Friends of Clayoquot Sound: Meares & Flores -- Clayoquot's intact islands

Clayoquot's intact islands

Flores Island's intact valley #28, recently helipadded and surveyed for logging roads (photo by Tofino Photography)

Flores Island

At 15,400 hectares, Flores is the largest island in Clayoquot Sound, and the largest intact (unlogged) island along Vancouver Island’s coastline. It lies within Ahousaht traditional territory.

Flores is cloaked from ocean to mountaintop in ancient temperate rainforest that contains some of the densest stands of big trees in Canada and the world. Wolves, bears and cougars roam Flores; salmon spawn in its streams; whales, dolphins, seals and other marine life abound offshore.

You can see Mount Flores (880 metres) in the distance from Tofino’s waterfront. At the mountain's foot are surf-fringed sandy beaches and rocky headlands where whales feed offshore, attracting whale-watching boats. The Walk the Wild Side hiking trail follows this rugged outer coast of Flores.

Flores Island is 96% intact wilderness — the other 4% is 1980s logging by MacMillan Bloedel on the NW side of the island, and the First Nations village of Ahousaht on the SE.

Just over one-quarter of the island is protected in provincial parks on its west and south sides. Almost all the rest is in the logging tenure of Iisaak Forest Resources.

In 1999 Iisaak signed a Memorandum of Understanding (PDF at this link), with five environmental groups (FOCS did not sign), stating the company would not log in the intact areas within its tenure in Clayoquot Sound. However, in spring 2010 Iisaak began surveying for roads and cutblocks (logging sites) on Flores Island, threatening the commitment it made in the MOU.

As of February 2011, logging of Flores is imminent.
Flores alert on Take Action page.

Meares Island

Kayaking under Meares Island's Lone Cone (click to enlarge)

Meares Island lies opposite Tofino’s harbour and its two forested mountains, Lone Cone and Colnett (721 and 792 metres, respectively), dominate the town’s scenic view. Tofino’s water comes from Meares Island streams.

Meares is mostly in Tla-o-qui-aht traditional territory, with its western fringe in Ahousaht territory. It is world-renowned for the monumental ancient cedar trees along its popular Big Tree hiking trail. Lemmens Inlet, in the island's middle, is a favourite spot for sea kayaking. The Tla-o-qui-aht village of Opitsat lies under Lone Cone and is visible across the water from Tofino.

At 8,300 hectares, horseshoe-shaped Meares Island is the second largest island in Clayoquot Sound. Despite its proximity to Tofino and 99% of the island being in logging tenures, the ancient temperate rainforest that covers Meares is virtually intact.

MacMillan Bloedel was about to log Meares in 1984, but a peaceful blockade by Friends of Clayoquot Sound and the Tla-o-qui-aht and Ahousaht First Nations turned back the loggers as they attempted to land. A court injunction obtained in 1985 by First Nations protects Meares from logging or other development to this day, until treaty decides its fate.

In 1984, First Nations declared Meares Island a Tribal Park. In current treaty negotiations, Tla-o-qui-aht continue to champion Meares as a Tribal Park, and its magnificent forest appears to be safe for the foreseeable future.

Click on the following to learn more about the pristine valleys in Clayoquot's intact old-growth forest:

PO Box 489, 331 Neill St., Tofino BC V0R 2Z0
250-725-4218 info@focs.ca