Call to Action: Prince of Wales Range near Sayward

SOFT-CV recently received this note and photos from a forest advocate (slightly edited here). Please get in touch with us if you're interested in working on this worthwhile and nearby initiative!!

I am relatively new to Campbell River, and as I have explored the backcountry more, I have seen firsthand how dire the situation around old-growth logging here is. I am highly motivated to help in any way that I can, but of course this isn't an easy task for an individual to take on, so I thought I would reach out to your group about an initiative that I have in mind. The old growth on the mid-north island is being ravaged from all sides - I understand that it is very difficult to prioritize certain areas over others for protection, so most local old-growth protection groups are tackling "the big picture" while our last remaining ancient trees continue to fall. I would like to bring the Prince of Wales range to your attention. This range is located just east of Sayward. I believe this area deserves special attention and priority for the following reasons:

• They are targeting high-elevation old-growth in the Prince of Wales range specifically. Forests at this elevation are slow growing and there is a very strong argument to be made that they are irreplaceable. These forests also contain some of the oldest and biggest remaining yellow cedars in the province, with an estimated age of 1500-2000 years.

  
  

• As we saw with the loss of the Black Creek yellow cedar near Gold River, logging companies are not to be trusted to follow the big tree protection regulations.

  
  

• The Prince of Wales range is of extremely high recreational value. A hidden gem of the island, it offers some of the most spectacular views available from summits on the island, along with a range of hikes of various difficulty - perfect for beginners and mountaineering experts alike. There is a strong argument that cutblocks will destroy the recreational value - not just because this will ruin the views, but also because the purpose of a hike - a challenge - is defeated when a road is cut nearly all the way to the summit.

  
  

• The extent that they are destroying this range is sure to garner worldwide attention, if the information is shared properly. I am not aware of any other mountain range on the island (or frankly, the world) that is currently being targeted so heavily. This makes it a good candidate for a targeted campaign to protect it.

  
  

• The famous Kusam Klimb race utilizes this range. Those involved with the race care deeply for it, including those living in Sayward. Local support can go a long way here, which is fairly rare in the area. I am not sure about First Nation support, though - the logging company that is currently striking is half-owned by an indigenous logging company.

  
  

• The proximity to a city (Campbell River) further adds value to this range. As the city grows, the residents will need access to backcountry activities (a large draw of the area). There is very, very little protected area here and this is a great candidate for a new protected recreational area.

  
  

This person shared these photos with us, and says: I encourage viewing the extent of the cutblocks on Google Earth for some perspective, keeping in mind this data is outdated and the cuts are more severe than shown. Almost all of the remaining old growth that you see is approved or proposed to be logged. There is falling boundary tape on the very little remaining old growth beneath High Rigger, a road is cut into the base of Mount Roberts, the northern slope of Mount Kitchener has several proposed cutblocks in its very little remaining old growth (which also happens to be a priority deferral area), and I have heard that a road is being cut in beneath Big Tree Peak as well. There is also harvest occurring around H'Kusam Mountain, but I do not have this data - I assume it is under a woodlot license because it is not available on iMapBC. I fear they are also targeting what little old growth remains over there too. It is nothing short of a shocking, all-out attack on the Prince of Wales range.

My proposal is that all remaining old growth in this range must be protected immediately. I have not been involved in conservation before, so I am not entirely sure where to begin.

• I plan to personally comb the range as much as I can for rare plants, rare forest types, marbled murrelet, and particularly large trees in hopes this might garner some form of protection.

• We may wish to work with organizations that will help campaign to find donors to purchase the remaining old growth in this range.

• We could propose to the province that this area is worthy of becoming a provincial park or even just an OGMA.

I am willing to pull out all the stops that are reasonable, but I require guidance and support as I have never done anything like this before. I will say that I will fight for this range as much as I can, regardless of whether it feels futile or not. I hope your team may be able to join me and assist me in any way that you can - anything would be apprecia

Murrelet Mountain TSITIKA - TA 1375

This 34-hectare section of ancient and old-growth forest on Tsitika Mountain (TA 1375) on Ma’amtagila traditional homelands, is still scheduled to be logged.

To better understand the issue, read this excellent story in the Watershed Sentinel from November 2025.

Vancouver Island Forest Focus, a small but vocal group, have been advocating for the protection of this area of old growth for some time nad have launched a court case to defer logging in this area until the Ma’amtagila’s rights and title court case is decided upon. The Ma'amtagila people have stewarded this land for thousands of generations and they intend to make sure no more ancient trees are cut.

If logging proceeds, VIFF says, rare rubbing beaches in Robson Bight used by northern resident orca whales are at risk due to run-off, erosion, and landslides that will affect the Tsitika River. Logging will also threaten 400 plant and animal old-growth forest dependent species. Marbled murrelets, protected under the International Migratory Birds Act, are actively nesting and breeding in this forest.

VIFF recently received the following unsigned response from BCTS (many months after VIFF wrote to BCTS). Since this was sent in late January, it implies, at least, that the area hasn't yet been logged.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts regarding BC Timber Sales’ proposed timber sale, TA1375, in the Tsitika Landscape Unit. We recognize that many British Columbians care deeply about old growth and forest stewardship. We also appreciate that a number of the questions being raised come from a place of genuine concern for ecological and cultural values.

We have received a high volume of emails about this sale, many of them based on template messages circulating online. With the planning work for TA1375 now complete, we want to provide clear information and ensure the public has access to the facts. To support this, we are releasing a Fact Sheet, which summarizes the assessments that were undertaken and the considerations that guided our planning.

TA1375 has been part of long-standing planning efforts in the Tsitika area. BC Timber Sales has invested significant resources into the sale including engineering, field work, ecological and cultural evaluations, and road and terrain assessments. With this work now complete, the timber sale is ready to move forward for disposition. 

