Vol.31 No.1 Winter 2012 Published by the Wilderness Committee

FREE REPORT Bendor and Cayoosh Mountains

Tribal Park Protection Needed Now!

Beautiful Lands of the St'át'imc Joe Foy National Campaign Portage, , Samahquam, Skatin which means they have pockets of both proposed tribal parks encompassing Director, and Douglas are strategically located on types of habitat. Unfortunately both the Bendor and Cayoosh mountains. Wilderness Committee trail and canoe routes that are thousands ranges are under threat from proposed This is an important step forward of years old near some of the world's industrial developments including that needs to be taken, and one most productive wild salmon rivers.1 logging and a proposed ski resort. So that is long overdue. Read on to Within St'át'imc territory are some of far the rugged nature of the Bendor and learn how you can help gain tribal here do I go when I want my favourite protected areas, including Cayoosh mountains and the courageous park protection for the Bendor and Wto see some of the wildest, portions of Garibaldi Provincial Park, nature of the St'át'imc people have Cayoosh mountains! most beautiful landscapes in the Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage been able to fend off the worst of the world? Where do I go when I want to Park and South Chilcotin Mountains industrial projects, which is why these Learn about the experience a place and a culture where Provincial Park. areas are still so wild and beautiful. But St'át'imc people people have lived for centuries upon However, two wilderness mountain for how long? centuries? I go to St'át'imc of course! ranges located in the heart of St'át'imc The St'át'imc have produced a land- and their land Several hundred kilometres to territory that are critical to the region's use plan for the northern portion of at statimc.net the north of , BC lies the ecological and cultural well-being are their territory. The land-use plan was mountainous country of the St'át'imc not yet protected. The Bendor and developed using an ecosystem-based (pronounced Sta-at-lee-um). Cayoosh mountains have amazing planning process, relying on traditional St'át'imc communities at , flower-filled alpine meadows, extensive knowledge of the St'át'imc people and Cayoose Creek, , Fountain, old-growth forests, cascading wild rivers supported by scientific research.3 Pavilion, Mount Currie, N'Quatqua, Seton and spectacular peaks. The Bendor and Cayoosh mountains Both the Bendor and are highlighted in the St'át'imc land- Cayoosh mountains have a use plan as being very significant for rich legacy of ancient St'át'imc the protection of St'át'imc culture, as travel trails and archaeological well as for grizzly bears, old-growth sites.2 Hiking through these forests and sensitive ecosystems.4 The ranges is like taking a step two mountain ranges also harbour back in time when trade important mule deer habitat, which routes wound through forests are an essential cultural food source for and alpine passes to link the St'át'imc people. tribes to one another. These important wild areas deserve Photo top: Headwaters of the Lost Valley, Cayoosh Mountains (Jeremy Sean Williams), These mountains straddle protection. It's time that the BC Photo above: Grizzly bear (John E Marriott), the transition zone between government honour the St'át'imc land- Photo left: St’át’imc and Wilderness Committee trail finders in the headwaters of the coast and the interior, use plan by legally designating the two Melvin Creek, Cayoosh Mountains. Bendor and Cayoosh Mountains a Wilderness Wonderland! What are Tribal Parks? Bendor Tribal Park ribal parks in recognized by the provincial and/or sanctuary for marine and seashore he 69,019 hectare proposed has been working for years with about 100 km west of Lillooet near valleys. McGillivray Creek is a Twere designated for the first federal government, they are managed wildlife, as well as a protected area TBendor Tribal Park lies the St'át'imc in the the village of . Now popular access for backcountry time by First Nations in the 1980s on by the First Nation in cooperation with encompassing many ancient villages to the west of Anderson and to restore their old trails. BC Timber the battle is on to save the trees hiking as well as routes that begin Meares Island in , and the governments, who also fund the and spiritual gathering places. It has Seton lakes, and is bound on the Sales (BCTS), a taxpayer subsidized, so St'át'imc youth, hunters and on the roads leading out of the on off the northwest coast operations of the tribal park. been managed cooperatively by the north by . The money-losing BC government- food/medicine plant collectors can old mining town of up of BC.5 For example, the 110,000 hectare governments of the Haida Nation and proposed tribal park boundaries run logging company is currently continue their age old use of trails .12 Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park since 1993. encompass the eastern portion threatening to log a patch of for traditional purposes unimpeded The Bendor Range is very was declared a co-managed provincial The proposed Ha'uukmin and of the Bendor Mountain Range, scraggly telephone pole-sized by clearcuts and logging debris. important habitat for grizzly bears. protected area in 1995 after a 25 Meares Island Tribal Parks in Clayoquot which has more of the remaining Douglas fir trees along the route of In the southern Bendors, the A recent grizzly study identified 47 year-long campaign by First Nations Sound are old-growth rainforest pristine valleys than the western one of the ancient traditional trails Wilderness Committee is helping individual grizzlies within the area.13 and conservationists that sought wilderness areas and sites rich in part of the range, where there in the northern part of the Bendors. the people of N'Quatqua clear This range is an important habitat wilderness preservation and protection archaeology, where the Tla-o-qui-aht has been more industrial The trail is in a pristine and their ancient traditional trails - connector for grizzlies between of tribal heritage. The Valley First Nation practice restorative justice, development, including logging, isolated area with no road access also threatened by logging - that the South Chilcotin Mountains 8 is a very important spiritual place and cultural and spiritual training. Photo: Enjoying In-Shuck-ch Days mining and hydropower project. encompassing Upper Whitecap, travel through the D'Arcy, Phelix, Provincial Park, the Cayoosh Photo: Mouth of Nosebag Creek that runs for both Nlaka'pamux and St'át'imc In the 2000s, the BC government community celebration. The Wilderness Committee Nosebag, Tommy and Keary creeks, McGillivray and Cadwallader creeks Mountain Range and the Stein into Carpenter Lake, Bendor Mountains. people, a habitat for wild plants and brought in new legislation to better over 100 conservancies have also been Valley Heritage Park.

