David Evans, owner of Stick in the Mud, has notified Sooke PocketNews of his new website, StopOldGrowthLogging.ca

“It is the result of my GoFundMe campaign,” Evans explained in an email. The website was launched on February 29, and the billboard on the Pat Bay highway went up today (March 1). The billboard will be posted for about 12 weeks. “We need people reaching out to provincial decision makers and MLAs.”

Evans noted that funding is at about 80 per cent, and he covered the rest. He is still accepting contributions.

“If funding exceeds goals then remainder will be put towards a similar campaign near Kelowna – where Forests Minister and The Premier have ridings.”

As for credit from the website, web designer was Zach Ogilvie and Rachel Grigg took all the photos, except for the main image which was offered by a photographer from Ancient Forest Alliance.

The following text is from the Stop Old Growth Logging website.

“By law, the province’s natural resources belong to the people.”

Click to visit the website.

Indigenous and non-Indigenous British Columbians are the stewards of our forests, our land, sea, rivers and lakes. Knowing that, are you satisfied we have reached the “highest and best use” of a 1000-year-old tree, when it is split into shakes and shingles? Are you satisfied a few moments of financial gain for a few corporations trumps your right to access our natural resources in their natural state?

This is not about putting an end to logging. This is about preserving British Columbia’s remaining, however fast-dwindling Old Growth forests, while putting pressure on government and industry to actively refocus on how they manage current second growth forests. It is possible to leave old trees standing while generating direct and significant socio-economic return to communities. Avatar Grove, near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island, is a magnificent example of how preserving Old Growth forests creates long-term employment around big-tree tourism, while simultaneously generating more economic benefit than if nearby trees were allowed to be cut.

One thing is certain: there soon will be an end to Old Growth logging. This can happen two ways: either there simply won’t be any more unprotected trees left to log, or we join together to convince our government these trees are worth more standing than cut. Send a note to the Premier of BC, Christy Clark and to the Minister of Forests Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Steve Thomson and tell them about the British Columbia you want.

Tell BC’s politicians their legacy awaits them. Tell them to stop logging old growth forests.

For more information along with ample resources and actionable suggestions, visit StopOldGrowthLogging.ca

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• Local business owner launches website and billboard, calling for a stop to old growth logging
• BC Liberals and NDP agree on the success of the Great Bear Rainforest agreement
• Sooke entrepreneur seeks to raise funds for Walbran awareness billboard on Pat Bay Highway
• Supreme court rules in favour of logging company Teal-Jones
• LETTER: Update on clear-cut logging of old growth at Carmanah/Walbran