To the Honourable the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, in Legislature Assembled:

The petition of the undersigned, Interior Watershed Task Force, and others of the Province of British Columbia, states that:                 

WHEREAS:          Interior Watershed Task Force is a coalition that was launched in 2023.  We are based in the Okanagan, the traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx people.  We support and advocate for the protection of water, forests, wildlife, and their habitats across BC.  

●       The Province of British Columbia has a rich, diverse, and interconnected environment that all British Columbians rely on and benefit from;

●       The Climate is changing, as evidenced by unprecedented atmospheric events, floods, droughts, and wildfires.  There is a direct link between forest loss due to logging and climate change;

●       The Industrial Forest companies have legislated, preferential access over all other forest users to our watersheds.  Industrial Forest companies are logging more and larger areas that affect communities, private lands, and watersheds used as primary sources of water supply;

●       Private landowners and virtually all BC communities have no legislation protecting their watersheds or water supplies from industrial logging operations;

●       The legislative mechanisms to protect forest resources for all users are not working.  In response, the Government of the Province has recently made some minor changes to groundwater legislation, set aside some money, and appointed a Parliamentary Secretary for watershed restoration; however, we are still in a Forestry and Watershed crisis.

THEREFORE:       Your petitioners respectfully request that the Honourable House:

1.       Immediately stop clearcut logging, including building excessive logging roads, in BC watersheds, particularly those used for water supply or those close to human habitation;

2.       Cancel industrial forest tenures and replace them with community forest boards, administered by provincial, indigenous and local governments, and advised by a non-partisan panel of experts and community stakeholders; and

3.       Change existing forest management legislation that places the protection of water supply, public safety, ecological integrity, and biodiversity before resource extraction.  All other land and resource uses must be subordinate to this legislation.

This initiative is supported by the following organizations: 
 
BC Coalition for Forestry Reform. www.brownjj.wordpress.com
 
 
Boundary Environmental Alliance  www.boundaryalliance.org 
 
 
Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society  www.boundaryforest.org
 
Protect Box Mountain Committee
 
Climate Action NOW!, North Okanagan
http://www.climateactionnow.ca/
 
Glade Watershed Protection Society
www.protectgladewatershed.com 
 
Granby Wilderness Society
www.granbywilderness.ca 

First Things First Okanagan Climate Action https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/

Forest Protection Allies (FORPA) Quesnel

Fred Marshall, RPF, P.Ag. Cert. Arb. and Jane Marshall.   Marshall Forestry Services
 
Help Our Watersheds Society.
www.howbc.ca
 
Last Stand West Kootenay
https://linktr.ee/laststandwestkootenay
www.facebook.com/LastStandWestKootenay 
 
Joe Rich Forestry, Trails and Watershed Committee.  www.facebook.com/groups/JRForestryTrails

Kelowna Climate Coalition
kelownaclimatecoaltion@gmail.com
 
Kelowna Tree Protectors
www.facebook.com/neighbourwoodsKelowna/ 
 
Okanagan Climate Hub  www.okanaganclimatehumb.ca
 
Old Growth Revolution, Revelstoke
www.facebook.com/oldgrowthrevylution
@oldgrowthrevylution
 
Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance  www.peachlandwpa.org  
  
Shuswap Environmental Action Society www.seas.ca 
 
Silver Hills Watershed Watch
 
West Kootenay Climate Hub  www.westkootenayclimatehub.ca
 
Ymir Watershed Protection

With support from:

CODE BLUE BC
www.codebluebc.ca