Report from the Walbran - RCMP Reckless Endangerment

Some members of SOFT-CV visited the blockade on December 11. Here is their report.

On Thursday evening we arrived early and helped clean up from the supper. Plans had already been / were being made and around 10 PM 4 or 5 groups headed off on their missions.  We did not find out about the specific missions until the next day. 

The reason for the early arrival on Thursday was  that the road by the start of McClure Lake was to be blocked on Friday morning by a cantilever set over the river by the land defenders. This was to prevent the RCMP shift change from being able to come in.  

As the elders we were simply asked to be up at 4:00AM to proceed to one of the road blocks higher up in the valley.  Here a tree sit ( 30 m up in the tree) was set up overnight with a rope across the road that caused the RCMP night crew to be blocked from coming down to meet the day crew or monitor what the defenders were up to.  We arrived at 4:30AM after the RCMP had been told that they couldn’t disturb this rope or someone’s life in the tree sit could be jeopardized. We were left there to monitor the RCMP to make sure the tree sit was not jeopardized and the RCMP could not come down to see what was being set up down in the valley.  This gave another hour for the cantilever over the river to be set up with a young woman sitting in a hammock.  

This cantilever caused a dozen RCMP cars from the day shift to turn around and meant the loggers had to walk 5 km to get their truck to go higher in the valley, which set them back by three hours. This also meant that we only had to deal with the two or three RCMP vehicles that had been there as the night crew.

The rope across the road was loose, so the RCMP eventually found a couple of logs to prop up the rope so one of their vehicles could proceed down the road. By this time the cantilever had been set up and no RCMP could pass.  We could not see the tree sit up in the tree, but in the darkness we could see their light and we talked / sang Fairy Creek songs to keep spirits up.  When the last log was placed under the rope and the RCMP truck could proceed we heard a sharp cry from our tree sitter.  We called up and she said she was OK.  We only heard afterwards, back at camp, what had happened. She indicated that the movement of the rope caused her to fall off the platform but she was also tied into the tree so she did not fall.  This made sitting / standing on a branch rather uncomfortable / shaky, so when one of the RCMP trucks went through she eventually came down.  The purpose of her tree sit was accomplished as she was there to isolate the night crew high up in the valley while the other land defenders were setting up the cantilever lower in the valley.  She was told she was under arrest, but released 30 minutes later.  Another example of RCMP catch and release to just get your name!!

After the day's action we met back at camp.  Psychological support was offered (info distributed, contacts etc) as this was a significant issue at Fairy Creek for a number of land defenders.  The success of a number of the actions was acknowledged.

How long will this continue??  Is winter coming to end the threat of logging??

There were approx 20 young land defenders and 4-5 seniors in camp.  The  two young women who put their lives on the line in the tree sit and the hammock over the river/cantilever have to be commended / admired!! These young people are putting their lives on the line for the forest / for us!!!

We need to support them with funds and go to camp to do what we can.  As elders we may not be able to climb trees or hang off cantilevers but there is a need for people to provide support / cook / clean / bring supplies.

Click on the image to support the cause (the QR code doesn't work on this page).

Tsitika/Ma'amtagila logging

TAKE ACTION NOW

DECEMBER 20, 2025 | ACTION ALERT

BC Timber Sales, A&A Trading Ltd, and the Tlowitsis Tribe Administration is attempting to log the entire hillside above the Ma'a̱mtagila First Nation's ancient village of Etsekin (I'tsika̱n ~ Matilpi Village) without consultation, consent or even acknowledgement of the Ma'a̱mtagila People.

NANWAKOLAS TIMBER Ltd, TimberWest/MOSAIC as well as "La-kwa sa muqw" Forestry and Western Forest Products are also violating Indigenous Law and the Free Prior and Informed Consent of Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw peoples with their continued destruction of critical and sacred forests in the Tsitika, Eve, Adams, Naka and Great Bear Rainforest Watersheds on a regular basis.

