Great Bear Rainforest

Coordinates: 53°0′0″N 128°0′0″W / 53.00000°N 128.00000°W / 53.00000; -128.00000
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Great Bear Rainforest
Lowland forests of Kitlope Heritage Conservancy
Map
Map showing the location of Great Bear Rainforest
Map showing the location of Great Bear Rainforest
Geography
LocationBritish Columbia, Canada
Coordinates53°0′0″N 128°0′0″W / 53.00000°N 128.00000°W / 53.00000; -128.00000[1]
Area64,000 km2 (25,000 sq mi)
Administration
Established19 May 2016
Ecology
Ecosystem(s)British Columbia mainland coastal forests

The Great Bear Rainforest

temperate rain forest on the Pacific coast of British Columbia, comprising 6.4 million hectares.[4] It is part of the larger Pacific temperate rainforest ecoregion, which is the largest coastal temperate rainforest in the world.[3][5]

The Great Bear Rainforest was officially recognized by the

Queen's Commonwealth Canopy
in September of the same year.

Geography

Map of the Great Bear Rainforest

The size of the Great Bear Rainforest, also called the North and Central Coast land use planning area or the Central and North Coast LRMP area, is roughly 32,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi).[8] As part of the 2006 North and Central Coast Land Use Decision three new land use zones were created: Protected Areas; Biodiversity, Mining, and Tourism Areas (BMTAs); and Ecosystem-based Management Operating Areas (EBMs). As of 2009, approximately 16,000 km2 (6,200 sq mi) of the region has been designated as protected areas (in a form called conservancies[9]), and 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi) as BMTAs. Commercial timber harvesting and commercial hydro-electric power projects are prohibited within BMTAs.[10][11]

The Great Bear Rainforest extends from the

Hagensborg. The southern end of the region includes Knight Inlet and Bute Inlet.[12][13]

Ecology

The Great Bear Rainforest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unspoiled temperate rainforest left in the world.

wolves, salmon, grizzly bears, and the Kermode ("spirit") bear, a unique subspecies of the black bear, in which one in ten cubs displays a recessive
white coloured coat.

The forest features 1,000-year-old western red cedar and 90-metre tall Sitka Spruce.[15]

Coastal temperate rainforests are characterized by their proximity to both ocean and mountains. Abundant rainfall results when the atmospheric flow of moist air off the ocean collides with mountain ranges. Much of the Pacific coastline of North America shares this climate pattern, including portions of Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Northern California.

History

Campaign for Protection

The temperate rainforests of the Central and North Coast of mainland BC were largely unknown to conservationists as late as the 1980’s. Then Peter McAllister, an ex-chair of the Sierra Club of Western Canada, (A 70) a veteran forest campaigner (1) (2) and early advocate for boycotts against the timber industry (A 72-73), (12) (13) (14) (15) (19) (22) chartered a two-masted ship, the North Star of Herschel Island (34) (A148) (6) and sailed north from Victoria in the summer of 1990 with a crew of environmentalists. Their mission was to begin exploring, researching and bringing recognition to the ecological and cultural values of a significant expanse of the earth’s temperate rainforest. They alone conducted the campaign to bring protection to the Great Bear Rainforest until 1996 when many of the environmental organizations involved in the struggle to save Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver Island began to join the campaign. (151) (30)

The first order of business on every voyage was to offer support to the coastal First Nations in their struggle to take back their traditional territory from the timber industry. (A) (59)The inaugural expedition led immediately to the protection of the threatened Koeye River watershed, one of the most culturally cherished river systems on the Central Coast. (A 148-149) (9) (7A). (“Watershed: Canada’s Threatened Rainforest.”) (A 151) (37) (A 151)

The expedition voyages took on board an international array of journalists, filmmakers, photographers, scientists and conservationists. (86) (61) (A148) Commencing with the third expedition in 1993, Peter’s family including Ian McAllister, Karen McAllister,and Bernadette Mertens McAllister became valuable team members. Mike Humphries, a WWII fighter pilot flew aerial reconnaissance, enhancing the documentation of remote logging operations while offering a birds eye view of a landscape as large as Ireland. (68A) (145) (A150) (69) (photos) (“Raincoast: North Among the Fiords”) In 1994 evidence of a grizzly bear slaughter precipitated an expose of the threatened bear population. (111)

