2001 - Siwash Creek has been mostly logged out of oldgrowth forest. Never-the-less, the Wilderness Committee, represented by lawyers from the Sierra Legal Defence Fund had to go to court to defend the small ribbon of oldgrowth forest seen in this photo. Siwash Creek Valley is accessed from the Fraser Canyon highway, between Yale and Boston Bar, BC.Our court injunction was successful in protecting this peice of habitat, where a spotted owl was living.
2001 - While on a field trip to check out the spotted owl habitat in Siwash Creek Valley, Gwen Barlee - Wilderness Committee Endangered Species Campaign Director, and John Werring, Sierra Legal Defence Fund researcher, came upon the spotted owl residing there.
In June of 2002 we got word that International Forest Products was preparing to construct a logging road through the western portion of Manning Park to log some spotted owl habitat just beyond the park. Sure enough, we found the ribbons marking their proposed road right of way.
The Wilderness Committee set up a protest camp at the West Gate of Manning Park. There we did media interviews using our satalite phone, we hung banners and signs and we collected names on a petition. After three weeks the BC government and International Forest Products announced they would no longer be building a logging road to access spotted owl habitat. As of 2009 the road was never built and the habitat never logged.
2003 - Wilderness Committee Campaign Director Joe Foy explains why the environment group has gone to court in an attempt to protect spotted owl habitat in the Anderson Creek Valley. The Wilderness Committee was reprented in court by lawyers from the Sierra Legal Defance Fund. The court challange was unsuccessful, but in 2006 the BC government, under pressure from the federal government did move to protect the habitat area in Anderson Creek Valley, by designating it a Wildlife Habitat Area and off-limits to logging.
2003 - Logged spotted owl habitat in the Manning Park "donuthole" - an area bounded on all sides by Manning and Skagit Provincial Parks, but not afforded protection from logging. This clearcut is within a designated British Columbia Spotted Owl Management Area, and a short distance from a pair of spotted owls.
2003 - From near this simple camp near Elk Creek, Chilliwack BC, Andy Miller - Wilderness Committee staff scientist was able to call in a spotted owl.
June, 2003 - We got word that an area of spotted owl habitat had been recently logged, near Lillooet BC. This area is in St at imc Territory.
In 2003 the Wilderness Committee teamed up with the Forest Action Network to bring attention to the flow of spotted owl habitat as raw logs and lumber to China. We called for countries such as China to stop purchasing endangered species habitat from BC.
Victoria Day Weekend, 2004 - The Wilderness Committee held a camp-out in the Manning Park "donut hole" to show people an area of spotted owl habitat recently logged in an area completly surrounded by park land.
Being around like-minded individuals who are willing to volunteer their time for an organization that, year after year, achieves incredible results is not only fun, but also a great opportunity to learn and grow!