This is at best, devastating negligence on the part of these parties and at worst malicious disregard for the Free, Prior and Informed Consent of an Indigenous nation. Furthermore, the fact that this old-school, cavalier style of colonial resource extraction is still happening in the so-called Great Bear Rainforest highlights the desperate need for the Provincial Government to put into action commitments on DRIPA and the honouring of their crown-obligations to, at the very least consult with First Nations for whom they are issuing permits to operate within their sovereign territory.

Crown entities; relevant Public and Private Logging corporations; The Provincial Government including successive Forests and Indigenous Relations ministers as well as successive Premiers and the BC Treaty Commission have all been made aware of Ma'a̱mtagila demands for recognition and consultation for years.

Ma'a̱mtagila have never ceded or surrendered their lands, air or waters to any entity, despite the impacts of ongoing colonization and resource extraction that have sought to displace them from their homelands.

The Ma'a̱mtagila have an active legal case seeking crown solutions in BC Supreme Court as well as an open conflict resolution space through Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw Potlatch law seeking solutions that build benefits for all Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw peoples. In honour of both crown legal traditions as well at Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw Potlatch Law we demand that no further forestry permits be approved and no further forestry activity moves forward without the participation and enthusiastic consent of the collectively held rights and title of the Ma'a̱mtagila People.

These crown entities, public and private corporations are in flagrant violation of Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw law, The United Nations Declaration on The Rights of Indigenous People, as well as both provincial and federal DRIPA regulations.

The New Forest Act - A Legislative Proposal for BC Forestry Reform

SOFT-CV is all too aware of the desperate state of forestry in British Columbia, cause by decades of relentless overharvesting and a disregard for the environment. That's why we support the New Forest Act as proposed and promoted by the Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society (BFWSS). Click on the image below to go to the BFWSS website.

All the text below is from BFWSS. Click on the image above to go directly to their website, where there is a ton more information about forestry in BC and about the New Forest Act. Or read on here.

Industrial forestry has converted most of BC’s primary forests into clearcuts and plantations.

That’s driving biodiversity collapse, worsening floods, fires, landslides, and drought, while still shrinking jobs and costing taxpayers billions.

We propose a New Forest Act that puts ecosystem integrity first, returns decision‑making to communities and Indigenous Peoples, and rebuilds stable, diversified local economies.

This isn’t theory. If implemented, the New Forest Act would change how every public forest in BC is managed—protecting water, restoring damaged ecosystems, and keeping forestry jobs rooted in rural communities. It’s a practical plan for future generations, not just the next election cycle.

The New Forest Act contains:

• Science-based rules to protect ecosystems, watersheds, and biodiversity (#1 priority)

• A public-interest governance model for BC’s forests

• A 3-part land use system (PRH Model) balancing protection, restoration, and working forests

• Funding strategies to sustain rural economies

• A roadmap for implementation

  
  

NEW FOREST ACT PROPOSAL (Oct 2025 PDF)

BACKGROUNDER (Oct 2025 PDF)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (Oct 2025 PDF)

POLICY BRIEF (PDF – 3 pages)

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Click on the image above to read about the New Forest Act in the Watershed Sentinel.

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The New Forest Act is a legislative proposal to fix what’s broken in BC forestry—from the ground up.

The New Forest Act is about three things: ecological integrity, community decision-making, and local economies.

It’s a clear, actionable plan to protect watersheds, restore degraded forests, and secure sustainable rural jobs—rooted in science and community priorities, not industry spin.

Created by the Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society (BFWSS), the Act offers a credible alternative to the centralized, industry-run model that has dominated public forests for decades.

This isn’t a PR campaign or a protest slogan. It’s a fully developed policy framework—already being presented to Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), government staff, and local councils across the province.

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Click on the images below to watch brief informational videos the from Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society.

"BC has been basing its timber supply on inflated, outdated, and unrealistic assumptions."

"BC's forestry industry isn’t in a downturn - it’s collapsing. Mills are shutting down across the province, not because of bad markets or tariffs, but because the forests are gone or too costly to reach."