Stories of these first years of the campaign were presented in slide shows in Western North America and Europe while those on board spread the word in newspapers, articles, journals and magazines. (53) (55) (107) (103) (104) (39) Articles and film documentaries brought international condemnation and the cancellation of contracts with pulp and paper producers. In 1994 Sierra, the magazine of the Sierra Club with a circulation 500,000 went public with the headlines “Magazine wants no part of B.C. pulp” (55), (“Battle for the Trees”) (A72) (A151) (53) (55) Excerpts from an award winning film festival documentary depicting massive clearcutting were picked up by Turner Broadcasting (CNN) and PBS. (150) (“Legacy: Killing a Temperate Rainforest”) Jup Weber, a European Parliamentarian, and an outspoken critic of the province’s logging practices, (72) (47) (24)(42) invited Peter McAllister to Strasbourg to present evidence of the relentless over-cutting of the coastal temperate rainforest to counter decades of denials by the provincial government and the timber industry. (A172) (98) (43) (44) (44A) (108)

Evolution of the name “Great Bear Rainforest”. First it was publicized as the Hidden Coast” and the “Raincoast.” In 1993 the flagship organization representing their campaign was registered as the “Raincoast Conservation Society.” (52) (75A) (A151) Expeditions became known as “Raincoast Expeditions.”(9) (93) (94) In 1993 after the third expedition Peter McAllister came up with the first use of the “Great Bear” name in honour of the coastal grizzlies that held dominion over the unlogged salmon rivers. “Great Bear Wilderness” made its appearance in a 1994 Raincoast Conservation Society publication. (68) (A148) In 1996 Ian McAllister added “Rainforest” to the “Great Bear” name when the Raincoast Conservation Society met with Rainforest Action Network in San Francisco to develop their international market campaign strategy. As Maureen Gail Reed writes, "the emotive significance of such a name cannot be underestimated".[16]

Subsequently Raincoast’s aerial reconnaissance photography was used to convince major home building suppliers to threaten logging companies invading Heiltsuk territory with boycotts.. This action was a catalyst forcing the provincial government and the timber industry to come to the table for the beginning of a long process of negotiations involving the protection of the Great Bear Rainforest.(Footnotes) (131) (A148) (111) (156)

A Kermode bear from the Great Bear Rainforest

In May 2004, after years of conflict and negotiation, the various stakeholders agreed to recommend the BC government that about 3,500,000 acres (14,000 km2), about 33% of the Great Bear Rainforest, be put under some form of protection, and that new forms of ecosystem-based forestry be required throughout the rainforest. This fell short of the scientific recommendations, which had concluded that 44%–70% should be protected. The recommendation given to the BC government was a compromise solution agreed to by the many stakeholders after years of difficult negotiations.

International Forest Products, Western Forest Products; and many others.[18]

On 7 February 2006 a comprehensive protection package was announced for the Great Bear Rainforest, which was defined to include the central and north coasts of BC and Haida Gwaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands). The Great Bear Rainforest Agreement included four key elements: rainforest protection, improved logging practices, the involvement of First Nations in decision making, and conservation financing to enable economic diversification. The final agreement banned logging in 33% of the Great Bear Rainforest and made a commitment to implement ecosystem-based forestry management for the entire Great Bear Rainforest by 2009.[17]

The 2006 agreement between the BC government and a wide coalition of

hunters, and First Nations established a series of conservancies stretching 400 kilometres (250 mi) along the coast.[19] The proposed protected areas will contain 18,000 square kilometres (6,900 sq mi), and another 46,900 square kilometres (18,100 sq mi) that is to be run under a management plan that is expected to ensure sustainable forest management.[19]

The Canadian government announced on 21 January 2007 that it will spend CA$30 million for protection of this rainforest. This matches a pledge made previously by the British Columbia provincial government, as well as private donations of $60 million, making the total funding for the new reserve $120 million.[20]

In the autumn of 2008,

Gordon Campbell, then Premier of British Columbia, to honour the Great Bear Rainforest agreement in its entirety. The groups were concerned certain aspects of the agreement, including implementation of ecosystem-based management (EBM), would not materialize in time for the government's own final implementation deadline of March 31, 2009.[21]

Government recognition and protection

Coast Mountains along Grenville Channel

aboriginal rights to shared decision-making and provides a greater economic share of timber rights and $15-million in funding to 26 First Nations in the area.[6][22][23]

The Great Bear Rainforest (Forest Management) Act was introduced by cabinet on March 1, 2016.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, visited and unveiled a plaque in the forest acknowledging its admission into The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy.[25]