Several common themes have emerged in public correspondence, and we want to address them directly in a clear and respectful way.

Old Growth & Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) Priority DeferralsWhile TA1375 overlaps provincial TAP Priority Deferral polygons, it was not selected for inclusion in the Nanwakolas member Nations’ conservation network under their Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP). Through the IRMP process, BCTS and the Nations identified the areas within the Tsitika Landscape Unit that hold the highest cultural and ecological importance for long-term protection.  TAP priority Old Growth areas were introduced in November of 2021 to secure options for the protection of Old Growth in support of landscape planning initiatives such as the IRMP.  Extensive planning by the Nanwakolas nations has occurred over the last four years. The IRMP reflects the conservation and protection of values important to the Nations while also balancing their forestry and economic aspirations.  Among these values is the protection of Old Growth across a corridor network that incorporates many TAP identified areas.  TA1375 is located outside of those areas.

Commitment to Protecting Old Growth We understand the perception that any harvest in a TAP polygon may appear to conflict with high-level provincial messaging. The IRMP provides the more detailed, locally informed guidance specific to this landscape. The IRMP process ensures that decisions reflect Indigenous values, ecological priorities, biodiversity priorities and long-term sustainability at the scale where they matter most.

Ecological Considerations Professional hydrology, wildlife, terrain, and ecological assessments have been completed. This includes review of marbled murrelet habitat, watershed stability, cultural cedar, and species such as Old-growth Specklebelly Lichen. Mitigation measures have been incorporated, and the block was re-designed to avoid the areas identified as highest priority for protection.

Robson Bight & Watershed Concerns Studies indicate that sediment found at the Robson Bight rubbing beaches comes largely from coastal drift, not from activity in the Tsitika watershed. Current levels of harvested and naturally disturbed forest in the Tsitika remain low and below the levels associated with increased sediment-related risk.

Economic Context On the coast, numerous mill curtailments are in effect impacting employment and the economic well-being of forest dependent communities.  Fiber supply on the coast has dwindled to half the allowable annual cut.  The gap between the historical harvest of approximately 10 million cubic meters and the six million cubic meters projected is likely to persist.  BCTS plays an important role providing a source of logs into the market to bolster domestic fiber supply. 

Advancing TA1375 supports fiber flow to small local mills at a time when they are facing challenging market conditions and supports local employment, which is an objective of the BCTS mandate. 

Our intent in providing this information is to clearly address the most common questions and concerns raised about TA1375. The Fact Sheet summarizes the completed assessments and the considerations that informed the planning for this timber sale.

TA1375 Response Fact Sheet.pdf

Download PDF • 176KB

Click here to support VIFF's efforts to protect TA 1375

Report from the Walbran - RCMP Reckless Endangerment

Some members of SOFT-CV visited the blockade on December 11. Here is their report.

On Thursday evening we arrived early and helped clean up from the supper. Plans had already been / were being made and around 10 PM 4 or 5 groups headed off on their missions.  We did not find out about the specific missions until the next day. 

The reason for the early arrival on Thursday was  that the road by the start of McClure Lake was to be blocked on Friday morning by a cantilever set over the river by the land defenders. This was to prevent the RCMP shift change from being able to come in.  

As the elders we were simply asked to be up at 4:00AM to proceed to one of the road blocks higher up in the valley.  Here a tree sit ( 30 m up in the tree) was set up overnight with a rope across the road that caused the RCMP night crew to be blocked from coming down to meet the day crew or monitor what the defenders were up to.  We arrived at 4:30AM after the RCMP had been told that they couldn’t disturb this rope or someone’s life in the tree sit could be jeopardized. We were left there to monitor the RCMP to make sure the tree sit was not jeopardized and the RCMP could not come down to see what was being set up down in the valley.  This gave another hour for the cantilever over the river to be set up with a young woman sitting in a hammock.  

This cantilever caused a dozen RCMP cars from the day shift to turn around and meant the loggers had to walk 5 km to get their truck to go higher in the valley, which set them back by three hours. This also meant that we only had to deal with the two or three RCMP vehicles that had been there as the night crew.

The rope across the road was loose, so the RCMP eventually found a couple of logs to prop up the rope so one of their vehicles could proceed down the road. By this time the cantilever had been set up and no RCMP could pass.  We could not see the tree sit up in the tree, but in the darkness we could see their light and we talked / sang Fairy Creek songs to keep spirits up.  When the last log was placed under the rope and the RCMP truck could proceed we heard a sharp cry from our tree sitter.  We called up and she said she was OK.  We only heard afterwards, back at camp, what had happened. She indicated that the movement of the rope caused her to fall off the platform but she was also tied into the tree so she did not fall.  This made sitting / standing on a branch rather uncomfortable / shaky, so when one of the RCMP trucks went through she eventually came down.  The purpose of her tree sit was accomplished as she was there to isolate the night crew high up in the valley while the other land defenders were setting up the cantilever lower in the valley.  She was told she was under arrest, but released 30 minutes later.  Another example of RCMP catch and release to just get your name!!

After the day's action we met back at camp.  Psychological support was offered (info distributed, contacts etc) as this was a significant issue at Fairy Creek for a number of land defenders.  The success of a number of the actions was acknowledged.

How long will this continue??  Is winter coming to end the threat of logging??

There were approx 20 young land defenders and 4-5 seniors in camp.  The  two young women who put their lives on the line in the tree sit and the hammock over the river/cantilever have to be commended / admired!! These young people are putting their lives on the line for the forest / for us!!!

We need to support them with funds and go to camp to do what we can.  As elders we may not be able to climb trees or hang off cantilevers but there is a need for people to provide support / cook / clean / bring supplies.

Click on the image to support the cause (the QR code doesn't work on this page).