Revelstoke Officials Push to Protect 11,000 Hectares of Ancient Forest from Logging

Local governments in British Columbia’s Interior are taking steps to protect a large tract of old-growth forest near Revelstoke from potential logging.

The City of Revelstoke and the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District have both passed motions urging the provincial government to preserve an 11,000-hectare wilderness area known as Rainbow-Jordan.

The proposed protected park would stretch from just north of Revelstoke to where Rainbow Creek flows into Lake Revelstoke, within the traditional territory of the Sinixt Nation.

A rare inland rainforest ecosystem

The region contains three mountain valleys that hold what conservationists describe as “ancient forests,” with ecosystems that have remained largely undisturbed for centuries.

Reanne Harvey of the conservation group Wildsight says the forest is a rare example of an inland temperate rainforest.

“These ecosystems have existed without major disturbance for thousands of years,” she said. “Once they’re gone, they can’t simply be recreated.”

Old-growth trees in B.C.’s coastal and interior wet-belt regions are typically defined as being 250 years or older, though some cedar trees in the Rainbow-Jordan area are believed to be more than 1,800 years old.

The forest floor is covered in moss, fungi and fallen trees that have decomposed over centuries, creating a complex ecosystem rich in biodiversity. Conservationists say the area is home to species that have barely been studied, including rare lichens.

The large root systems and hollow bases of the massive trees also provide natural shelter for wildlife such as grizzly bears.

Growing concern about logging pressure

Until now, the remote landscape — surrounded by steep mountains and accessible only by water — has largely protected the forest from development.

But local officials say that could change as logging companies search for new timber sources.

According to Columbia-Shuswap Regional District director David Brooks-Hill, a forest tenure already exists for the Rainbow-Jordan area, meaning a logging company holds rights to harvest timber there through an agreement with the provincial government.

“As the supply of accessible timber declines, areas like this could become economically viable for logging,” he said.

Brooks-Hill believes the long-term value of protecting the forest outweighs its potential value as timber.

“It would be more useful economically and otherwise to have it preserved as a park,” he said, pointing to opportunities for tourism, research and recreation.

Community push for protection

The area was first proposed for protection in 2017 by the environmental organization Valhalla Wilderness Society.

The group also produced a documentary called Safe Haven that helped raise awareness and build community support for conservation efforts.

The latest push gained momentum earlier this year after Revelstoke city council passed a resolution supporting protection of the forest.

Regional district officials followed with a similar motion, and both governments now plan to advance the proposal through local government associations in the coming months.

If endorsed at those levels, the resolution will ultimately be presented to the B.C. provincial government.

Balancing conservation and community needs

Revelstoke city councillor Tim Palmer said environmental issues can sometimes become politically polarized, but he believes protecting the Rainbow-Jordan forest could benefit both the ecosystem and the community.

Historically a logging town, Revelstoke has increasingly developed a tourism-based economy centred on outdoor recreation.

“Good economic policy is good environmental policy,” Palmer said. “And good environmental policy ultimately benefits the entire community.”

Supporters of the proposal hope the area will eventually receive official protection as a provincial park, safeguarding one of B.C.’s rarest and oldest forest ecosystems for future generations.