This morning trees started coming down in a protected spotted owl Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) near Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park. The logging, by the company Tamihi, is underway today because a cutting permit was issued yesterday by the BC Government.
 

This is unacceptable, and we need your help to stop it.

There are now believed to be less than 10 spotted owls living in the wild in BC – the only place in which they are found in Canada, making them one of most endangered species in the country.

Both the BC and federal governments have pledged to bring the Canadian population of spotted owls back from the brink of elimination. Today’s events are a betrayal of those promises.

The cutblocks where Tamihi Logging has begun operations were designated as WHA less than a year ago, in March 2011. These WHAs are the key to a long range plan to bring back the owls from the brink through a program of captive breeding and reintroduction. Of course without protected old-growth forest to reintroduce the owls into this plan is not going to be a success.

BC is one of the last jurisdictions in North America without an endangered species law. If we had species legislation that was based on sound science and protecting the habitat of endangered species, we would never allow the logging of the habitat of a species like the spotted owl.

Fortunately it is not too late to stop the destruction of this important habitat. Local residents and supporters have established a vigil directly adjacent to the site of the cutblocks, in order to observe and protest the logging.

To date Tamihi has only been issued cut permits for three of the 13 cutblocks that they are seeking in the Chilliwack Lake WHA.

We need to let Premier Christy Clark and Minister of Forests Steve Thomson know that we want to see the spotted owl and its habitat protected. Please go to our website and use the letter writing tool to take action.

For the wild,

Gwen Barlee | Policy Director
Wilderness Committee