{
  "id": 13396898,
  "title": "Logging Took Trees the Bears Called Home, so the Haida Nation Built Them New Dens",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/logging-took-trees-the-bears-called-home-so-the-haida-nation-built",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-10T11:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mother Jones",
    "slug": "mother-jones",
    "url": "https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2026/10/logging-old-growth-trees-bears-dens-haida-nation-artificial/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Logging has destroyed the trees that coastal black bears in Haida Gwaii call home, leaving their population vulnerable. Elijah Washington, a stewardship technician with the Haida Nation, explains that the council retrofitted seven old cedar stumps over the summer to provide winter shelter for the bears. These stumps, hollowed out by centuries of fungal decay in old-growth trees, are crucial for bear reproduction as they provide a dry, protected space for mothers to nurse their cubs. Coastal black bears rely heavily on these large old-growth trees, which have become scarce due to logging. Although BC has implemented protections and temporary logging pauses, old-growth harvesting continues. Helen Davis, a wildlife biologist working with the Haida Nation, has been advocating for the construction of these dens, as they are critical for the sustainability of the bear population. However, some worry that providing an alternative to protecting old-growth trees might give logging companies an excuse to continue cutting without pause. Lisa White, a councillor with the Old Massett Village Council, expresses concern about the plywood roofs over old-growth stumps, highlighting the damage done to the land. The Haida Nation's efforts in building these dens could potentially set a model for worldwide bear conservation, but critics worry that this approach might allow logging to continue unchecked.",
  "summary": "This story was originally published by Canada’s National Observer and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Elijah Washington pushes through wet ferns and branches left by logging, crossing the mossy forest floor on Haida Gwaii. He kneels beside a massive western red cedar stump. The cedar was felled decades ago during the industrial logging boom […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Haida Nation retrofits old cedar stumps as bear dens",
    "Coastal black bears rely on large old-growth trees",
    "Concerns about plywood roofs and continued logging"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}