Alternatives to logging Clayoquot Sound explored

Plans to log the last pristine old growth forests of Vancouver Island's Clayoquot Sound have been shelved for the time being while First Nations and environmental groups consult on alternative economic opportunities. The forests at issue are designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Representatives from five environmental organizations and five Central Region First Nations met on Aug. 8 in Clayoquot Sound to discuss the controversy that arose when the British Columbia government and Clayoquot Sound First Nations announced on July 27 that they planned to allow logging in watersheds that environmental groups fought for more than 15 years to protect. At the meeting, the parties agreed to pursue the full consultation and accommodation of aboriginal title and rights of the Central Region First Nations, create economic alternatives for the area and at the same time ensure the ecological and cultural integrity of Clayoquot Sound. "We will accept nothing less than legislation that gives our Hawiih [chiefs] decision-making power over our territory and we are pleased to be working together with the environmental community to give expression to our shared values," said Chief Councillor Joe Tom. The parties agreed to re-establish and re-invigorate a working group that will strengthen and renew the existing agreement between the environmental groups, the Central Region Chiefs and Iisaak Forest Resources to advance economic and ecological prosperity. Iisaak is a First Nations-led forest services company operating exclusively within Clayoquot Sound that says it "prides itself on using traditional values and showing respect for the environment." At the meeting, the parties pledged to review the science in a local, regional and international context, and work together to increase the influence of the Central Region Chiefs over their entire territory and their capacity to address land use and forestry throughout Clayoquot Sound. The July 27 announcement shocked and galvanized environmental groups to once again protect these old growth forests. Clayoquot Sound became a battleground in the 1990s when a government decision to allow logging in the island rainforest was opposed by environmental groups. More than 10,000 people stood in logging blockades and nearly 900 people were arrested before a 1999 Memorandum of Understanding was signed by environmental groups, First Nations and the logging company McMillan Bloedel. In 2000, Clayoquot Sound was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in recognition of its global, cultural, and ecological importance and uniqueness. The Biosphere designation, however, is symbolic and did not bring any new protected areas or environmental regulations. Friends of Clayoquot Sound says: "The designation, or the word 'reserve' specifically, seems to imply that all of Clayoquot Sound's ecosystems have been protected, which has led to widespread belief that logging and fish farming no longer occur in Clayoquot Sound. In reality this is far from being true." In fact, three-quarters of the productive old growth forest in Clayoquot Sound is open to logging. Only one-quarter of productive forest has been set aside in parks, which the Friends of Clayoquot Sound, an environmental group, says are "too small to offer meaningful protection."