Ancient Forest Alliance

The Ancient Forest Alliance emerged in January 2010 during a period of heightened debate over old-growth logging in British Columbia. Its founders included Ken Wu, TJ Watt, Tara Sawatsky, Katrina Andres, Brendan Harry, and Michelle Connolly, several of whom had previously been involved with the Western Canada Wilderness Committee. The new group was formed after changes to the Wilderness Committee's Victoria presence led the founders to conclude that a more narrowly focused old-growth organization was needed. From the outset, the Alliance defined itself not simply as an anti-logging organization but as an advocate for a different forestry model. It called for the protection of ancient forests in regions where they had become uncommon, while supporting sustainable harvesting of second-growth forests, which represented most forest lands in southern British Columbia. Its policy platform also opposed the export of raw logs to foreign mills and promoted investment in coastal sawmills and value-added wood manufacturing. This framing connected conservation with employment and local economic development. The Alliance registered as a non-profit society in British Columbia but did not seek charitable status. That decision made fundraising more difficult because donations could not receive charitable tax receipts. It also preserved the organization's ability to endorse or condemn political candidates on the basis of their forest policies. The group stated that it intended to concentrate political work in closely contested electoral districts, where conservation issues could exert greater pressure on provincial decision-makers. In its first months, the organization developed a highly public campaign style. It used social media, public events, volunteer networks, media briefings, field trips, and visual documentation of giant trees and logging sites. By March 2010, it reported more than 6,000 Facebook supporters. The Alliance also promoted the development of autonomous Ancient Forest Committees at universities and in communities across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. These groups were independent of the Alliance but shared its objectives and sometimes worked with it on rallies, hikes, and activist training. The protection of exceptional trees and forests became a central part of the organization's identity. In early 2010, it publicized concerns about logging tape near the Red Creek Fir, a giant Douglas fir near Port Renfrew. Although the responsible ministry and timber company stated that the tree's immediate surroundings were protected and that near-term logging was not planned, the controversy illustrated the Alliance's argument that isolated monumental trees remained vulnerable when surrounding forest was removed. The organization installed signage and advocated a provincial heritage-tree system that would identify and protect the largest and oldest examples of each tree species. Avatar Grove was another early priority. The Alliance described the site as an unusually accessible southern Vancouver Island valley-bottom forest containing very large Douglas firs and western red cedars. It organized a March 2010 visit for volunteers, residents, and journalists and sought broader protection for the area. Publicity around the site helped connect forest conservation with tourism and community development in Port Renfrew. The Alliance also used creative campaigning. Its 2010 “Post-Avatar Blues” initiative drew on the popularity of the film Avatar to encourage people to experience real forests, act to defend them, and recruit others. A Vancouver rally in March of that year used Avatar-inspired imagery, while the “Canada's Biggest Stumps Competition” invited the public to document large stumps left by old-growth logging. Fundraisers, including musical events and a planned cycling tour, supported campaign operations and public outreach. During the 2010 provincial political campaign period, the organization targeted swing ridings and used visits to large trees, public demands, and constituency-level events to press for old-growth protection, raw-log export restrictions, second-growth forestry, and sawmill retooling. It also participated in discussions about potential regional parks in the Capital Regional District, recommending protection for places including Avatar Grove, the Red Creek Fir, and the San Juan Spruce. Later advocacy continued to focus on Vancouver Island. Public attention to the isolated Douglas fir known as Big Lonely Doug, standing amid a clear-cut area, helped broaden discussion of old-growth logging and the ecological and cultural consequences of removing surrounding forests. In 2019, the Alliance joined opposition to a proposed cut near Juan de Fuca Provincial Park in the Port Renfrew area; the provincial government postponed the logging plan in May. In 2020, the organization campaigned for protection of privately held old-growth land associated with Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park, emphasizing the age of the trees, habitat value, and role of mature forests as carbon stores. The supplied references do not provide verified current information about the Alliance's staff, financial position, or detailed present-day governance.

• 2020

  Cathedral Grove protection campaign

  [1]Ancient Forest Allianceen.wikipedia.org

  The Alliance urged the provincial government to acquire and protect private old-growth forest land associated with Cathedral Grove.

• 2019

  Port Renfrew-area logging plan postponed

  [1]Ancient Forest Allianceen.wikipedia.org

  A proposed logging plan affecting an old-growth area near Juan de Fuca Provincial Park was postponed after advocacy by the Alliance and other groups.

• 2010

  Organization established

  [1]Ancient Forest Allianceen.wikipedia.org

  The Ancient Forest Alliance was founded in British Columbia by former Wilderness Committee activists and other old-growth campaigners.

• 2010

  Early membership growth reported

  [1]Ancient Forest Allianceen.wikipedia.org

  The organization reported more than 6,000 Facebook members less than two months after its creation.

• 2010

  Avatar Grove public visit organized

  [1]Ancient Forest Allianceen.wikipedia.org

  The Alliance brought volunteers, community members, and media representatives to Avatar Grove to build support for its protection.

• 2010

  Vancouver old-growth rally

  [1]Ancient Forest Allianceen.wikipedia.org

  A public march called for protection of endangered old-growth forests and a transition toward sustainable second-growth logging.

