A message from the Minister on the Old Growth process

…We know some forests are irreplaceable and need to be preserved for future generations. That’s why our government announced our new vision for how we care for our forests. …In line with this vision and the recommendations from the old growth strategic review, last week I announced our plan to work in partnership with First Nations to defer harvest of 2.6 million hectares of B.C.’s most at-risk, old-growth forests. …As the first step, we’ve asked First Nations rights and title holders to indicate within 30 days how they would like to proceed on the deferrals within their traditional territories. This does not mean that First Nations have only 30 days to decide if they want to defer or not. Instead, we are asking them to tell us next steps, whether it be immediate deferrals or that they require more time and engagement before making a decision. …We will be working with First Nations through established forums and protocols to start this important work.