A group protesting logging in one of the spotted owl's last remaining habitats in Canada tried to crash the nomination meeting for Liberal Chilliwack-Hope by election candidate Laurie Throness at the Coast Hotel Saturday.

"What we wanted to do was just draw Premier Clark's attention to the fact that people are really concerned that we have logging in an area that's been set aside for the protection of the spotted owl," said Gwen Barlee, policy director for the Vancouver-based Wilderness Committee. "We weren't going to shout or heckle or anything."

The protesters-about 20 in all, with two wearing owl costumes-were turned away and told the meeting was "by invitation only."

Barlee said she would be following up with a request this week for a meeting with the premier.

The protesters are angry about a logging road being cut by Tamihi Logging in the Chilliwack River Valley (CRV) near Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park, the endangered spotted owl's sole remaining habitat in Canada. Canada's spotted owls are found exclusively in B.C., where population estimates range from 10 to 30.

Photo: Protesters gather outside the BC Liberal nomination meeting for byelection candidate Laurie Throness at the Coast Chilliwack Hotel Saturday. The group called for an end to logging in the spotted owl's Chilliwack River Valley habitat.