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Pachena river Spruce grove
Say good by to The Last Un protected Spruse Grove on southern vancouver island.
Welcome to the web site I
created for students from the Bamfield Marine
Science Center. 
I created it to help promote a video they made about the local spruce grove.
Its actually the last unprotected grove on southern vancouver island.
This spruce grove is the last cheery , when some one eats it, it will be
gone and will not be renewed.
There goal is simple "save it from extinction"
Near the center is this last un
protected spruce grove on southern Vancouver island and these students have taken it upon
them selves to do a video and some research on this grove.
Historically speaking barkly
sound is a gold mine and 
this grove has been a
destination for mariners from the distant past. I believe the spruce trees in this grove
have been extracted for masts for tall ships since the Spanish started to
probe the coast some 500 years ago. The stumps can be seen all through this forest
and It is a good example of real selictive logging. 
They left
the forest behind. Unfortunately the only history that technically maters is the native
history, and because the logging company who got the contract to log it, is owned by
the local tribe, the other historical tree stumps are ignored. Karen is
pointing at a spring board hole in a very old stump, if its older then 1840, its
protected.
I believe there is evidence of pre glacial and glacial colonization by a sea
faring race minning on this refugium , but that's another story.
The Huuahaht logging company
plans to clear cut the grove and use the money to buy part of it for a sub division they
have planned.
Bamfield
is a very unique place, not only was it a refugium during the ice age, but it
never really snows here now and if it does, It disappears the next day.
If you don't believe me just watch follow the
link to the web cam placed on the top of the bmsc center.
The mountain you see in the back ground of the web cam is the Indian's
sleeping lady , because of its location, it is still old growth forest and a
refugium. Un fortunately all the forest are still slated for the same fate as
the European forests. Clear CUT logging.
Ten Years ago I made the statement that a
clear cut resembles the ice age, in some ways. its Actually worse then an ice age, I think
its prity arrigant to think man will alwaws be there to plant after a forest elimination
event.
This story was sent to the forest minister Claud Richmond, after I wrote it.
He
wrote back with the statement.
"clear cutting not
only resembles the ice age, but also insect epidemics, wildfires and hurricane's, but in
each case it will grow back.
My response to him was "if clear cutting is as bad as the worst natural disaster Mother
Nature can throw at us, why are they still doing it?."
The final response was a
letter from Premier, Brian Mulroni's assistant, "Were
sorry, The priminister can not come visit, but your concerns are dully noted".
I was not asking him to visit, I was trying to get attention to the mass
deforestation in the Franklin river division ,but I learned, if you complain its
turns out worse for the forest. the annual allowable cut went from 250,000 qubic
meters a year, to the present 1 million qubic meters per year, that's a lot of wood.
During the last ice age the land was scraped baron, but refugiums
were left in the places the glaciers could not hit.
Combine this with the power of the ocean and barkly sound is one of these refugiums.
In the
clear cut method, the end result is simple, all old growth forests will be reduced
to the age 0, basically a first growth forest..
it baffles me how we have evolved so far , but yet the powers that be still
have not leaned how the forest really works and how important it is to preserve the
biodiverstiy of the forests. they do not understand how important it is to the
survival of the planet.
I would like to point out
, the students only had this 1 text book with them and there plots have to be
scientific , mening thay can not do randome plots, searching for the 1 plant that might be
there. It should be noted that this is what is called, temprate coastle spruse
forest and its filled with the life mentioned in Jim's book.
Think of south Vancouver island as a pie and this spruce grove is the last cheery , when
some one eats it, it will be gone and will not be renewed. The 300 foot
canopy above these trees is what gave brasscan these valuable spruce trees. worth over
$20,000 each.
the volunteer asked me "how long is there rotation"? , I told
him, its a 40 year rotation.
Taking
away this old growth forest and calling the new 40 year old forest rotation
renewable, is a lie.
he then said " there should be no issue, its the last piece left, why clear
cut it.
There is no doubt, its not renewable using the 40 year rotation.
This forest is thousands of years old to think it will be the same in 40 years is nuts.
They will be 40 year old trees, with course grein and knots, I call it crap.
In 40 years, it will be a life less dead zone, these
mono culture trees will cut off the sun needed to create life under the canopy.
Its funny , M.B. some years ago traded the national park service something
for this private land. being as it is the last cherry it was a smart move for
the forest giant.
It's like I always, said once the pie is
gone we will log the last cherry , the parks.
Some of the trees are enormous [record
trees], giant tight grain clear spruce trees. Each one is worth a fortune, go to
revlstoke and find out what clear spruce is worth, my guess is $5 per board foot. What the
students have to say is this forest is worth more, as a standing forest, then it is
worth if its eliminated. One possible use for this forest could be the selective logging
of masts for tall ships. The problem is, its volume they are after.
The large spruce
behind them was across the river when I moved hear in 1970, we used to cross it and fish
in the large pool. when the company logged THAT BLOCK, it was cheaper to pay a
$10,000 fine then it was 
to
leave the prescribed buffer against the creek. They bucked the wind
fall and let it shift and scour the pool clean. This was the desecration of a salmon
spanning river. Its clear they did this on purpose because of my complaint. The
mentality of the company is tree huggers are there enemy and they do these things on
purpose.
I went with the students and watched them do plots to record what was there [old
growth] and what is there in the new 20 year old forest . I drew the picture below
years ago to show the different stages, from old growth, to an 80 year old
forest
.
The students had hobos,
temperature and humidity gatherers. They placed some in the old growth and some in the 20
year old re gen. Just watching them go from the cool environment of the forest to the
desert heat of a clear cut was quite an Eye opener.
see temp difference.
Its safe to say, the forest next to the cut block was clear cut 20 years ago,
then it was burned, this picture shows it well, IT'S NOT HARD TO SEE WHY
THE RED LEGGED FROG IS ENDANGERED..
I do remember filing a complaint that they were going to clear cut across the salmon
bearing stream as the fallers were nearing it. They stooped for some time then they
continued, not only did they clear cut over the creek, they cleared right to the river's
edge. as I said, it was cheaper to pay the $10,000 [1 tree] fine, then to leave the
buffer, filled with giants of spruse and ceder . I hate to say it but for years this
company has been getting away with murder to preserve the clear cut way of life.
To see the video follow this link.
For the technical data follow this
link.
Support the students goal,
send a letter and donation to the nature conservancy asking they buy the Pachena
river spruce grove so it does not become bamfields first subdivision.
Its safe to say when the forest is a dead zone in 40 years there will be no frogs left and no animal dens.
If you don't believe me take a walk in one of these dead zones.
SORRY GIRLS, The red legged frog is
endangered and if you kiss it, it will not turn into a prince or come back from the brink
of extintion.
This forest is slated to be logged next August and this is the only month
businesses in Bamfield have to make there tourist dollars.
If you want to help out the
people of this community take a vacation to Bamfield B.C. and take a tour in the
last unprotected spruce grove before its gone, winter is the best time .
