Located between Bute Inlet on BC's south coast and the Alaskan border to the north, the Great Bear Rainforest is more biodiverse than most forests and ecosystems in the world.

It is a land of bears - grizzly bears, black bears and the mysterious Kermode bear, a white variety of the black bear that is rarely seen, but often sought.

It is a primal rainforest of towering red cedars, some as high as 30 storeys. Eagles soar above the treetops. Down below, rivers teem with wild salmon.  Deep inside is a treasure chest of medicinal plants.

But years of industrial logging have left vast holes in the forest, where trees were cut down, logging roads slashed across watersheds and habitats destroyed.

Pressure by environmental groups exposed these unsustainable practices to the world. Years of meetings and collaboration led to a consensus by various stakeholders, including environmental groups. They recommended protecting large tracts of the coast and implementing Ecosystem-Based Management across the entire land base. The provincial government must now follow through on its commitments if the Great Bear Rainforest is to be protected.

photos: Adrian Dorst (banner), Adrian Dorst (centre)