23/03/2025
An open letter to the BC NDP - for the protection of Cai Creek and a review of BCTS. We love Lieutenant Dan!!!
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Dear Steve Morissette,
I am writing to express my profound concern regarding the ongoing logging sale in the Cai Creek block, which threatens the preservation of old-growth trees, the integrity of the primary forest surrounding Lieutenant Dan, and the region’s important recreational and educational values. The Cai Creek forest is a truly unique natural space, providing immense opportunities for environmental education and outdoor recreation, which are at risk due to logging activities that do not align with the pressing need for conservation.
As an outdoor guide and educator, and the owner of Elemental Journeys, an outdoor adventure and education company, I have come to know Cai Creek intimately. Since 2022, I have led numerous groups on explorations of this forest, uncovering its beauty and teaching others about its importance. I have worked closely with local organizations, including Last Stand West Kootenays, to identify large trees in Cai Creek, and facilitated workshops with Neighbour’s United to highlight the area's rich biodiversity. I have also had the privilege of climbing Lieutenant Dan, a towering 30-meter tree, to celebrate the birthday of an arborist friend, and even brought a classroom from the Whole School in Winlaw to teach students about ecology and environmental activism.
I am deeply grateful to Matt Casselman for establishing the hiking route in Cai Creek, conducting citizen science, including old-growth measurements and wildlife monitoring, and ultimately helping to make this prime recreation area known to the public. This area is much more than just a forest; it is a model location for natural healing. The diverse ecosystem of Cai Creek, altered by fire yet having recovered, offers a powerful analogy of healing that resonates with many people. It provides educational opportunities for students to explore the regenerative power of nature, as they witness the preservation of old-growth trees in a forest that has weathered natural disturbances.
The Cai Creek sale is proceeding despite an unresolved complaint filed with the Forest Practices Board, which calls into question the legality and environmental impact of this logging operation. The continued push to move forward with this sale undermines the voices of many citizens who are calling for more thoughtful and sustainable management of our forests. Furthermore, documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests reveal that BC Timber Sales has significantly reduced the recommended forest and habitat protections originally suggested by Ministry staff. These changes have resulted in a disturbing decrease in tree retention and, most notably, a reduction in the protection of critical elk habitat. This is a blatant disregard for the needs of wildlife and further exemplifies the need for a more robust conservation plan in the Cai Creek area. Logging in this area, especially along the popular nature trail used by hundreds of people last year, would devastate the contiguous forest and undermine the therapeutic and recreational values of this precious place. The loss of this forest would rob the community of a vital space for connection, healing, and learning.
I have personally walked the Cai Creek block over a dozen times, and I can confirm that the situation is even more alarming than anticipated. Numerous old-growth trees, located on the roads or in the blocks have not been reserved from logging. This is in direct contradiction to BC Timber Sales' own statement, which promised to "strive to reserve old growth" in this area. The lack of protection for these trees, some of which are likely centuries old, is an irreplaceable loss for our forest ecosystems and the biodiversity they support.
Last year, I had the privilege of meeting your colleagues Brittny Anderson and Josie Osborne at a fundraising event in Nelson. I have also spoken with Dr. Rachel Holt and Dr. Simard, and we all share a common vision: we need to protect old-growth forests, primary forests that have never been logged, contiguous forests, and intact watersheds. Cai Creek embodies all these qualities and must be preserved as part of this broader conservation effort. I also had some more recent discussions with Katrine Conroy, when we both shared the stage at the SIP Talks for the Canadian Federation of University Women in Nelson. I asked her if she had received the letters I had sent over the years, including 30 handwritten letters from students at the Whole School last June, urging her to protect Cai Creek. She responded, “yes,” but as she spoke those words, I was left wondering: How can we hear the impassioned pleas of children and still continue with "business as usual"? How can we move forward with logging activities in the face of overwhelming public and community outcry?
Cai Creek must not be treated as “business as usual.” The forest stands as an ideal location for the NDP to fulfill their promises to protect old-growth forests, as it has already been identified as an intact watershed in the Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel Strategic Review. Preserving Cai Creek would also honor Indigenous sovereignty and contribute to the goal of protecting 30% of ecosystems by 2030, a critical target in the fight against climate change. I respectfully request that you advocate on behalf of your constituents to urge BC Timber Sales to halt the planned logging in Cai Creek and other primary forests. BC Timber Sales and other forestry companies should prioritize harvests in areas that have been previously logged, rather than targeting intact, vital ecosystems like Cai Creek. By protecting areas like this, BC can create a future where forestry, tourism, and the well-being of its citizens can coexist. The health and well-being of future generations depend on it.
Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to your response and hope that you will act to ensure the preservation of this invaluable area.
Sincerely,
Andrea Fox - Elemental Journeys
P.S. photos are from a 2024 expedition to climb Lt Dan and gain a different perspective on this majestic forest
![Meet the honey bunch crew 🍯❤️[Lennon] the mastermind that got us all together and organized the trip and kept me going w...](https://img5.travelagents10.com/669/334/660894616693349.jpg)
