I am writing to protest the B.C. Liberal government’s decision to allow the continued logging of the McLaughlin Ridge and other old-growth forests on Vancouver Island.
I find this decision disheartening because I love and respect the beauty and value of our living ancient forests. The decision to allow them to be logged is extremely short sighted.
While the rest of the world is holding ancient forests up as environmental jewels, to be cherished for generations to come, our government is dumping them so companies can turn a quick profit and create a few short-lived jobs.
The B.C. Liberals are doing this in spite of the objections of their own scientists who say the McLaughlin Ridge forest eco-system and the flora and fauna it shelters are endangered and irreplaceable.
This valuable provincial asset should not be trivialized. If they had any vision they would see the global movement toward eco-tourism as the wave of the future.
Eco-tourism can leverage ancient forests to create sustainable jobs in tourism and a rich, rewarding experience for tourists, for generations to come.
It would be nice if they would reconsider this decision before another provincial gem is gone forever.
Tom Chudleigh
Qualicum Bay