Loggers in British Columbia are rallying against the Nov. 2 announcement that the province intends to work in partnership with First Nations to defer harvest of ancient, rare and priority large stands of old growth within 2.6 million hectares of B.C.’s most at-risk old-growth forests.

"Logging deferrals are a temporary measure – recommended by 2020’s Old Growth Strategic Review – to prevent irreversible biodiversity loss while First Nations, the Province and other partners develop a new approach to sustainable forest management that prioritizes ecosystem health and community prosperity throughout B.C," according to a BC government release.

But loggers in northern BC are unhappy with this decision and have stated that the Old Growth Strategic Review Panel was "stacked against loggers."

14 - 20 mills could be shut down due to this new Plan and BC loggers are not happy.

Smithers saw a rally of logging trucks doing loops around the perimeter highways on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 10 a.m.

CICK News spoke with a spokesperson Mike First, an independent logger, about the impacts of logging on the environment, and what changes could be made to find a solution: