UN Names British Columbia's Clayoquot Sound a Biosphere Reserve
2/14/00
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: UN Names British Columbia's Clayoquot Sound a Biosphere
Reserve
Source: Environment News Service
Status: Copyright 2000, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: February 14, 2000
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada, February 14, 2000 (ENS) -
Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver Island's west coast has been designated
as a world biosphere reserve by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), based in Paris,
France. Federal, provincial and municipal governments and First
Nations have joined forces to acknowledge the designation.
Biosphere Reserve status is a UNESCO stamp of approval on a
commitment by regional communities to work towards sustainable
stewardship of the reserve. Nobody is legally bound by any new
environmental rules and, in this case, no new lands or waters were
protected. The new designation does not change the kind of
development, logging, mining or fish farming that can occur in
Clayoquot Sound.
The designation does give some moral and financial incentive to
communities and businesses in the region to develop sustainable
practices. In its February budget, the Canadian government set aside
up to C$12 million to support the establishment of the UNESCO
Biosphere Reserve in Clayoquot Sound.
Clayoquot Sound (Photo courtesy Western Canada Wilderness Committee)
The Clayoquot Sound nomination was put forth by First Nations and
local governments to the Man and the Biosphere program of UNESCO, in
partnership with federal and provincial governments.
First Nations and local governments formed a nomination working
group last year to draft the nomination and work with governments to
develop and implement the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust - an endowed
research, education and training organization - and legacy projects
that will support sustained economic development in the biosphere
region.
"This designation is fully supported by the local community," said
Alberni MLA Gerard Janssen. "It will provide the umbrella we need to
move the community towards a vibrant, long-term sustainable
economy."
"The people of the biosphere region have been working on the ground
to make this designation a reality," said Chief Councillor Larry
Baird of the Ucluelet First Nation, a member of the nomination
working group. "We will continue to make this a collaborative effort
as the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust is established and as we work to
ensure that all projects share a common vision that is consistent
with the needs and interests of all the region's communities."
"The designation of this magnificent west coast treasure shows the
importance of working together. This is an honour for the
communities involved," said Canada's Environment Minister David
Anderson. "The declaration of Clayoquot Sound as a biosphere reserve
is due to a cooperative spirit between all partners to promote
sustainable development in this region."
"I am very pleased with UNESCO's designation of the Clayoquot Sound
Biosphere Reserve which includes Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
as a core protected area," said Sheila Copps, federal Minister of
Canadian Heritage.
Wildlife still thrives in the area, including Roosevelt elk, black
bears, wolves, orca and grey whales, salmon, migrating waterfowl,
shorebirds and the endangered marbled murrelet, a sea bird that
nests only in old growth forest. Clayoquot Sound is one of the
largest unlogged areas remaining on Vancouver Island and one of the
largest areas of temperate rainforest remaining on earth.
The Biosphere Reserve designation for Clayoquot Sound ends a long
standing conflict between the forest industry and conservationists.
In 1955, the British Columbia government granted MacMillan Bloedel
Limited (MB) a perpetually renewable Tree Farm License with
exclusive rights to log in more than half of Clayoquot Sound. In
1956, logging rights in almost all the rest of Clayoquot were
granted to British Columbia Forest Products, a deal fraught with
bribes. The provincial Minister of Forests at the time went to jail
for his involvement. This license was later sold to Fletcher
Challenge and then, in 1992, sold to International Forest Products
(InterFor). During the 1970s, clearcutting in Clayoquot more than
tripled over the initial rate of cut established when the licenses
were granted.
In 1979, local environmentalists, concerned about the proposed
logging of Meares Island, the scenic backdrop and source of drinking
water for the town of Tofino, formed the Friends of Clayoquot Sound.
In 1982, Ahousaht First Nations took MB to court to stop log booming
in Steamer Cove on Flores Island. Although the judge said they were
right in their claim that log boom debris was hurting their
shellfish beds, he ruled in favour of MB.
In 1984 Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations declared Meares Island a Tribal
Park and, together with FOCS, mounted the first logging blockade in
Clayoquot Sound to stop MB logging.
The next 13 years were marked by intense conflict with blockades,
court battles and confrontations in the woods that built to a crisis
in June 1996.
In July 1996, First Nations hosted an all stakeholder meeting to
discuss a resolution to the Clayoquot controversy. Prompted by First
Nations' request for peace in the Sound, during the fall of 1996
environmentalists decided to temporarily quiet down while pursuing a
solution - the development of a U.N. Biosphere Reserve proposal for
Clayoquot.
In October 1996, the World Conservation Union, a global alliance of
880 agencies and governments from 133 countries including government
representatives from B.C., unanimously endorsed a resolution
supporting designation of Clayoquot Sound as an United Nations
Biosphere Reserve.
In March 1997, the Nuu-chah-nulth Central Region chiefs and
MacMillan Bloedel announced a new Joint Venture Corporation, 51
percent owned by First Nations, that last fall took over all logging
operations in MB's Estevan Division - the northern part of its TFL
in Clayoquot Sound. The Joint Venture, based on a maximum harvest of
40,000 cubic metres a year, will not log for three years while it
investigates value-added forest product opportunities.
"The declaration of Clayoquot Sound as a world biosphere reserve is
recognition of our substantial progress towards building a
sustainable future for the region, including its biological,
economic, social and cultural values," said Environment, Lands and
Parks Minister Joan Sawicki on Thursday. "Our government will be
examining how we can work with the Clayoquot communities to foster
the transition towards a "green" economy and apply what we learn
from Clayoquot to other areas."
The Clayoquot Biosphere Reserve is situated on the central western
region of Vancouver Island and covers an area of about 3,500 square
kilometers (1,351 square miles), about the size of the east coast
province of Prince Edward Island.
The reserve encompasses temperate rainforest, lakes, rivers and
streams, alpine slopes, inshore marine areas, mudflats and wild
coastal beaches. Core areas of the reserve include the Long Beach
Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and over 95,000 hectares
(366 square miles) of provincial park.
The Clayoquot Sound Biosphere is the first of its kind on Canada's
west coast. Canada has six other biosphere reserves in Quebec,
Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba. Last week, UNESCO also designated
Redberry Lake, Saskatchewan as the eighth Biosphere Reserve in
Canada.