The nation pointed to recent incidents in active forestry areas of the Pacheedaht and Ditidaht First Nations, “where individuals associated with environmental non-government groups disrupted logging operations by putting safety at risk.”
The decision follows a heated confrontation on Tuesday, when a group of loggers clashed with protesters near the Walbran Valley.
A video recorded by the Rainforest Flying Squad showed the contracted forestry workers yelling racial slurs and acting aggressively toward the camped activists. One Indigenous protester had his phone slapped out of his hands and was allegedly roughed up, receiving minor cuts and ripped clothing.
TFL 44, which covers 137,000 hectares and contains 780,000 cubic metres of allowable cut, is jointly owned by Huumiis Ventures, a forestry company owned by the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, and Western Forest Products.