GOOD NEWS! & Bad News
No logging in the Upper Elaho and Sims for the past year!
- Other Stoltmann Wilderness valleys being rapidly clearcut.
Mount Meager, a 2,646 meter dormant volcano that erupted 2,350 BP, towers over the upper Lillouet Valley in the northern Stoltmann Wilderness. Photo credit: Joe Foy
Name the biggest, wildest and most beautiful endangered ancient landscape remaining in southwest BC. Don t know? Here are a few clues.
It's the Stoltmann Wilderness, of course! A wildly beautiful, rugged region just west of the world-famous resort commu- nity of Whistler, this area was named after Randy Stoltmann, author and conservationist who tragically died in a mountain- eering accident in 1994 just after he formally proposed this area for protection. Over 500,000 hectares in size, the Stoltmann is made up of a cluster of never-logged backcountry watersheds, hemmed in by the rugged peaks and glaciers of BC s Coast Mountain Range. The southern valleys, like the Upper Elaho, Clendenning, Sims and Upper Soo are in Squamish Nation territory, while the northern valleys of Meager, Upper Lillooet, Salal, Boulder and Upper Bridge are in the Stl atl imx First Nations Territory.
"The most important thing is to have some part of our territory set aside for our children and children's children. Second, we need to have some land for us to use. And third, we need to create economic opportunities for our people."
Chief Bill Williams
2001 Squamish Nation Land Use Plan
For the last six years the Stoltmann swirled with controversy as Western Canada Wilderness Committee, Canada s largest membership based conservation organization, worked with other environmental groups, to see this area made off-limits to industrial development. At the same time, logging companies like Interfor and Ainsworth have done their best to log out its ancient forests as quickly as they can. Over the years the Wilderness Committee has collected tens of thousands of names on petitions, built 30 kilometres of hiking trails, launched several court actions and conducted habitat and tree surveys. We've published educational newspaper reports by the hundreds of thousands, posters by the tens of thousands, hiking maps and videos by the hundreds all about the Stoltmann Wilderness area and the need to preserve its spectacular ancient forests for future generations. As a result, we have gathered together thousands of vocal supporters who want this area protected.
Winter snow cakes Douglas fir millennial giant in the Upper Elaho Valley. Photo credit: Jeremy Williams
It's been a tough valley by valley campaign. Some areas have been protected. Clendenning, Callaghan Lake and the Upper Lillooet areas that collectively make up about 10 percent of the Stoltmann gained Provincial Park status as a result of the BC government s 1996 Lower Mainland parks planning process. The entire Stoltmann Wilderness was the subject of a 1999 federal Private Members Bill to make it a National Park Reserve. But because National Park designation lacked the support of the ruling federal Liberal Party, the Bill did not progress. Over the years we've continuously lost more and more of this wilderness in the Upper Elaho, Sims, Upper Soo, Callaghan, Meager, Salal and Upper Bridge valleys to ongoing clearcut logging.
In 2001, however, the outlook for the protection of some of the Stoltmann's valleys grew hopeful.
Squamish Nation Wild Spirit Places in the Southern Stoltmann
Throughout the spring of 2001 the Squamish Nation, spurred on by the rapid loss of the natural forest of their traditional territory in the Upper Elaho and Sims valleys, conducted an extensive community-based land use planning process for the forests and wilderness areas of their territory. In May of 2001 the Squamish Nation released its draft plan entitled Sacred Land or Xay Temixw in the Squamish language. You can see the Squamish Nation s draft land use plan report by going to their website at www.squamish.net
Have a look, then write or email the Squamish Nation and tell them what you think so they have a full record of the high level of public support for their plan. Thousands have already done so. Add your voice for the wilderness, too! The Squamish Nation plan includes the designation of four Wild Spirit Places or Kwa kayx welh-aynexws within the area we call the southern Stoltmann Wilderness. These Wild Spirit Places would be managed by the Squamish Nation to retain their wilderness attributes and to provide places for spiritual and cultural renewal for the Squamish Nation.
Spring 2001. Natives and non-natives gather together in the Sims Valley to witness and voice their support for protection of the valley's ancient forests. Photo credit: Shel Neufeld.
