Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) would like to thank our First Nation friends, scientific researchers, and members of the public for assisting us in the following forest protection campaign wins:
#1: Protection of the Dakota Ridge Ancient Forest (2012)
Dakota Ridge Ancient Forest is unique for its mix of old, old-Red and Yellow-Cedars and its Culturally-Modified Trees (CMT) – bark-harvesting by the shíshálh peoples. The two proposed cutlocks, 17 hectares in total size, are located on either side of the gate just before entering the Dakota Ridge Recreation Area.
Logging in this BC Timber Sales cutblock was stopped, thanks to ELF and shíshálh elders. It is now protected as an Old Growth Management Area (OGMA).
#2: Protection of the Roberts Creek Headwaters Ancient Forest (2013)
BC Timber Sales proposed block stopped from logging. Now protected as an Old Growth Management Area (OGMA)
Roberts Creek Headwaters Forest is unique for its high-density of Pacific Yew trees growing in association with ancient Yellow-cedars on the back slope of the Elphinstone ridge. On the lower side, Culturally Modified Trees (CMTs) are protected as archaeological sites.
BC Timber Sales proposed block stopped from logging by ELF. Now protected as an Old Growth Management Area (OGMA)
#3: Protection of the Heart of the Park (2015)
ELF prevented logging of The Heart of the Park adjacent to the Mt. Elphinstone Provincial Park and this was set aside as an Old Growth Management Area.
Many Veteran Overstorey Trees (VOT) dominate this site located east of Stephens Creek. If this logging had proceeded, the Mt. Elphinstone Park #1 would have been subject to blowdown on its eastern edge.
#4: Protection of the Dakota Bear Sanctuary
The Dakota Bear Sanctuary was protected from logging and road building in 2021 after a 10- year battle against BC Timber Sales. Thank you to Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) First Nation members who felt their ancestors here and contacted their representatives.
Bear biologist Wayne McCrory, RPBio conducted bear den surveys across this large area and his reports were submitted to many government levels. Now protected as a 450-hectare Old-Growth Management Area and habitat for the endangered Marbled Murrelet.
Partial Victories:
#1: The Clack Creek Heart Forest (2019)
BC Timber Sales was going to log two large blocks in the proposed Mt. Elphinstone Park expansion area, but ended up carving out four smaller blocks. The best examples of Mature Douglas-fir were placed into reserves. Several years before this, ELF received a successful recommendation from the Forest Practices Board that BCTS wasn’t doing enough to protect Mature Forest conditions that support endangered plant communities. BCTS partially listened by keeping approximately 15 hectares of these massive Douglas-firs in place with large patches of Rubus Nivalis (snow bramble), but these trees are still not yet legally protected.
#2: The Reed Rd Forest Reserve (current deferral)
BC Timber Sales has deferred selling this block of timber in District Lot 1313 for over eight years due to public pressure and ecological reporting. DL 1313 should never have been subject to BCTS planning since it’s a registered watershed reserve, but, BCTS pulled a fast one and secretly drew an operating boundary line around it in an attempt to get at the massive Mature Douglas-firs. Read: Allen Banner’s (RPBio, RPF) ecological assessment of this forest.
Mitigation:
ELF has also been successful in having cutblock boundaries pulled back to protect riparian zones and sensitive stands. For example, in 2018, Sunshine Coast Community Forest (SCCF) was going to log right up to the edge of Hudson Creek ravine, which feeds Wilson Creek – a salmon- bearing habitat. Just before cutting was to begin, ELF contacted the District Manager to complain and convinced the SCCF Planner to provide a one-tree-length buffer. In 2021, SCCF was going leave only a thin row of trees along the Locomotive Trail. ELF complained and convinced the planner to provide a two-tree-length buffer. In 2017, Island Timberlands was going to log right up to the edge of Crown land on their private property near the Elphinstone Park expansion area. This was adjacent to a wonderful Sitka Spruce stand of over 100 trees. ELF showed the IT Forester the Sita stand and he agreed to pull back the boundary to create a very important wind-firm buffer.
This page will be updated as ELF confirms news of other areas removed from logging plans.