contribute to the old growth protection and recruitment goals set by the province. We note numerous deferral and OGMA areas on Maurelle, and they look good on the map, but the reality is that the mapped deferral sites are steep, rocky, cool slope, high elevation – and they are clearly not the excellent growing sites required for big trees and biological diversity. The deferrals appear to be a publicity sham and it's disturbing that BCTS is targeting the mature timber on rare high-value sites where old growth and biodiversity could be well protected. We encourage you to look honestly and protect what’s important instead of making AAC your highest priority. Wild Fire Historically, many low intensity fires have swept through forests of the Discovery Islands. Forests often emerged mostly intact after such events, because fire resistance is relative to the age of a forest, and old trees can survive all but the hottest fires. Clearcuts and young plantations are far more likely to burn hot with flames that race dangerously through the forest crown. Accelerated forest impacts have created a network of fire danger on many of the Discovery Islands. Surge Narrows residents (and other Discovery Island communities) are acutely aware of fire as a threat to everything we hold dear. Please work with us to help identify and mitigate risks to community and biodiversity. Climate change Old temperate forests sequester and store massive amounts of carbon. They are Nature’s most valuable contribution to climate stability. When a forest is cut, its trees no longer produce oxygen and most of the carbon in its wood fibre reaches the atmosphere within 40 years. Logging on a 60 to 70 year rotation increases atmospheric carbon. Logging also has detrimental impacts on soil carbon and the forest’s “coarse woody debris” – which are the large logs that hold moisture, provide critical habitats, and store carbon over centuries while they slowly rot. When exposed by logging, forest soils also quickly contribute their massive stored carbon to the atmosphere. Climate change is accelerated when old and mature forests are converted to plantations. Surge Narrows residents are highly aware and deeply concerned about the effects of climate change. We wish to be part of a solution and we are not convinced that large scale industrial logging is appropriate for this area. We have other better ways to contribute to the economy and climate change solutions. We look forward to your reply and suggestions. Sincerely, Maya Weichelt, chair for Surge Narrows Forest Advisory Committee Cc: Hon George Heyman, BC Minister of Environment Hon Bruce Ralston, BC Minister of Forests Michele Babchuk, North Island MLA Robyn Mawhinney, Director, Strathcona Regional District