Murrelet Mountain TSITIKA - TA 1375
- jengroundwater
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
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.