NO PROTECTION AFFORDED TO ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE ELAHO
On June 8, 2000 while surveying the oldgrowth forest north of Lava Creek in the Elaho Valley for hiking routes, two ecotourism guides spotted and photographed what they suspected was a Spotted Owl in an area Interfor was about to log, cutblock 102-52. They submitted the photo to B.C. Ministry of Environment (MoE) officials for identification.
On June 21 MoE wildlife specialist Ian Blackburn confirmed that the bird was a Northern Spotted Owl---a federally and provincially listed endangered species. Less than 60 breeding pairs are known to still exist in B.C. This owl species is oldgrowth forest- dependent and nearly all its habitat in its range in southwestern B.C. has been cut down.
The Stoltmann conservationists were encouraged by the discovery, believing the owl would save the surrounding forest. But their hopes were dashed. MoE officials explained that NDP government policy denies this "new" owl any habitat protection. Only Spotted Owls discovered before June 1995 are given some limited (inadequate) protection. There is no protection for newly discovered owls unless a new nest site is located.
Catch 22. BC Forest Service District Manager Paul Kuster refused to halt logging in the area where the owl was observed in order to give biologists time to search for the nest. Since a nest hadn't been located, he rationalized, there was no reason to disrupt Interfor's logging!
Conservationists continued to play MOE taperecordings of Spotted Owl calls at night in a desperate attempt to elicit a response and locate a nest. In early August their efforts paid off. A male and a female answered. But by then, Interfor was aggressively cutting the ancient forest in cutblock 102-52 with more and more 350 to 400 year old trees being dropped with each passing day. After several nights the owls stopped calling.
