Newly built road into Boise Valley in preparation for clearcut logging.
Boise Creek
THE THREAT
FLETCHER CHALLENGE PLANS TO CLEARCUT BIG TREES OF BOISE - A PRISTINE AREA BEING CONSIDERED FOR PARK STATUS BY GOVERNMENT
In May of 1992 the B.C. government declared that Vancouver's backyard wilderness area-which they called Pinecone Lake/Burke Mountain-would be considered for inclusion in the provincial park system. The wilderness area encompasses Burke Mountain, Widgeon Valley including Widgeon Lake and Slough, DeBeck Valley, the Upper Pitt Valley including Pinecone Lake, the Upper Coquitlam watershed and Boise Valley. The proposed park would span the area between Garibaldi Park in the north to Widgeon Slough in the south and includes the entire west side of Pitt Lake. The B.C. government announced that final boundaries of the new park would be set next year, in 1993. Until then, however, the area remains unprotected.
Fletcher Challenge has cutting rights in part of the proposed park area and it intends to clearcut a huge swath of ancient forest right out of the heart of the proposed park, in the Boise Valley. The New Zealand based logging company has already pushed a road to the edge of the planned clearcut, burying good logs in the roadbed. In crossing unstable ground they have caused landslides, bringing silt and debris into the Boise - a salmon spawning stream. The company says that it intends to commence logging in late summer or early fall of 1992.
By joining together to clear and reopen the Boise heritage trail, we can bring to public attention the priceless heritage that must be protected.
WORTH MORE THAN GOLD
From far far back in the mists of time the Katzie Tribe inhabited the Pitt Lake country and survived off its abundant natural wealth. These people knew its mystical past as the site of great feats performed in ancient times by beings from the spirit world.
In the 1890's when rumours of a fantastic lost gold mine in the area began to circulate amongst the non-native population of New Westminster, it was thought that the country of Pitt Lake hid unimaginable wealth. The where-abouts of the gold was said to be only known to a Katzie native by the name of Slumach.
Over the decades since, many have searched the area, and though some have indeed found small amounts of the soft yellow metal, most have returned with only genuine fool's gold for their efforts. The historic trails that traverse the Boise are a monument to their quest for riches, to trappers' quest for furs and to native trade.
Today, in the 1990s, we know that the real riches of Boise are not found in the extraction of its minerals or timber. These values are commonplace in today's over-industrialized world. What are so rare and unique are the area's abundance of life, the ancient forests, the clean water, the surviving wilderness. Big city back yard wilderness is worth more than all the gold in the world.
