Update: January 2013 – The Wilson Creek Forest has been logged.
Here is another gallery from ancientforestalliance.org of Wilson Creek Forest photos. This forest will not be forgotten
These Forests Are Worth Saving and We Need Your Help.
At December 21, 2012 Logging Has All But Destroyed this ‘Jewel’ of a forest –
– YOUR Community Forest-
WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW – Voice Your Strong Feelings and call to prevent further elimination of the last of ‘our’ ‘close proximity/low elevation’ community forests.
See – Ed Hill’s work of art ‘The Community Forest‘ from his ‘Artist Gathering’ visit to the Wilson Creek Forest.
Continued from the Home Page Introduction…Read more below…
The Wilson Creek Forest, also known as cutblock EW002, is a beautiful low elevation 27ha forest directly above the community of Wilson Creek. The Wilson Creek Forest, just a 10 minute drive from Roberts Creek (directions at bottom of this page), is a key forest area providing connectivity across the lower slopes of the Mt. Elphinstone area. This Forest is one of the last remaining intact, natural forests left in the Wilson Creek Watershed and provides more long-term benefits to the community left standing than logged.
See – Ed Hill’s work of art ‘The Community Forest‘ from his ‘Artist Gathering’ visit to the Wilson Creek Forest.
Read – The Community Mobilizes at the DoS Offices and Calls for the Arrests to Stop and For Full Protection of the Wilson Creek Forest. (a recent – Dec 6/2012 Vancouver Observer Article)
Read – shíshálh Elders Visit Wilson Creek Forest and Call for Protection (Nov.5/2012)
Read – Why the Wilson Creek Forest Deserves Full Protection Now (a recent – Oct 26/12 – Coast Reporter two page ad spread)
Family enjoying the Artist Walk Day in the Wilson Creek Forest stop for a family picture by ‘Mus-swiya’s Tree’
This ‘never-before-logged’ area is situated between 2 Ministry of Forests Old Growth Management Areas (OGMA) and thus provides a link to these important protected zones. Click here for a Google Earth view of the Wilson Creek Forest (EW002).
Update October 26, 2012 – New data on the Wilson Creek Watershed from the Community Watershed Assessment Report (CWAP) – August 2012
- 86% of the watershed has been logged.
- Only 4% of the original old-growth (250 yrs + ) remains.
- Only 10% of older forests (120-140 yrs) remain – that being Age Class 7.
- If EW002 (the Wilson Creek Forest) is allowed to be logged then the percentage of Age Class 7 will drop.
Read Heather Conn’s article on the Wilson Creek Forest “What does a TRUE community forest mean? Not stumps and short-sightedness”
The Many Reasons Why the Wilson Creek Forest is Important and Deserves to be Protected
Photo – Jack Stein
There are many reasons why the Wilson Creek Forest is important and deserves to be protected. Each reason in and of itself should be sufficient, but when all reason are brought together it is difficult for anyone to not agree they represent a extremely strong case for protection and preserving these forests.
The Wilson Creek Forest is the key western forest in the proposed Elphinstone Provincial Park Expansion. Many are saying that this long overdue Park Expansion, when approved, will be the ‘Stanley Park’ of the Sunshine Coast (see the Elphinstone Park Expansion – Campaign). For this reason alone the Wilson Creek Forest should be protected for present and future generations to enjoy.
The Wilson Creek Forest has, among its many features, a number of Douglas-fir groves. A recent provincial government report states ‘The Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem is threatened province wide’
Photo – Jack Stein
and that ‘only 6% of the Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem is protected in BC’. The Wilson Creek Forest could add to the contribution province-wide not to mention on the Sunshine Coast. For this reason alone the Wilson Creek Forest should be protected to increase the % of Douglas-fir on the Sunshine Coast – a threatened eco-system province wide.
The Mt Elphinstone chart area is challenged by having an under-represented percentage of old-growth (250 yrs+) set aside, plus only 3% of the forest lands are locked away to protect bio-diversity. The Wilson Creek Forest must be protected so this eco-system doesn’t reach a tipping point of no return.
A recent field trip conducted by Elphinstone Logging Focus (LoggingFocus) into Sunshine Coast Community Forests’ (SCCF) proposed ‘urban-interface’ Wilson Creek Forest (Cutblock EW002) brought forth new concerns about logging and the need to have the forest protected due to its special features.
Within the block is a sensitive wet zone containing up to 15 Sitka Spruce. The Sitkas in this block are flagged to be spared from logging, however a spur road is surveyed just several feet above the trees and clear-cut logging is planned on all sides which pose several risks to their long-term survival. Sitka’s have shallow roots and as a result share an entangled root system due to this particular zone. Douglas Firs, in comparison, have tap roots that grow deeper down into the soil in search of water because they prefer drier growing conditions.
The fact of the matter is that the Sitka’s shallow root system makes them vulnerable to blow-down,” Ross Muirhead of LoggingFocus says. “Their tolerance for increased wind and water run-off is much lower than a Doug Fir. If logging is allowed to proceed, it will increase the probability of blow-down because clear-cut logging produces unpredictable wind dynamics. In addition, the adjacent logging road will re-direct water flows into the wet zone leading to dangerous soil saturation for the Sitkas. Muirhead says.
LoggingFocus has documented this exact set of conditions in 2010 where 30 cedars were blown down in a winter storm just east of Wilson Creek in a BCTS clear-cut. With 2 nearby clear-cuts directly south of the Wilson Creek Forest, wind dynamics will lead to higher velocities through EW002 than normal. If one Sitka begins to lose stability in a winter storm there is high likelihood that a domino-effect will happen bringing down the rest of the trees because of the previously mentioned entangled root system. LoggingFocus predicts a complete blow-down of the stand 1-3 years post logging.
It’s well documented that Wilson Creek Watershed has been heavily logged in the past by Western Forest Products, Island Timberlands, BCTS and private operator CNI. Muirhead states that, “SCCF has been given the ‘scraps’ to go in and clear this area – this is not acceptable land use planning when over 86% of the watershed (Oct. 2012 research report findings) has been logged. We request that District of Sechelt (as sole shareholder of SCCF) have the forest designated a high-value, urban interface recreational area, leading to full protection of the area as a natural legacy, similar to the status given to Hidden Grove.”
[box]Directions – Your Wilson Creek Watershed Forest at Roberts Creek is Located 10 minutes From Roberts Creek off Hwy 101…
1. Turn off Hwy 101 onto Lockyer Rd.
2. Top of Lockyer turns into Forest Service Rd. (FSR 01)
3. Follow FSR 01 west for approx. 3.6 km or 5 mins.
4. Road goes uphill – look for parking area pullout on left at top of hill
5. See trail leading into forest
6. Come on in – it’s your forest and an easy 45 minute walk will take you through some of the last magnificent forests near Roberts Creek and down to the pristine & untouched Wilson Creek.[/box]
These Forests Are Worth Saving and We Need Your Help.
Your Voice Counts!
