December 20, 2011. By Joe Foy - Wilderness Committee National Campaign Director

I have just returned from a visit to a beautiful grove of old trees located near Chilliwack Lake. I was there to help guide Member of Parliament Peter Julian to a forest that had been protected spotted owl habitat, but is now slated for logging thanks to a recent BC government directive.

After hiking through the big trees I began to feel something  that I hadn't felt in a while... hope.

Maybe with the attention that Peter was helping to bring to this endangered forest (Global TV environment reporter Linda Aylsworth was there along with several reporters from Chilliwack news outlets) maybe - just maybe - we could build up enough public pressure to have the logging plans at Chilliwack Lake cancelled.

A crowd of local people turned up for the tour too. As an environmentalist I am not always welcomed when I come into an area to help protect it from logging. But the people who live next to this forest very much want it to be protected too. It was a great winter day, hiking through the mossy forest with a whole group of friends. That hopeful feeling helped to keep me warm in the winter mountian breeze.

It turns out that Peter spent a good part of his childhood summers in a cabin that his family owned right across from the endangered forest. I am looking forward to working with Peter and other conservation groups like Ecojustice as we work for the protection of this forest and all spotted owl habitat. It won't be easy. Premier Christy Clark's government has already given permission for 13 cutblocks to be logged in this forest. Trees could begin to fall this spring. But now at least there is hope we can stop the logging if we work together...

Back at home now sipping a hot chocolate. All in all - a good day as we head into the holiday season...