Fuel Spill

On 13 October 2016, a tugboat hauling an empty tanker barge ran aground on a reef just off the coast of Athlone Island in Seaforth Channel (52°08′29″N 128°11′53″W / 52.141334°N 128.198055°W / 52.141334; -128.198055 (Fuel spill near Athlone Island, BC)). The reef was located in the traditional territorial waters of the Heiltsuk First Nation and within the larger Great Bear Rainforest. The tug leaked over 100,000 litres of diesel fuel and sank into the channel. By 26 October, the fuel tanks of the tug were emptied and about 101,131 litres of oily water was recovered.[26][27] The fuel spill was the last major incident to occur in the region since BC Ferries' Queen of the North ran aground and sank off the coast of Gill Island on 21 March 2006.[28]

Public outcry over the incident coupled with increased interest in preserving the ecological integrity of the rainforest helped to spur the passage of the

North Coast of British Columbia.[29][30]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Great Bear Rainforest". BC Geographical Names.
  2. ^ "Great Bear Rainforest". British Columbia Integrated Land Management Bureau. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Great Bear Rainforest (formerly Coast Land Use Decision Implementation)". British Columbia Integrated Land Management Bureau. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  4. ^ "Legislation supports innovative forest management in Great Bear Rainforest". Government of British Columbia. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  5. ^ Hunter, Justine (2019-03-25). "Final agreement reached to protect B.C.'s Great Bear Rainforest - The Globe and Mail". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2019-03-25. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  6. ^ a b c Hunter, Justine (1 February 2016). "Final agreement reached to protect B.C.'s Great Bear Rainforest". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  7. ^ a b Morrow, Fiona (1 February 2016). "Great Bear Rainforest agreement creates 'a gift to the world'". CBC News. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  8. ^ "Harbour Publishing - The Great Bear Rainforest". www.harbourpublishing.com. Archived from the original on 2006-01-28.
  9. ^ "Conservancies". BC Parks. Archived from the original on 2010-03-23. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  10. ^ "EBM Protects Coastal Jobs, Culture and Environment" (PDF). BC Integrated Land Management Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  11. ^ "Central and North Coast EBM Implementation - Biodiversity, Mining and Tourism Areas". British Columbia Ministry of Natural Resource Operations. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  12. ^ "Map of Conservancies and Biodiversity Mining and Tourism Areas" (PDF). BC Integrated Land Management Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  13. ^ "Map of Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) boundary" (PDF). BC Integrated Land Management Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  14. ^ "Great Bear Rainforest". Living Oceans Society. June 8, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  15. ^ "Great Bear Rainforest". Greenpeace. July 10, 2003. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
  16. ISBN 978-0-7748-1018-0
    . Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  17. ^
    ISBN 978-1-59030-466-2
    . Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  18. ^ "Province announces a new vision for coastal B.C." British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. Archived from the original on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  19. ^ a b Struck, Doug (2006-02-07). "Huge Canadian Park Is Born of Compromise". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2008-10-21. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
  20. ^ "Canada acts to protect rainforest". BBC News Online. January 22, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
  21. ^ "Environmentalist turns to online campaign to protect B.C. forest". CBC News. November 28, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  22. ^ "Coast Land Use Decision Implementation". BC Strategic Land and Resource Planning. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  23. ^ "Proposed 2015 Great Bear Rainforest Order and Potential Biodiversity, Mining and Tourism Areas / Conservancy Designations". BC Strategic Land and Resource Planning. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  24. ^ "B.C. legislation to halt logging in much of Great Bear Rainforest". The Globe and Mail. March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  25. ^ "Royals endorse Great Bear Rainforest as part of Queen's Commonwealth Canopy". CBC. September 26, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  26. ^ "Bella Bella". Western Canada Marine Response Corporation. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  27. ^ Lindsay, Bethany (October 14, 2016). "Diesel fears after tug and petroleum barge run aground near Bella Bella". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  28. ^ "Queen of the North". Western Canada Marine Response Corporation. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  29. ^ Zada, John (November 16, 2016). "Canadian First Nation cleans up latest fuel spill mess: Fuel spill in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest adds to pressure to cut fuel transport lines on Pacific Coast". British Columbia: Al Jazeera. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  30. ^ "Oil tanker moratorium on British Columbia's north coast". tc.canada.ca. 2019-06-21. Retrieved 2020-10-06.

Further reading

External links

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