Canadian Forests At Risk- Just The Facts

*Canadians have already lost over 50 per cent of their original forest cover.

*In British Columbia, over half of the forest that has been logged has been logged since 1970.

*Ever year in B.C. the equivalent 2.5 million logging trucks of ancient forest are clearcut (70 million cubic meters).

*British Columbia provides fewer jobs per acre of forest cut than any other forest producing nation in the world.

*Selective logging would provide 3-4 more jobs per 1000 cubic metres of forest logged than conventional clearcutting.

*The ten largest logging companies control over half the licensed timber land in B.C.

*According to the Ministry of Forests the current Annual Allowable Cut in B.C. is 18 million cubic meters (25%) above the long run sustainable yield.

*Coastal temperate rainforests only ever covered less than 0.5% of the Earth's surface.

*Less than 50 per cent of the world's temperate rainforests remain and these are in small fragments on the west coast of Canada, United States, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania.

*25 per cent of the world's remaining ancient temperate rainforests are in British Columbia. Less than 7% of B.C's ancient temperate rainforests have been protected.

*57% of the temperate rainforest in British Columbia has already been clearcut.

*Of the original 170 primary and secondary watersheds on Vancouver Island, only 10 remain intact, and only 4 are protected. The other 6 are scheduled to be logged and 3 of these are in Clayoquot Sound.

*Clayoquot Sound, on Vancouver Island, is the largest area of lowland coastal temperate rainforest left in the world.

*Even with the new Science Panel clearcut logging in Clayoquot Sound continues...

Sources:
Coastal Temperate Rainforests:1992, Ecotrust and Conservation International, Intact Watersheds in B.C.: 1990 andUndeveloped Watersheds on Vancouver Island: 1990, Ministry of Forests, Sierra Club Mapping Project, Clayoquot Sound Science Panel Reports.