Clayoquot Sound an International Treasure

Lush old-growth rainforests crowned by towering Sitka spruce, wild coastal beaches dotted with driftwood, remote alpine meadows, rich intertidal areas, salt marshes, mudflats and tangled networks of lakes and rivers make Clayoquot Sound one of the world's natural treasures. Long engulfed in land-use battles between loggers and environmentalists, the Sound is facing a more harmonious future with its recent designation as an international biosphere reserve.

The title, bestowed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in May of this year, recognizes a shared commitment to balance environmental protection with the economic health of local communities. It is a major achievement for the Sound, which, just seven years ago, witnessed the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history over old-growth logging.

Three years ago, community leaders representing First Nations, the local municipalities of Tofino and Ucluelet, and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District decided to come together to ensure a sustainable future for the 4 500 residents of the region, and began seeking the UN designation. Their success resulted in the first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in British Columbia, and only the eighth in Canada.

Located in the central-western region of Vancouver Island, about 250 kilometres northwest of Victoria, the new reserve encompasses an area of about 350 000 hectares that falls within the traditional territory of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations and includes the community of Tofino. The core protected area of the reserve links the interior mountains to the shore of the Pacific Ocean, and includes the Long Beach unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and over 95 000 hectares of provincial parkland. In the remainder of the reserve, industries have agreed to take a selective and conservation-oriented approach to logging and economic development.

Map of Vancouver Island showing the location of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

One of the things that makes the Sound unique is that it encompasses a vast range of habitats. As areas outside the reserve become progressively altered by human activity, the protection of these habitats is essential to the health of wildlife populations. The temperate rainforest of Pacific Rim is part of one of the highest biomass producing areas in the world, and a complex and ecologically significant ecosystem that supports a diversity of plant and animal species. Today, of the 170 major old-growth watersheds that once existed on Vancouver Island, only 11 remain—and eight of these are in Clayoquot Sound. Equally important are the shoreline habitats, mudflats and salt marshes that serve as resting and feeding places for the thousands of birds that stop at this crucial point on the Pacific flyway during their migratory journeys. The Sound's marine environment supports a wide variety of fish, and is home to seals, sea lions and humpback and other whales.

Currently the federal lead in this community-based effort, Environment Canada has been involved in extensive research on migratory and sea birds in Clayoquot Sound and other regions of Vancouver Island. Among these is the Marbled Murrelet, the only sea bird known to nest in old-growth forests. In addition, the Department provides funding and other support to efforts that contribute to the creation of a sustainable community.

The federal government has contributed $12 million to an endowment fund managed by the multi-stakeholder Clayoquot Biosphere Trust to support research, education and training that will help the region make the transition from a primarily resource-based economy to one that promotes sustainable economic development.

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