THE VALHALLA WILDERNESS SOCIETY

Coastal Temperate Rainforest-VWS was instrumental in the past in research and campaigns that saw large areas of the BC coast protected as conservancies. VWS continues to monitor park management and eco-system based logging as well as protection measures for grizzly bears and white spirit bears. This includes coordination with several coastal First Nations and communications with BC Parks. Wildlife Conservation- The Valhalla Wilderness Society and its biologists have been advocating for a long time for greater protection of a number of keystone species including the Deep-snow mountain caribou and grizzly bear including their habitat. VWS will continue to monitor and publicize the need for protection of more habitat of the endangered southern mountain caribou as part of the provincial recovery plan. VWS is active in submitting a large wildlife habitat area (WHA) grizzly bear corridor application. VWS was also influential in ending the BC grizzly bear hunt in 2017 and continues to monitor and advocate for the hunt to remain closed. This includes input by VWS and its members into into the provincial grizzly bear strategic document. The Society is also completing the final Western toad migration fence as a result of the 10-year Highway 31A western toad highway mortality mitigation study working closely with the MOTI. Protection of Old-Growth Forests-The Society continues its decades-long program to protect more old-growth forest in BC and continues to publicize that the BC government needs to meet its previous commitments to protect ancient forests. This includes various collaborative strategies speaking engagements full-page newspaper ads and widespread distribution of the VWS film called PRIMEVAL.

New Parks/Conservancies for BC’s Inland Temperate Rainforest- B.C.’s coastal rainforest is world-renowned for its splendour and diversity it’s interior counterpart the rare Inland Temperate Rainforest remains relatively unknown and is quickly disappearing. Since the successful protection in 2023 of the Incomappleux portion of the 2011 Selkirk Mountain Caribou Park proposal as a 52 000 provincial conservancy the Society has developed a proposal for the remaining 80 000+ ha called the Selkirk Mountains Ancient Forest Park. The proposal contains significant ancient temperate rainforest and habitat for grizzly bears bull trout kokanee salmon and a remnant population of deep-snow mountain caribou. A new film documentary is being produced for the Rainbow-Jordan wilderness that will be widely circulated as part of the VWS campaign to protect the Inland Temperate Rainforest. These two significant Inland Rainforest Proposals plus the Quesnel Lake Conservancy will be submitted to Parks Canada and the BC government for provincial or national park protective status as part of the joint governments commitments to protect 30% of Canada by 2030.