Roseanne Charlie and river-side bear tracks
Rosealie Thomas stands beside stump left over from pre-1869 canoe building
Ursus - Rich in Bear, Elk, Salmon and CMTs
More research would strengthen the case for preservation
Valleys like the Ursus are rare in today's world. Less than a dozen large valleys remain unlogged on Vancouver Island, out of 170 originally pristine valleys over 5,000 hectares in size. There are no unlogged valley as big as the Ursus remaining in the coastal regions of Washington, Oregon or California-they have all been roaded and opened to industrial development.
In places where wild valleys have disappeared, the eagle, elk, wolf and salmon have greatly diminished, and so too, we believe, has the natural spirit. That is why people who care about the Earth are so concerned. That is why every effort must be taken to protect the precious few wild valleys, like the Ursus, that we have left.
Some people don't understand why we need to protect our few remaining wild valleys. The Wilderness Committee concentrates its research and education to help people understand the value of these places and convince political decision makers to protect them.
The Wilderness Committee proposes to support three joint Ahousaht/Wilderness Committee studies in the Ursus Valley in 1995 to enhance the knowledge about it and the case for its preservation.
FISHERIES STUDIES - an inventory of young salmon fry and a survey of the range, quality and extent of the Ursus salmon spawning and rearing habitat.
ELK STUDIES - to determine the full range of habitat that these large animals need to survive, as evidenced by their natural trail systems.
CULTURALLY MODIFIED TREE STUDIES - to determine, to a greater extent, the traditional, sustainable aboriginal logging practices in Ahousaht First Nations territory.
