For Immediate Release ö Thursday, June 21, 2001
Wilderness Committee Applaudes Squamish Nation's Land Use Plan
Implementation of the Squamish Nation's vision could end Elaho Valley "war in the woods" says WCWC
Vancouver, British Columbia - Western Canada Wilderness Committee (WCWC), Canada's largest membership-based wilderness preservation organization, has given its support to a draft land-use plan which was released by the Squamish Nation on Tuesday, June 19, 2001.
The land-use plan covers Squamish Nation Territory - an area located in the Southwest corner of BC that is roughly comprised of the watersheds of Burrard Inlet, Howe Sound and the Squamish River system. Within Squamish Nation Territory are some of the hottest of BC's environmental land use conflict zones, including the oldgrowth forests of the Elaho Valley - the site of several environmental protests and a violent attack on protesters by loggers. Here, great grandmother Betty Krawczyk was sentenced to one year in jail for contempt of court for her peaceful civil disobedient efforts to protect the area's ancient rainforest with its thousand-year-old trees.
"We've spent several days pouring over the Squamish Nation's draft plan and we've come to the conclusion that, while this plan does not go as far as we would have liked in the area of wilderness protection, it is a workable compromise between forestry and wilderness preservation and we've given it our full support," said WCWC Campaign Director Joe Foy.
The draft land use plan calls for the establishment of four "Wild Spirit Places" covering 8.5% of their traditional territory. These areas would be off-limits to industrial logging or other commercial developments and would be managed by the Squamish Nation. The four are: the Upper Elaho Valley, Sims Valley, Middle West Side of the Squamish River, and the Upper Callaghan Valley.
In addition, the complex, well-thought-out Squamish Plan includes three other zones. The largest is the "Forest Stewardship Zone" in which logging is to be carried out in an ecologically sound way under some form of co-management with the current logging industry. Within this are "Restoration Zones" where a lot of logging and industrial development has already occurred and where the natural and cultural values need to be restored. Also within the Stewardship Zone are "Sensitive Zones" where relatively large amounts of oldgrowth forest still remain and where care must be taken to ensure that the wildlife and cultural values are not compromised as further development occurs.
"It's the most comprehensive land use plan we've seen for the forests and mountains of this region. We need this kind of First Nations' land use planning throughout all of BC, " commented Foy.
The Wilderness Committee intends to take advantage of the offer extended by the Squamish Nation to all stakeholders to comment and provide input into the final version of the Plan. "We are very pleased to be given this opportunity to provide our input and we will be submitting suggestions for possible improvements and refinement including possible additional wilderness protection in the area," said Foy.
"If the Squamish Nation's vision for the future management of their lands, becomes a reality, then I think it is safe to say that the 'war in the woods' in this area would be over," concluded Foy.
The Squamish Nation Land use plan can be viewed on the Squamish Nation web site www.squamish.net.
For more information contact:
Joe Foy at 604-683-8220 or by Cell 880-2580