Although typically grounded in animals sacred to the tribes, as well incorporate tribal parks into the designated in the Great Bear Rainforest F Genetic testing has Ya la r 10 South Chilcotin a ka environmental concerns for nature, as an important ancient travel route protected areas system. Protected and on Haida Gwaii. m s revealed that grizzly Mountains Provincial Park e r

R such as protection of old-growth linking the Valley to the areas, called conservancies, specifically The newest tribal park to be Fred bear populations R i i v 6 v er Antoine e forests, endangered species and Lillooet River Valley. recognize First Nations' rights on declared by a First Nation is 90,000 r in BC’s southern Provincial Pavilion roadless wilderness, tribal parks also Another long campaign by the land and provide for economic hectares in size and straddles the C are ar Park pen te r have a dominant social, cultural and First Nations and conservationists development opportunities consistent Alberta-BC border near Fort St John. r L e becoming isolated. ake iv spiritual function. eventually resulted in the 147,000 with the protection of nature. In 2007, K'ih tsaa?dze, the proposed name of R Providing for greater B ridg e Tribal parks are typically designated hectare Gwaii Haanas National Park several of the Squamish Nation's Wild the tribal park, means "old-growth connectivity between Mt Riv k Bridge er Truax Proposed e by a First Nation within their territory. Reserve and Haida Heritage Site on Spirt Places were protected under the area" and was designated in 2011 by k e dge areas of grizzly habitat e r Bri River e C k 7 9 11 r e e When they are eventually legally Haida Gwaii. It was designated as a conservancy legislation. Since 2006, the Doig River Nation. C y is key to the bears’ r a r y e C K g Bralorne m a continued survival. m b e Big o s 97 T o Creek N Fountain It is also very British r Bendor Shalalth Provincial e p Creek v Whiteca i C Whitecap S important to respect Park R a et Columbia d Seton on Ts'yl-Os w Mtn Lillooet Clinton South Chilcotin a Mt e Provincial y ll g Portage St'át'imc culture and e a L Mountains l d McGillivray n ak Park r e a e F u r C R r Provincial Park H r a management authority 99 e e s Cache Creek e k Proposed e k a r Tribal L Cayoose R 1 n i of the lands directly Proposed Ashcroft o 99 v in rs e Creek er Lillooet e k Kamloops P a d g to the north of the t n e 0 25 km Tribal h Lil n A e n l e r ooe u Creek a t F 1 l ay C i o 99 r illivr R proposed Bendor R x G iv Parks a Mc y e M s e r 5 C e l l Cr r n r Cayoosh Downto e R a Tribal Park to maintain e i Park V

