Protesters in Port Renfrew are 鈥渄evastated鈥� that the Fairy Creek Watershed was not included in B.C. government鈥檚 list of old-growth deferral areas announced last week.

On Sept. 11, after the release of 鈥樷�� prepared by foresters Al Gorely and Garry Merkel, Forest Minister Doug Donaldson announced that nine forest areas in B.C. will be protected from logging, pending consultation with local Indigenous communities.

Three of these areas鈥� H鈥橩usam, McKelvie Creek and Clayoquot Sound鈥� are on Vancouver Island.

Protesters at the Fairy Creek blockade called the move a 鈥渄iversion.鈥�

鈥淭hey鈥檝e included areas that are mostly protected, 鈥� said Saul Arbess, a spokesperson for the protest group at Fairy Creek Watershed.

Despite the recommendation for an immediate response to 鈥渆cosystems at very high risk,鈥� Arbess said nothing was done about other areas on Vancouver Island that are under immediate threat, or where active logging is taking place.

In a statement, the protesters highlighted other areas on Southern Vancouver Island under immediate threat where active logging is taking place, including Caycuse, Edinburgh Mountain, Central Walbran, Nahmint Valley.

鈥淎ll of these areas deserve, and must receive, permanent protection from logging.鈥�

The group also pointed out other intact watersheds on Vancouver Island that are at at imminent risk from new logging and road building such as the West Kauwinch River, and the Zeballos Lake watersheds.

鈥淔airy Creek has spectacular yellow cedar stands, a highly endangered and underrepresented species in B.C.鈥檚 forest inventory. The report calls for further protection of these species, yet the headwaters of Fairy Creek, and several adjacent old growth forests remain slated to be logged. Surely, the last intact watershed in the immense San Juan River drainage deserves a permanently protected designation.鈥�

The group said that the 鈥渂lockades of the accesses into Fairy Creek will remain in place鈥� until the government defers Fairy Creek and the other contiguous old growth forests from further incursions and permanently protects them from logging.

The Fairy Creek blockade was launched on Aug.10, by a group of 鈥榝orest defenders,鈥� to prevent Teal Jones Group鈥檚 construction crews from building a road to the watershed.

In an e-mail, Donaldson had told Black Press that approximately 50% of Fairy Creek watershed is protected under a Marbled Murrelet Wildlife Habitat Area.

鈥淥ur government knows there is more work to do when it comes to protecting old growth forests. That鈥檚 why we launched the independent review and engagement into how B.C. manages old growth forests,鈥� said Donaldson.

Following the release of the report last week, the forest minister had also issued a statement suggesting a departure from a鈥漰atchwork approach鈥漮f management of old-growth forests in B.C.

鈥淲e need to do better and find a path forward that preserves old-growth forests, while supporting forest workers,鈥� he said.