• 2010

  Swing-riding political campaign launched

  [1]Ancient Forest Allianceen.wikipedia.org

  The organization began targeting closely contested British Columbia electoral districts to influence forest policy.

A focused, politically engaged grassroots conservation organization that combines old-growth forest protection with sustainable forestry, local employment, public education, and climate-oriented land-use policy.

• 2020Cathedral Grove protection campaign

  MacMillan Provincial Park · Vancouver Island · British Columbia

  The Alliance called for acquisition and protection of private land containing old-growth forest in Cathedral Grove, emphasizing the ecological, biodiversity, tourism, and carbon-storage value of its ancient Douglas firs.

  Source
• 2019Juan de Fuca-area old-growth campaign

  Port Renfrew · Vancouver Island · British Columbia

  The Alliance joined efforts to prevent logging in a 109-hectare old-growth forest adjacent to Juan de Fuca Provincial Park.

  Outcome. The provincial government postponed the logging plan in May 2019.

  Source
• 2010Documenting ancient forests and giant trees

  British Columbia

  The Alliance has documented endangered ancient forests, giant and record-sized trees, logging damage, and exceptionally large stumps. Photographer and activist TJ Watt has been particularly associated with this visual and field-documentation work.

  Outcome. The documentation supplied imagery and narratives for public education, media outreach, and conservation campaigns.

  Source
• 2010Red Creek Fir protection

  Port Renfrew · Vancouver Island · British Columbia

  The organization publicized concerns about logging indicators near the giant Red Creek Fir and advocated broader protection for the surrounding landscape and for major heritage trees across British Columbia.

  Outcome. Government and TimberWest representatives said the immediate area was protected and that near-term logging was not planned. The tree later became widely known as Big Lonely Doug and remained a prominent symbol of Vancouver Island old-growth controversy.

  Source
• 2010Avatar Grove protection

  Port Renfrew · Vancouver Island · British Columbia

  The Alliance campaigned to protect an approximately 10-hectare stand of giant Douglas firs and western red cedars near Port Renfrew, including a burl-covered cedar popularly called Canada's gnarliest tree.

  Outcome. The campaign generated public and media attention, but the supplied material does not establish a complete final protection outcome for the whole site.

  Source
• 2010Post-Avatar Blues

  British Columbia

  Using imagery associated with the film Avatar, the Alliance encouraged people to visit real forests, take action to defend them, and persuade others to participate.

  Outcome. The initiative served as a creative public-engagement and recruitment campaign.

  Source
• 2010Avatar-themed old-growth rally

  Vancouver · British Columbia

  The Alliance organized a downtown Vancouver march using Avatar-inspired imagery to call for old-growth protection and sustainable second-growth forestry.

  Outcome. Approximately 100 supporters participated according to the supplied reference.

  Source
• 2010Canada's Biggest Stumps Competition

  Canada

  After members found very large old-growth cedar stumps near Port Renfrew, the Alliance invited the public to submit photographs of giant stumps through a social-media competition.

  Outcome. The campaign highlighted the scale of trees removed by old-growth logging and encouraged citizen documentation.

  Source
• 2010Capital Regional District park advocacy

  Capital Regional District · Vancouver Island

  The organization recommended that regional parks planning consider old-growth areas including the Red Creek Fir, the San Juan Spruce, and Avatar Grove.

  Outcome. The Alliance supported the regional public-input process, but the supplied material does not document the complete disposition of each recommendation.

  Source
• 2010Swing-riding political organizing

  British Columbia

  The Alliance focused political advocacy on closely contested provincial electoral districts and pressed for old-growth protection, raw-log export restrictions, second-growth forestry, and value-added processing.

  Outcome. The campaign demonstrated the organization's decision to use non-charitable status to engage directly in electoral advocacy; no comprehensive policy outcome is specified in the supplied material.

  Source

• 2010

  Operate as a non-charitable non-profit societyStrategy

  Background

  The founders wanted the organization to focus specifically on old-growth forests and retain the ability to take explicit positions on politicians and parties based on forest policy.

  Action taken

  The Alliance operated as a British Columbia non-profit society without registering as a charitable organization.

  Aftermath

  It could not issue charitable donation receipts, making fundraising more difficult, but retained greater latitude for direct political advocacy.

  Source

• 2010

  Prioritize second-growth forestry as an alternative to old-growth loggingStrategy

  Background

  The Alliance argued that second-growth forests constituted most forest lands in southern British Columbia and could support employment if mills and processing facilities were adapted.

  Action taken

  It advocated sustainable harvesting of second-growth forests, an end to raw-log exports, and retooling of coastal sawmills for value-added production.

  Aftermath

  This became a recurring part of the organization's policy platform, linking forest protection with local jobs and industrial transition.

  Source

• 2010

  Target swing electoral districtsStrategy

  Background

  Because the Alliance was not a charity, it could endorse or criticize political candidates and sought areas where electoral pressure might influence government decisions.

  Action taken

  The organization announced a focus on roughly a dozen closely contested British Columbia ridings and used local tree visits and constituency events to advance its demands.

  Aftermath

  The approach made electoral accountability a visible part of the Alliance's early campaigning.

  Source

1. 1Ancient Forest Allianceen.wikipedia.org