map inset ve Birkenhead Lake k t s Stein Valley r Mt.Currie o k deer and moose Pemberton L Provincial Park n L e i i l e l o r Nlaka'pamux r a C o Lytton D'Arcy t populations. This is e Heritage Park do n t h n s Whistler R Merritt e u o . N'Quatqua o o B y one of the St'át'imc’s 1 M a Samahquam Ha C yl Garibaldi Skatin m Melvi primary hunting Highways or n Cr Fraser 5 e Tribal 99 Provincial grounds. Here, poorly Douglas Canyon Main Roads C 0 5 10 km Park re ek r Duffey Squamish Coquihalla Proposed Cayoosh & Bendor Tribal Parks planned logging and ve i Pass Mt Lake R Exisiting BC Parks, Conservancies & Protected Areas r h mining developments e Marriott s s Provincial a o r St'át'imc Reserves o F y Park Park are the two main a Hope Young Forest C causes of habitat Manning Old-growth Forest Cayoosh Vancouver Chilliwack Mtn Stein Valley destruction. It’s past Provincial 99 Alpine Nlaka'pamux 1 Park time to stop destroying St'át'imc Territory Ice & Snow Joffre Lakes & Cerise Heritage Park Washington (USA) Creek Provincial Parks these traditional lands. Cayoosh Tribal Park he 54,000 hectare proposed an estimated 24 grizzly bears still will be essential if this species is ever Current threats TCayoosh Tribal Park is a diverse surviving in the region in an isolated to recover to a healthy population in to the Cayoosh mix of high alpine ridges, peaks and population.15 Hunting, logging Canada.16 Range include valley-bottom old-growth forests. It and highway construction have all Running for 20 kilometres an all-season is a St'át'imc paradise with stunning lowered the grizzly population over through the from destination resort, mountain views and hiking routes the years. Preserving the remaining north to south is Lost Valley, the which since the that go for many kilometres. wilderness here is critical to their largest unlogged drainage in the 1990s has been The proposed tribal park chances for survival and recovery proposed tribal park. For over ten proposed for boundaries encompass the north- to a higher, stable population in years the Wilderness Committee has the Melvin Creek eastern portion of the mountain the future. been working with the St'át'imc to watershed. The Photo: Along the N'Quatqua trail to Lost Valley, Cayoosh Mountains. range, which is drier and known The low-elevation old-growth restore their ancient trails through resort, if built, Photos clockwise from top left: On top of Nosebag Peak, Bendor Mountains for its open ridge walks. These forests of the Cayoosh Mountain the old-growth forests of Lost would threaten • St’át’imc trail finders crossing Hoshum mountains support an estimated Range have sheltered spotted Valley, and over the surrounding the viability of wildlife within the Valley. In the face of strong Creek, Cayoosh Mountains • Near Twin 14 Lakes, Cayoosh Mountains • Hiking the 350 mountain goats. This is also owls right up until 2008, but this alpine ridges into the Melvin Cayoosh Mountain Range and opposition from the St'át'imc and Lost Valley trail, Cayoosh Mountains a critically important grizzly bear highly endangered species is no Creek drainage. In doing so many surrounding area – especially the conservation groups these harmful • Alpine meadows above Highway 99, Cayoosh Mountains • Mountain goat and migration corridor. longer found there, due to agressive archaeological sites have been grizzly bears and mountain goats. industrial projects have been held kid (Roberta Olenick) • St’át’imc hunting Grizzly bear numbers here are logging in surrounding areas. rediscovered including ancient Logging has been approved off so far. Tribal park protection is grounds north of the Bendor Mountains lower than in the past, with only Preserving the spotted owl's habitat shelters and bark harvesting areas. by the BC government for Lost clearly needed now. Tribal Parks: The Missing Link for Wildlife Protection

here is no doubt that a strong is only one small piece of a much for example, are on the brink of Tconservation argument exists larger initiative that needs to take being eliminated from Canada for designating new protected place. The designation of an arc completely, due to ongoing aggressive areas in St'át'imc territory. This of protected areas from the coast logging. region is home to many of the last through the Bendor and Cayoosh The Bendor and Cayoosh ranges big, wild, unprotected wilderness mountains, and then to the Fraser meet all the conservation criteria to areas in southwestern BC. St’át’imc Canyon and Coquihalla Pass justify them for protection: they are territory is also strategically located connecting to Manning Park, will remote, mostly pristine natural areas between the coast and the interior be essential for the recovery of that have large low- and mid-elevation of BC, making it a vital connecting endangered wildlife populations. valleys with old-growth forests. They link for wildlife. Simply put, the The Wilderness Committee still have populations of most of the future of many wildlife populations is calling for a doubling of BC’s animals associated with big wilderness, are dependent on establishing a protected area system this decade.18 like grizzly bears, mountain goats, series of “stepping stone” protected In southwestern BC large tracts wolverines, wolves and mountain lions. areas linking the coast of BC to the of all forest types, but in particular BC has nearly 2,000 species of plants interior.17 low-elevation old-growth forest, and animals on the province’s species Sadly, the strategic conservation have been eliminated by over a at risk list, the majority of which reside value of creating protected areas century of logging. Spotted owls, in southern BC. Clearly more habitat within St'át'imc territory is made all mountain goats, grizzly bears and urgently needs to be protected, the more urgent by the universally wild salmon have all suffered from and the designation of Bendor and poor condition of many wildlife the fragmentation of their forest Cayoosh Tribal Parks could be the in- populations. Creating tribal parks in habitats and experienced significant the-nick-of-time salvation for some of the Bendor and Cayoosh mountains population declines.19 Spotted owls, southwestern BC’s most at-risk wildlife.

