A Vision for the future
moving the wild spirit forward
In 1863 the Pioneer Sawmill was constructed on the North shore of Burrard Inlet, heralding the coming of industrial forestry to the old growth forests of Squamish Nation territory. Soon there were several lumber mills operating and new communities were taking shape around them. Several decades later, one of these lumber camps had transformed into the city of Vancouver.
Even though people knew that they owed the existence of the new communities to the lumber industry, they still supported forest conservation. In the early part of the twentieth century Vancouver City Council banned logging in the valleys that Vancouver got its water from in order to protect the water quality.
Several new provincial parks were designated by the provincial government, where logging was also banned, to conserve wildlife and outdoor recreation. But as the years and decades flew by more and more of the oldgrowth forests of Squamish Nation territory were cut down and replaced by tree plantations. Then, in 2001 the Squamish Nation completed Xay Temíxw (Sacred Land) - The Squamish Nation Forest and Wilderness Land Use Plan.
The land use plan was presented to the Provincial Government and stakeholders from throughout the Sea-to-Sky Corridor at a celebratory feast at the Squamish Nation Totem Hall where all people were welcomed to honour the enormous achievement the plan represented. It had taken years of community consultation and technical land use planning, but for the first time a comprehensive vision had been assembled by Squamish Nation people for the management of lands in the Sea-to-Sky corridor and throughout Squamish Nation traditional territory.
For the first time a document had been created by the Squamish Nation which identified how development should proceed. Most importantly the plan located the last remaining pristine wilderness areas in Squamish Nation traditional territory and specified how they should be managed for the future. These areas were designated Wild Spirit Places — places where the strength and beauty of nature still thrive. Places which celebrate the animal and plant kingdoms on behalf of all people for all time.
Unfortunately, four years later the provincial government has only now begun to open discussions on how legislation can be used to protect these Wild Sprit Places. The Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management recently opened a negotiation with the Squamish Nation through the Land and Resource Management Planning process in order to develop a method of protection for these areas. While this is a step in the right direction, the wheels of bureaucracy are moving too slowly to ensure that legislation for these areas will be in place before the 2010 Winter Olympics.
At this crucial time the Squamish Nation asks all British Columbians, and citizens from other areas too, to contact their elected representatives and encourage them to see to it that negotiations with the provincial government about the Wild Spirit Places move forward in a good way. Please let the Premier of BC know today how strongly you feel about protecting the Wild Spirit Places (contact information below).
