One of the most dramatic areas in all of Clayoquot Sound, the Sydney Valley and the Pretty Girl Wilderness have been the focus of intense campaigning by Friends of Clayoquot Sound for many years.
Sydney Valley - Photo by Adrian Dorst
The Sydney Valley (5670 hectares) is one of only 5 large primary valleys on all of Vancouver Island that has not been impacted by logging - the other 84 such valleys have been logged. A large, primary valley is one that is greater than 5000 ha and that drains directly into the ocean. This fact alone makes the Sydney Valley critically important for the preservation of the Salmon Forest ecosystem, which has been severely degraded on Vancouver Island. Presently, only the very steep slopes of the fjord-like Sydney Inlet are protected (though they would not have been logged anyway due to terrain instability), while the dense temperate rainforest of the valley itself remains open to logging.
Pretty Girl Wilderness - Photo by Jacqueline Windh
The Pretty Girl Wilderness, to the east of the Sydney, consists of several intact watersheds including Pretty Girl Creek (3760 ha), Easter Lake (1780 ha) and others. This remarkable area is characterized by a series of rolling mountains with crystalline lakes nestled in green valley bottoms. Though remote, fringe areas of the region are frequented by kayakers where the ocean meets the forest, and by anglers who visit isolated lakes accessible only by floatplane.
Together the Sydney and Pretty Girl Wilderness comprise a vast expanse of rare virgin rainforest, providing habitat for the 45 endangered and vulnerable animal species known to live in Clayoquot Sound.
In June 2004, due to pressure exerted by Friends of Clayoquot Sound, Interfor declared that it would not be logging in the old-growth Sydney-Pretty Girl Wilderness for at least 5 years. Iisaak Forest Resources has also acknowledged that this area is considered off-limits as it is "eehmiis", or very, very precious to the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. There remains the possibility that other companies would be awarded permits to log the Sydney or Pretty Girl (via BC Timber Sales), and we are currently pressuring the province to ensure that this region remains intact and wild for generations to come.
Click on the following to learn more about the Pristine Valleys in Clayoquot's intact old-growth forest:
Friends of Clayoquot Sound
PO Box 489, 331 Neill St., Tofino BC V0R 2Z0
Tel: 250-725-4218 Fax: 250-725-2527
Email: info@focs.ca
Clayoquot's Endangered Forest Click here
Corporate Watch
International Forest Products (Interfor)
Maps
**Map of Intact Clayoquot Valleys
**Vancouver Island Old Growth 1860
**Vancouver Island Old Growth 2004
Backgrounders
What is a Temperate Rainforest?
Amazing Facts About Temperate Rainforests
Clayoquot Sound World Biosphere Reserve
Historical Overview
History of Logging in Clayoquot Sound
Clayoquot Land Use Decision, 1993
Clayoquot Sound Scientific Panel
Photo by Adrian Dorst
The health of the global environment depends on intact ecosystems. It is our responsibility to act as peaceful and courageous advocates for marine and terrestrial life in Clayoquot Sound. Join us!