THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT THE FORESTS

There are so many things to protect our forests. We can plant trees to help us prevent flash floods. Let's not cut our trees and let's not burn our trees.

The International Institute for Environment and Development has published a two short papers that describe how to protect forests, improve people�s lifes and livelihoods and help to address climate change.

The papers show ways to implement REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation), which is one of the tools likely to feature in the new global plan to tackle climate change that governments are negotiating this year.

The author, Virgilio Viana knows first-hand how to do this, having implemented successful projects to reduce deforestation in Brazil �s Amazon.

By engaging local communities Viana's work led to a 70% reduction in deforestation between 2003 and 2007, a 9% annual increase in the local economy in the same period (three times the national rate), and a range of social and health benefits.

Viana is the former secretary for environment and sustainable development for Amazonas State in Brazil. He believes that REDD is the single best hope for addressing forest loss, poverty and climate change (deforestation accounts for about 17% of the greenhouse gas emissions).

Many people say that REDD will be too hard to implement and fund, but Viana says that pilot projects show that all methodological concerns can be dealt with easily. In terms of funding he calls for a two track system.

One track would be support from wealthy governments to governments of forest nations to improve forest governance and policies that reduce deforestation. The second track would use money from carbon markets to support projects on the ground in return for carbon credits.

A forest is not just a stand of trees, it is also the ecosystem in which they grow, including the soil, other plants, animals, micro-organisms and the climate

The public owns about 95 per cent of the forest in British Columbia with the majority of the area either a provincila park or Crown forest. As an owner of the Crown forest, you have a stake in what happens in the forest

Thieves take timber that's already been cut, by legitimate loggers but not yet hauled away. Or, the thieves cut timber themselves, often from parks and other protected areas. This logging is illegal, as is selling the timber, mis-marking the logs or manufacturing them into lumber or other products.

Vandals frequently damage logging equipment, spike trees, plug culverts, deliberately set fire to trees or structures. Some vanbdals wreck Forest Service camp sites or trails.

These are crimes prosecutable under the Forest and Range Practices Act, the Range Act and the Criminal Code (Canada). These Acts protect the forest's biodiversity, scenic views, water, soil and the cultural and heritage aspects of the forests.

Illegal activities can take place anywhere or at any time. Illegal harvest or transport of timber is most likely to occur late in the evening or on weekends. The location might be at a logging site, in an untouched forest or park, on our highways during timber transportation, or at a mill processing facility. Vandalism occurs in active logging areas or at forest recreation sites and trails.

Burning or damage to forests can happen anywhere in B.C. with the higher number and size of fires happening during warmer months.

Indeed, most illegal activity in the forests occurs in spring, summer and fall.