Comments on MoFR Report - Preparing for Climate Change

The overwhelming scientific consensus is that the global warming we are presently experiencing is due to human-factors. In turn, climate change presents significant risks to the forest ecosystems of BC. West Coast Environmental Law welcomes the MoFR’s recognition of these two key realities.

However; this submission highlights three key concerns with the May 18th, 2006 Preparing for Climate Change report:

1. BC must to set binding, enforceable limits on greenhouse gas emissions that will reduce provincial emissions over time to a small fraction of 1990 levels.
2. Managing for ecological resilience must be given top priority in responding to climate change, and the current provincial forest management framework must be adapted to reflect this priority. This means making management choices today that are most likely to maintain ecosystem composition, structure and functions within their natural range of variability in the face of increased stress and disturbance from climate change.
3. In preparing for climate change, MoFR must look beyond the trees to the whole forest ecosystem, including the ecosystem patterns, functions and processes.