Photos above: St’át’imc fish camp near Lillooet • Alpine ridge near Melvin Creek watershed, Cayoosh Mountains • Community art in the St’át’imc village of Shalalth. Photos left: Peregrine falcon (Gordon Court) • Logging in St’át’imc territory is one of the main threats to the region’s wilderness and wildlife • Trail finder’s camp in Melvin Creek alpine, Cayoosh Mountains.

more info & citations TAKE ACTION 1 http://faculty.forestry.ubc.ca/hinch/Jacob_etal_ MASGC_2010.pdf 2 http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wildlife/wsi/ reports/4159_4159_CAYOOSH_GOAT_SEP08_RPT.PDF Show your support for St’Át’imc 3 http://www.statimc.net/report/part1.pdf 4 Grizzly Bear info: http://www.statimc.net/grizzly.html 5 http://wildernesscommittee.org/sites/all/files/ Tribal Parks in the Bendor and publications/2010_meares-island_report_low-res.pdf 6 Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park info http://www. env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/stein_val/ Cayoosh Mountains! 7 Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve info http://www. pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/gwaiihaanas/natcul/natcul1.aspx 8 http://clayoquotbiosphere.org/web/wp-content/ Write, phone, fax or email BC’s premier Clark now to say how uploads/2011/05/CSBR-Periodic-Review-2010.pdf 9 http://www.nativemaps.org/node/2711 much you want the Bendor and Cayoosh Mountains to be 10 http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/program_plan/ program_plan_oct2008.pdf protected as St'át'imc Tribal Parks. 11 http://wildernesscommittee.org/news/first_nations_ band_wants_develop_tribal_park 12 McGillvary Pass hiking info: http://bivouac.com/FtrPg. asp?FtrId=623 The Honourable Christy Clark 13 Bendor Mountain Range Grizzly Bear info: Page 33 - http://www.bchydro.com/bcrp/projects/docs/bridge_ Premier of British /06.W.BRG.03.pdf 14 Mountain Goat info: Page 6 – http://www.env.gov. Box 9041, Station PROV GOVT  250-387-1715 bc.ca/wildlife/wsi/reports/4159_4159_CAYOOSH_GOAT_ Photo: William Terry Sr. of Lh7us Seton SEP08_RPT.PDF 15 Victoria, BC, Canada, 250-387-0087 Portage, in an old bark stripping site, http://www.bchydro.com/bcrp/projects/ docs/05.W.Br.01.pdf V8W 9E1 email: [email protected] Lost Valley, Cayoosh Mountains. 16 Spotted Owl info: http://www.bchydro.com/bcrp/ projects/docs/bridge_river/04WBr03.pdf 17 BC Species at Risk info: BC Ecosystems and Species Explorer 2011: http://tinyurl.com/7qwsa45 18 Doubling in a decade BC Parks info – http://tinyurl. WildernessCommittee.org • 1-800-661-WILD (9453) com/6w4b56g 19 BC biodiversity and old growth forest info – http:// tinyurl.com/cmx7jkx I support the Wilderness Committee’s work to secure tribal park protection Yes! for the Bendor and Cayoosh mountains Credits Writing and Editing: Joe Foy, Derrick O'Keefe, Andy Miller. Graphic Design and Layout: Perry Sky Jack, Sue Fox. Enclosed is: $25 $50 $100 Other $ ______Mapping: Geoff Senichenko. clip Fed. reg. charity #11929-3009-RR0001 All photos: Wilderness Committee files except where noted. And return to the: I want to become a member! Enclosed is my annual fee for a: Wilderness Committee, Vol. 31, No 1, 2012. Canadian Wilderness Committee Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 0900567. Posted in P.O. Box 2205, $52 Family Membership $35 Individual Membership Vancouver for free distribution. Printed in Canada on Station Terminal recycled newsprint with vegetable-based inks.  Press Run 23,000 © Wilderness Committee 2012. All rights Vancouver, BC V6B 3W2 reserved. Written material may be used without permission NAME PHONE when credit is given. Published by call ADDRESS CITY Wilderness Committee — National Office (604) 683-8220 in the P.O. Box 2205, Station Terminal Vancouver, BC V6B 3W2  Lower Mainland T: 604-683-8220 or 1-800-661-9453 F: 604-683-8229 1-800-661-9453 toll-free PROV Postal Code EMAIL elsewhere in Canada The Wilderness Committee is Canada’s largest membership-based wilderness preservation organization. WILDERNESS COMMITTEE