The four proposed Wild Spirit Places are: the 17,753 ha Upper Elaho Valley, or Nsiiwx-nitem tl a sutch, which includes all the wilderness forests north of Lava Creek; the 17,280 ha Sims Valley or Nexw-ayantsut, which includes the entire Sims watershed; the 9,173 ha West Side Squamish River, or Este-tiwilh, which includes over 16 km of low elevation old- growth habitat along the mid-Squamish River; and the 10,224 ha West Callaghan Valley or Payakentsut, one of the largest areas of unprotected old-growth forest in the Cheakumus River Valley.
The Squamish Nation plan also proposes other areas for habitat restoration and eco-logging under their direction and management.
Bridge River Valley in the northeastern corner of the Stoltmann is under attack.
In contrast to the Squamish Nation s planning process in the southern Stoltmann, the provincial government's land use planning process in the northeastern Stoltmann is in disarray. When it launched the process in 1996 the BC government promised it would take only two years to complete the plan. For six long years, first the NDP government and now the Liberal government have presided over the seemingly endless Lillooet Region Planning Process while Ainsworth Lumber was allowed to log out many wilderness areas under discussion. In the Upper Bridge River Valley, a jewel of the northern Stoltmann Wilderness, Ainsworth pushed logging roads and clearcuts 20 km. into the ancient forest.
"Protection of the environment is very important. Our rights are short-term unless we protect and enhance them. The right to hunt and right to fish are not worth anything if we don't have fish, if fish can't survive in the environment."
Chief Gibby Jacob
2001 Squamish Nation Land Use Plan
Protection of the Upper Bridge Valley is absolutely critical to the survival of the grizzly bear population in the southern Coast Mountains because this broad valley is a linkage area between the western and eastern slopes of the range. Every new logging road and clearcut diminishes the area's great beauty and the great bear's chance for survival.
In May 2001 the outgoing NDP provincial government decided to make a large South Chilcotin Mountains Park (located just to the northeast of the Upper Bridge) and place a long-term moratorium on logging and road building in the Upper Bridge Valley. But in November 2001 the new Liberal provincial government rejected this decision.
Now the BC Liberal government says they intend to fast track the process and vows to make a final protected areas decision for the Lillooet Region, including the Upper Bridge Valley, by March 2002.
The best hope for preserving the northern Stoltmann is the local First Nations - the Stl'atl'imx. Will they make a stand for preserving the Upper Bridge? It will not be easy, as they are already stretched to the limit trying to protect other important wilderness areas of their territory like Melvin Creek which is threatened by a massive ski-city development and Lost Creek which is threatened by clearcut logging.
"Interfor has agreed not to log in the two most controversial Wild Spirit Places, Upper Elaho and Sims valleys, while the land use process is under way, but they have yet to endorse the plan. The Wilderness Committee supports the Squamish Nation plan and wants to see it implemented. "If accepted by the BC government and Interfor and implemented by the Squamish Nation, we believe this plan would finally end the war in the woods that's been raging in the Elaho for years,"
Joe Foy, WCWC Director
Sea to Sky Plan on Whistler's doorstep
Right on the doorstep of Whistler and Pemberton are the Callaghan, Upper Soo, Meager, Boulder and Salal valleys. The sad truth is that, with every passing year, the wilderness shrinks back and the clearcuts expand here. It s time for Whistler and Pemberton to join with First Nation communities in pushing for more wilderness preservation in their Coast Mountain front yard so when the world comes in 2010 for the Whistler Winter World Olympics, there will be some awesome wild forests left nearby for all to visit, treasure and enjoy! Visit the website of Whistler's local conservation group, the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE), and see what they are doing to preserve their local wild country www.awarewhistler.org
In January 2001 the provincial government kicked off the Sea to Sky Land Use Planning Process, which includes the valleys of Elaho, Sims, Callaghan, Soo, Meager, Salal and Boulder. This is where Whistler and Pemberton need to make their voices for wilderness heard! Check it out and give your comments at ....www.luco.gov bc.ca
Real Hope For Stoltmann Wilderness is YOU!
At the end of the day, the difference between just another clearcut landscape in the Stoltmann and everlasting pristine wilderness for future generations to enjoy and learn from - is YOU and your commitment to help turn the dream into wild reality. Join the campaign to preserve the Stoltmann Wilder- ness - valley by valley! Find out more on the Wilderness Committee website at ...www.wildernesscommittee.org
