June 28, 2000

Interfor is one of the worst destroyers of coastal temperate rainforests on the planet. They are one of the largest logging companies on the coast of British Columbia, averaging an annual province-wide cut of 4 million cubic meters of timber throughout the 1990's. Approximately two-thirds of that cut has come from ancient coastal temperate rainforests, a forest type recognized by the World Resource Institute of Washington DC as the most endangered forest type on the planet. Nearly all of the trees come from clear-cuts.

In 1999, the World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development called for a halt to the further destruction or degradation of the world's remaining primary forests. On June 8 of this year over 400 of the world's top scientists called for an end to industrial logging on the British Columbia coast. Despite this, Interfor's cut comes almost exclusively from primary coastal forests. Interfor plans to road-build and clearcut dozens of areas on the coast that have as yet seen almost no industrial activity, including Talheo/Hot Springs Creek, the Sandell River complex, Kumealeon Lake, Lockhart-Gordon, Draney Inlet, Takush-Lenore Lake, the Klaskish on Vancouver Island and many others. These areas include critical habitat for grizzly bears, salmon spawning, endangered bird species and other forest-dependent species.

Interfor's operations have been challenged by concerned citizens throughout the province, in places such as the Great Bear Rainforest, Clayoquot Sound and the Elaho Valley. In both 1995 and 1997 the hereditary chiefs of the Nuxalk First Nation demanded that Interfor abstain from logging Ista, one of the nation's most sacred sites. Rather than acceding to this demand, Interfor sought punitive measures, resulting in the jailing of the Nuxalk chiefs and the subsequent destruction of Ista.

Currently, citizens are requesting that Interfor stop cutting in the ecologically critical Elaho Valley and are being jailed for doing so. Interfor is also currently logging in Clayoquot Sound despite its recent declaration as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Interfor is undermining the international recognition of the natural heritage of the Sound while people are being jailed for the first time since 1993 defending it. Interfor employees have consistently used violence to stifle citizen concerns with attacks against environmentalists occurring in Bella Coola, Ure Creek and elsewhere. In September 1999, over 70 Interfor loggers attacked and hospitalized environmentalists in the Elaho Valley while company management looked on and videotaped the violence. When questioned about the violence, Interfor Chief Forester Ric Slaco stated that "some people involved found it very satisfying."

• According to the Ministry of Forests and Ministry of Environment, between June 1995 - June 1997, Interfor has been charged and penalized 136 times for breaking provincial legislation including:
  1 infraction of the Waste Management Act;
  1 infraction of the Pesticide Control Act;
  11 infractions of the Litter Act;
  66 infractions of the Forest Act;
  57 infractions of the Forest Practices Code
• According to the Ministry of Forests, Interfor has failed to comply with the Code on an additional 414 occasions for more minor incidences that were dealt with in the field.
• Examples cited of Interfor's infractions include landslides into fish bearing Clowhorn Creek, illegal logging inside Garibaldi Park, and a breach of a stop work order in Clayoquot Sound.
• Government and industry documents such as the 1995 Michael Jantzi Research Associates Report and the 1994 Tripp Report identify Interfor's environmental performance as being a major concern.
• Interfor is one of the largest logging companies operating in Canada's temperate rainforest. Interfor plans to begin logging operations in 11 of the few remaining pristine rainforest valleys on the coast within the next two years.

International Forest Products profile

International Forest Products (Interfor) is one of the largest companies operating in Canada's rainforest (1). The company is responsible for 57 logging operations and 8 sawmills in British Columbia, Canada's western most province. Its wholly owned subsidiaries are Helifor, West Coast Plywood, Holding Lumber, Brew Creek Timber and 286101 B.C. Ltd, and partly owned subsidiaries include Seaboard Shipping, Seaboard Lumber, Vanco Flight Craft and Ventura Logging. Sales of Interfor's forest products totaled $775.2 million in 1996 (2). The major destinations of Interfor lumber are Japan (46%), the United States (29%), U.K. & Europe (7%), with 18% remaining in Canada (3). The B.C. government, which presently controls the forests that Interfor logs, owns shares of $5,368,800 in Interfor (4).

Overview Interfor's environmental record

Interfor has failed to comply with the Forest Practices Code on an additional 414 occasions for more minor incidences that were dealt with in the field (table 2) (7).

this was excerpted from REPEAT OFFENDER: Interfor's environmental record, June 1995 - June 1997

Habitat loss due to clear-cut industrial logging is one of the leading threats to wildlife populations throughout British Columbia. For example, the most endangered species in Canada, the Vancouver Island Marmot is often killed while sitting around in clearcuts basking in the sun. Grizzly bears, wolves, birds and a whole host of species depend on ancient rainforest eco-systems for their survival. If they are to survive, clear-cut logging and the corporations like Interfor have got to go.

Take Action

This article was adapted from Forest Action Network web postings at www.interfor.com.