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This rainforest valley, located on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, contains the tallest trees in Canada, including the ‘Carmanah Giant’ which is the tallest tree in Canada. In addition to its incredible stands of Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and western red cedar, the Carmanah contains an elaborate array of flora and fauna, some species of which were very recently discovered. The old growth dependent seabird known as the marbled murrelet is among the area’s wild inhabitants. If you have the chance to wander through its breath-taking landscape, you will never forget the experience.
Carmanah valley
The Carmanah campaign is a lasting example of success. Its future appeared grim in 1955, when the government granted McMillan-Bloedel a tree-farming license that included the valley. In the mid 1980’s, the situation worsened, as the government gave McMillan-Bloedel permission to clear-cut the pristine forest. This was done without public knowledge or consent. In response, the Wilderness Committee began a campaign to gain protected area status for the valley.
Action and Innovation
The first actions (1988) were focussed on the Lower Carmanah. This year saw the Wilderness Committee building the Carmanah Valley trail, which established for the first time the public’s right to access Crown lands under the TFL tenure and helped gain public attention for Carmanah Valley. Through a process of strong campaigning by the Committee and other groups, McMillan Bloedel was pressured into increasing the amount of forest it was willing to preserve from 2% to 8% of the valley. The predominant public sentiment by 1989 was that the entire valley should be saved. Employing peaceful tactics such as commissioning scientists to study the area, compiling Artistic Visions of an Ancient Rainforest, a book filled with inspired artists’ depictions of the Carmanah, and continuing the Carmanah Valley trail into the upper portion of the watershed, the Wilderness Committee finally witnessed victory in 1990, when the Lower Carmanah was protected as the Carmanah Pacific Provincial Park.
Climbing a huge Sitka spruce
Despite this success, the Wilderness Committee was not satisfied, for the Upper Carmanah still remained open to the destruction of clear-cutting, which would threaten the park below it. Embarking on another original project, the Committee created in the Spring of 1990 the world’s first Temperate Rainforest Canopy Research Station, which allowed scientists to discover and study new species of life in the tree tops. With help of scien-tists from around the world, more than 60 new insect species have been identified. The Committee was awarded for its efforts again in 1994, when the upper watershed was listed as one of twenty-four new provincial parks declared by the government.
Future
Today, the Carmanah remains protected, and it is an empowering symbol of hope for all those who wish to see more ancient wilderness regions preserved.
Ecosystem
The 6,650ha park offers protection to diverse forest ecosystems, including a large Sitka spruce ecosystem. Carmanah valley is home to some of the world's largest spruce trees, some reaching heights in excess of 95 meters and living for 800 years or more. The park is also home to ancient, gnarled cedars - estimated to be well over 1,000 years old - clinging to the side hills. Old-growth forests con-sist of trees of a variety of species and age, a mix that is only possible in a forest that has been undisturbed for hundreds of years. As old trees die and fall over, they are replaced by younger ones that grow beneath the canopy. Dead and dying trees are essential in old-growth systems for the habitat and nourishment they provided has remained undisturbed for a very long time.
Geography
Climate, topography, geology and other environmental factors have shaped a tremendously complex and productive ecosystem. The orientation and relief of the valleys result in a wet climate for much of the year. Weather systems approaching Vancouver Island are funneled by the valleys and result in heavy downpours. Periodically, the upper watershed has a snow pack.
