RANDY STOLTMANN WILDERNESS AREA CHRONOLOGY
1989 - BC Forest Service proposes the Upper Lillooet Valley be protected under the Social Credit government's Parks and Wilderness for the 90s Program. The proposal contains snow- forest, rock and ice but leaves out low-elevation big-tree forests.
1992 - NDP government accepts a similar proposal for their Protected Area Strategy Process. Upper Lillooet proposal still omits low elevation oldgrowth forests.
April 1994 - Randy Stoltmann, noted BC conservationist, writer and mountaineer, completes a 32 page cerlox bound report with 7 colour pages advocating the preservation of a 260,000 hectare wilderness area that encompasses the Upper Elaho, Sims, Clendenning and Upper Lillooet Valleys. The proposed wilderness area includes rare low elevation Douglas fir forests. The proposal is forwarded to the provincial government for consideration.
May 1994 - Randy loses his life while on a ski traverse expedition of the coast mountains near the Kitlope Valley.
January 1995 - Lower Mainland conservationists reprint the report and rename the wilderness the Randy Stoltmann Wilderness Area in honour of the much loved conservationist who first proposed its protection.
May 1 - Wilderness Committee discovers that International Forest Products is constructing a new logging road up Sims Creek Valley in the Stoltmann Wilderness. Rock is being pushed into the fish-bearing stream. WCWC demands a halt to construction.
May 11 - Wilderness Committee reports that Interfor has halted road construction and is pulling out equipment.
May 19 - After lobbying by Interfor and the mayor of Squamish the logging company gets government support for continued road building in Sims Creek Valley. Road building resumes.
June 27 - Wilderness Committee announces publication of 80,000 Randy Stoltmann Wilderness Area - Save it now! newspapers. WCWC volunteers under the direction of James Jamieson begin to clear a rough surveyed trail route up the Elaho Valley. WCWC mails out the new newspaper and a Save The Stoltmann Wilderness Petition to all members.
July 11 - Wilderness Committee trail surveyors discover a huge Douglas fir which they name the "Elaho Giant". The tree is ten metres in circumference. Records show that it is the third largest Douglas fir known to exist in BC.
July 24 - The Ministry of Forests sends a registered letter accusing WCWC of illegal trail building under BC's new Forest Practices Code. WCWC's founder, Paul George charges that "it is a case of pure harassment."
July 31 - WCWC applies for an official trail permit for the first two kilometres of the surveyed trail route. The proposed upgraded surveyed hiking trail route would end at the Elaho Giant. WCWC volunteers continued to clear a rough survey route three kilometres further up the valley.
August 3 - WCWC's campaign coordinator, Joe Foy, walks the surveyed trail route with members of the Squamish office of the BC Forest Service. Forest Service representative concedes "improvements" such as bridges, steps and ladders are needed for safety. WCWC is told that its volunteers may continue clearing the rough surveyed trail route up the Elaho Valley without official Forest Service permission.
August 5,6 & 7 - One hundred conservationists gather in a huge clearcut in the Upper Elaho to celebrate WCWC's 15th anniversary and to discuss strategy for preserving the Stoltmann Wilderness. People enjoy hiking the new surveyed trail route. Ian MacArthur of the Burke Mountain Naturalists wins the first annual "Clearcut and Run", a one kilometre foot race across the Upper Elaho clearcut.
August 15 - WCWC learns that the Harcourt government is considering issuing two new road building permits in the Stoltmann Wilderness. One permit would allow MacMillan Bloedel to blast a one kilometre road along the Upper Lillooet River and the other road permit would allow Interfor to blast a road a further three kilometres up Sims Creek. WCWC warns that conservationists are losing patience and that a new "war in the woods" may be imminent. A new coalition is announced - The Southwestern BC Wildlands Alliance. The alliance is comprised of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, BC Spaces for Nature, Burke Mountain Naturalists, Federation of BC Mountain Clubs, BC Mountaineering Club, Sierra Club, Alpine Club and the Canadian Earthcare Society. The alliance announces that it is constructing a surveyed trail route in the Upper Lillooet Valley.
August 18 - The Harcourt government issues the two road permits. Construction starts soon after. WCWC announces it is stepping up trail surveying activities and that it would bring the Stoltmann Wilderness campaign to Vancouver - to the doorsteps of government MLAs. A new policy of non-cooperation with government sponsored processes is adopted by WCWC.
August 19 - Nancy Bieck, a Vancouver conservationist and photographer organizes the first of a series of weekend car-pool trips to bring interested members of the public to hike the surveyed trail routes of the Stoltmann Wilderness.
August 22-28 - WCWC expedition, led by Joe Foy, completes a 30 km. traverse of the proposed surveyed trail route from Elaho Valley to Meagre Creek Hotsprings. The team reports 100 metre deep canyons, huge trees, an alpine plateau with hundreds of lakes, views of massive glaciers and a steaming hotsprings at journey's end.
August 24 - Led by Paul George, a roving WCWC information picket was set up in from of Premier Harcourt's riding office at 1150-1651 Commercial Drive in Vancouver. WCWC's Stoltmann Wilderness newspaper was handed out to passers-by and signatures were collected on the Stoltmann Wilderness petition. Public response is very positive.
August 31 - The BC government calls the first meeting of the Regional Protected Areas Public Advisory Committee, (RPAC). The committee is comprised of 12 representatives from conservation groups, labour, industry and government. WCWC pickets the meeting and demands that the five conservation reps leave the table in protest over continued logging and road building in the Stoltmann Wilderness. Two groups, BC Wild and Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society leave the table. Three groups, BC Wildlife Federation, Outdoor Recreation Council and Federation of BC Naturalists decide to remain at the table. WCWC vows to convince the three remaining groups that they are only giving credibility to the BC government's "talk and log" meetings and therefore are helping to destroy the Stoltmann Wilderness. 6,000 full colour Stoltmann Wilderness posters, produced by WCWC roll off the presses. 250 are distributed free to passers-by at the information picket.
September 5 - After clearing seven kilometres of surveyed trail route in the Elaho Valley, WCWC trail coordinator James Jamieson takes the volunteers to Meagre Creek Hotsprings and begins surveying trail from the northern trail-head terminus. WCWC announces that so- far three thousand names have been collected on the Stoltmann Wilderness petition. Road building continues and the Harcourt government is showing no indications that it intends to waiver from its talk & log policy in the Stoltmann Wilderness. WCWC is making plans for a huge Stoltmann Wilderness slideshow event at Robson Square Media Centre on September 20. Premier Harcourt, Forest Minister Andrew Petter and Environment Minister Moe Sihota are invited to come and speak to those attending.
