Ancient cedars, some standing for nearly four centuries, are currently being felled in the heart of the Foster Creek rainforest. Satellite imagery confirmed today that logging operations are underway in a critical, low-elevation old-growth tract located near the Kinbasket Reservoir. The destruction of this ecosystem, which serves as vital habitat for the endangered Columbia North mountain caribou, has ignited outrage among conservationists who argue that the province is ignoring its own expert-led directives.
Foster Creek is part of British Columbia’s imperiled Inland Temperate Rainforest. In 2021, the provincial Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) explicitly recommended these forests for immediate logging deferrals due to their high ecological risk and irreplaceable nature. However, Wildsight, an environmental advocacy group, reports that BC Timber Sales (BCTS)—a provincial agency—quietly removed these deferrals from the government’s internal database before auctioning off the harvest rights.
“This signals we’re willing to continue logging a lot of our last old and ancient forests,” said Eddie Petryshen, a conservation specialist with Wildsight. “This is a very out-there place, but that’s where this kind of thing is happening. And that’s what’s challenging for the public to see; it’s in these wild places at the back end of valleys where we’re still doing logging like it’s 1970.”
The 120-hectare project involves three cutblocks, with more than 100 hectares overlapping areas previously flagged for protection. Some of the cedars marked for removal measure two metres in diameter, with tree ring data suggesting they are between 350 and 367 years old—predating Canadian Confederation by centuries. Beyond the loss of ancient timber, experts warn that the construction of new logging roads through this landscape creates a death trap for the already fragile Columbia North caribou herd, as increased access facilitates predation and further habitat fragmentation.
The controversy highlights a long-standing frustration with provincial forest management: the lack of a legal mechanism to enforce deferrals. While the previous NDP government promised to transition these temporary measures into permanent protections, they failed to do so before the October 2026 provincial election. Letters sent by Wildsight to the Ministry of Forests earlier this year regarding the removal of these deferrals went unanswered.
With the province currently in a post-election transition period, the pressure is mounting on the incoming administration. Wildsight is calling on the new government to treat the protection of Foster Creek as a top priority. They are urging officials to halt the current harvesting and implement the recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review to ensure the permanent protection of the remaining intact rainforest.
“Foster Creek is emblematic of a problem because we know better,” Petryshen added. “The public understands why old forests are important; the province and BCTS don’t seem to understand that.”
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