Pacheedaht Territory

Heli Camp Grove (Granite Creek)

Heli Camp Grove in Granite Creek is one of the richest sections of the Fairy Creek Rainforest. Just across the ridgeline from Fairy Creek and right next to cut block 8022 and the area known as “Heli Camp” this section of at-risk ancient forest is the most intact 4orest east of Fairy Creek. It is separated from Cut block 8022 by an alpine stream and runs as a contiguous forest from Granite Creek to the mountaintop that divides the slope from the Fairy Creek Watershed. 

Teal Jones has approval to build a 1 km long section of road into this ancient forest however any attempt to start work on this road approval would almost certainly reignite the war in the woods and the blockades at Fairy Creek.

This area is home to a population of Oldgrowth Specklebelly Lichen, the largest of only 53 documented in British Columbia. Elder Bill Jones of the Pacheedath Nation has called for the protection of this entire area. This area is also home to a massive population of endangered Marbled Murrelet with 115 birds documented nearby. Western Screech Owls have also been documented in this section of Granite Creek (I was lucky enough to document one of them in the middle of Teal Jones’ planned cut block.) 

During the height of the Fairy Creek Blockade protesters used this forest as a staging ground for "cops and loggers,” “hide and go creek” and other tactics meant to slow the logging of the neighboring cut block.

 

Edinburgh Mountain #7165

Old growth cut block #7165 appears to be second growth at first glance but once you enter the forest, situated at the end of Truck Road 11 on Edinburgh Mountain you find some insane trees. I nicknamed one of the trees in this cut block “Eldest” she’s 10 feet thick and is insanely beautiful. Teal Jones spent 2022 constructing roads into this cut block.

As of October 2022, this cut block hasn’t been logged, however, the block has been approved by the provincial government.

 

Walbran Valley (Sad Lake) #4559

These are images of cut block #4559 near Sad Lake in the Central Walbran Valley. The cut block is made up of three separate units totaling only a few hectares.  I visited this forest back in 2018 and found that even though the area Teal Jones is targeting was small it contains a spectacular cedar forest with trees exceeding 10 feet in diameter. Despite being located in the central Walbran, the deferral affecting the central valley did not protect this cut block. Teal Jones has plans to build a 5 km road on the ridge line above this cut block as well as to the northeast in the area referred to as the “camper bowl.”

This cut block was approved in 2018, however, it still hasn’t been logged.

 

Edinburgh Mountain #4452

I visited cut block #4452 back in 2018 while Teal Jones was doing roadbuilding. It was the first old growth cut block I visited as a kid, while I was there I wanted more than anything to climb into the trees to stop the logging.

This forest is gone now.