For immediate release—October 22, 2008

BC Government-Approved Logging Discovered At Rare Spotted Owl Site

Protest Camp Set Up On Lillooet Lake Road Near Fire Mountain To Call For Ban On Old Growth Logging

Vancouver, BC – The Wilderness Committee set up a protest camp last weekend 67 km southeast of Pemberton, BC to document and compile information on BC government-approved logging road construction and planned clearcutting within an area of forest on Fire Mountain set aside for the protection of the spotted owl. The Fire Mountain spotted owls status is currently unknown, although it may have been captured for an ill-conceived BC government sponsored "spotted owl captive breeding program". The road building and approved clearcuts are located within the Fire Mountain "Special Resource Management Zone" (SRMZ), established to provide habitat for the spotted owl, the most endangered animal in Canada. To date, 2.2 kilometres of new road has been constructed to access 3 planned clearcuts in the Fire Mountain spotted owls old growth home.

At the protest camp, open from October 17-19, and October 25-26, the Wilderness Committee is collecting data, photographs, and b-roll film of the road building and pre-logging operation on Fire Mountain, and interviews with local native and non-native residents. This information will be posted on the Wilderness Committee website and will be relayed to Federal Environment Minister John Baird in anticipation of Federal intervention to stop ongoing provincial government-sanctioned logging of spotted owl habitat. In 2006, the BC government averted a lawsuit launched by the Wilderness Committee and Ecojustice by promising to protect key spotted owl sites like that at Fire Mountain.

The multi-generation protest camp, consisting of a handful of youth and elder protesters with banners, a kiosk tent, and tables with information, is located @ kilometre 56 of the Lillooet Lake gravel road, at Gowan Creek, directly below the Fire Mountain spotted owl site. Andy Miller, former member of the BC government Spotted Owl Recovery Team, and Wilderness Committee Staff Scientist said "hundreds of local natives and recreationists waved and gave us thumbs up as they passed. Many natives who stopped to talk shared their pine mushroom crop and told stories of previous logging protests. The very first car to pull up contained four generations of female band members from an adjacent reserve of the in-SHUCK-ch Nation who recounted tales of their past logging protests and subsequent arrests. We certainly felt welcomed in in-SHUCK-ch Territory" said Miller.

The Wilderness Committee is demanding permanent protection for all remaining old growth forests within the range of the spotted owl in the Lower Mainland, and protection of the remaining old-growth forests on Vancouver Island.

A giant rally of over 1000 concerned citizens will occur at the BC Legislature in Victoria on Saturday October 25th at 12 noon to call for an end to old-growth logging on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland of BC.

For more information call Ken Wu @ 250-514-9910 or Andy Miller @ 604-992-3099