Help Save Walbran Valley: A Rain Forest is in Danger of Disappearing!

There is a treasure found on Vancouver Island, which every resident is incredibly proud of and will introduce and take their visitors to. This gem is known as the Walbran Valley, one of the ancient temperate rainforests found on Vancouver Island. Visitors are awed by the towering ancient, and moss coasted forests, seemingly undisturbed from today's society. Even from a scientific point of view, this temperate rainforest, produces awe, due to the richness and complexity of the region. It is known that while tropical rainforests are full of ecological diversity, North America's temperate rainforests contain nearly twice as much biomass as tropical rainforests. Walbran Valley found on Vancouver Island is one of the best examples.

Unfortunately, due to logging and the spread of urbanization that occurs on Vancouver Island, most of the temperate rainforests, along with Walbran Valley are quickly disappearing. Which is a huge injustice, and outrage, if you consider all the scientific research and possible discoveries that could occur if we could preserve the temperate rainforests? One has to wonder why the Canadian, most specifically British Columbia government is not more active with protecting old-growth trees from logging. So far, various jurisdictions such as New Zealand, and southwestern Australia, have banned old-growth logging. Why cannot Canada take after this example?

In 2004, according to http://www.wcwcvictoria.org/vipetition/ a photo analysis based on LandSat satellite images of Vancouver Island shows that:

* 73% of the original productive old-growth forests of Vancouver Island have been logged. i.e. 27% remained by 2004.
* 87% of the original productive old-growth forests on southern Vancouver Island, south of Barkley Sound/Alberni Canal, have been logged. i.e.13% remains
* 90% of the low elevation (less than 300 meters above sea level), flat (less than 17% slope) ancient forests, such as the valley bottoms, where the largest trees grow and the greatest biodiversity resides, have been logged. i.e. 10% remains
* Only 6% of Vancouver Island's productive forest lands are protected in our parks system.
* Only 1% of the original old-growth Coastal Douglas fir zone is protected.
* Less than 1% of the original very dry eastern Coastal Western Hemlock forests are protected.
* Only 2% of the original very dry western Coastal Western Hemlock forests are protected.

One has to stop and wonder how much worse the situation is now in 2007? How much has been logged up and destroyed? How many more animals have been forced to wander somewhere else due to the logging? Walbran Valley has been known to shelter certain endangered species that thrive in the temperate rainforest, such as the endangered marbled murrelet, a bird that requires old-growth rainforests and high cliffs in which to build their nests. What happens to these species as more old-growth forests keeps being logged?

Thankfully, a small section of the Walbran Valley has been preserved and turned into the Carmanah Walbran Park, where Vancouver Island residents and visitors can visit, camp in a section that does not interfere with the ancient rainforest, and small raised paths throughout certain sections of the park is available for visitors to wander on. However it is asked that visitors do not wander off the raised paths, because if that happens too often, it can affect the process of growth, destroy plants and roots of the towering ancient Douglas fir trees, western red cedar trees, and various others. Believe it or not, some of the trees are more than 1,500 years old.

Yet, we all have to agree that even if a small section of Walbran Valley has been preserved, it is not enough. If everything around the protected section gets logged off, it will without a doubt, affect the park itself, and the residents a.k.a. the animals of the temperate rainforest. If you would like to show your support, and learn more information, please do visit the website, write a letter expressing your concerns and mail the letter to Premier Gordon Campbell and to your own elected provincial representative, sign the online petition, attend rallies and events, and spread the knowledge about the situation with Walbran Valley, whenever you can!