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