The Wilderness Committee currently works together with the St’at’imc and the Tsilhqot’in Nation on protection of wilderness and strengthening of native practices and culture in the Cayoosh, Bendor, and South Chilcotin mountain ranges.
The Lands of the St’at’imc and Tsilhqot’in Nations offer great variety in natural scenery and ecology, and some of the most rugged and dramatic wilderness areas in southwestern BC can be found here.
In 2001 much of the South Chilcotins Mountains were protected in a provincial park.
The Bendor and Cayoosh mountains have amazing flower-filled alpine meadows, extensive old-growth forests, cascading wild rivers and spectacular peaks.
Both the Bendor and Cayoosh mountains have a rich legacy of ancient St'át'imc travel trails and archaeological sites.
Hiking through these ranges is like taking a step back in time when trade routes wound through forests and alpine passes to link the tribes to one another. These mountains straddle the transition zone between the coast and the interior, which means they have pockets of both types of habitat. Unfortunately both ranges are under threat from proposed industrial developments including logging and a proposed ski resort.
These important wild areas deserve protection. It's time that the BC government honour the St'át'imc landuse plan by legally designating the two proposed tribal parks encompassing the Bendor and Cayoosh mountains.
Proposed Cayoosh and Bendor Tribal Parks Map
View Proposed Cayoosh & Bendor Tribal Parks in a larger map
