The mysteries of the Nahmint River Valley, with its legendary trees and abundant wildlife, had long ago captured my imagination. Nestled in the heart of Vancouver Island, near Port Alberni, the river supports one of the most diverse gene pools of salmon on the planet, as well as a thriving steelhead run.
Robust populations of Roosevelt elk, black bear, and cougar all roam the forests freely, and it’s not uncommon to hear the calls of the elusive northern goshawk echoing from the treetops.
Originally, I had resolved to explore Nahmint in a series of solo expeditions, but as it turned out, I didn’t have to go it alone. That was because, in 2021, I happened to meet Greg , who works as a forest technologist for British Columbia Timber Sales (BCTS). His knowledge of the valley is extensive, and as the saying goes, there’s no substitute for experience. Greg has managed to demonstrate to me repeatedly that it’s possible to be an effective conservationist even when you work within the forest industry.
I knew that much of the original timber had been logged, but I wasn’t aware that the Nahmint Valley had been home to some of the most fabled forests Canada has ever known. It’s said that one particular stand of Douglas fir, now long lost, contained the highest volume of wood ever recorded on Vancouver Island. To rank that claim in the proper perspective, it was comparable to Macmillan Provincial Park’s Cathedral Grove, but more expansive! BCTS, which manages of 20% of the timber on Crown lands in British Columbia on behalf of the provincial government, is not the only stakeholder in the region. It is important to acknowledge that lands there are claimed by the Hupačasath, Tseshaht, and Ucluelet First Nations.
It just so happened that our other two companions that August day were also new to Nahmint. Duncan, then 28, is an adventure guide and conservationist from Sooke, on Vancouver Island. Ira, then 35, is with the University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of Conservation and Forest Sciences, and is currently working on his PhD. He also chairs British Columbia’s Big Tree Committee, on which Greg also serves.
So it was on that overcast summer day that we rolled to a stop on a short, rough side road, now deserted. Raucous barks of joy soon erupted from the back of the Greg’s truck, because his dogs, Angus and Ben, were even more excited than we were to begin the day! We began with an easy stroll to a nearby clear cut, which had been the subject of considerable debate several years before . The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) had documented photos of the forest there, after discovering it had been marked for logging. That set in motion a well publicized media campaign aimed at saving the trees, but sadly, they were cut down, and controversy soon followed.
In the eye of the storm was a Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), which came to be known ominously in some circles as “Dead Doug.” The tree had been estimated by the AFA to rank as the ninth largest of its species in British Columbia, so the loss of this venerable giant raised many concerns!
So what chain of events had led to Dead Doug’s untimely demise? Well, that was a mystery I wanted to solve, so I delved into the details of the matter. I learned that the tree had been felled in May of 2018, but had any regulations been violated during that process? The BCTS Legacy Tree Program had premiered in September of 2017, so the tree would certainly have qualified for protection within its parameters, had they been applicable.
Unfortunately, there was one serious hitch: The timber sale licence (TSL) in question had already been auctioned well prior to the introduction of the Legacy Tree Program, thus the license holder had the absolute right to harvest the block without reserving any of the trees. The truth was that neither BCTS nor the licensee had broken with any existing guidelines when the block was harvested. For reasons unknown, even though those circumstances were well explained to the AFA by BCTS at the time, the AFA did not change their campaign to reflect those facts. Consequently, BCTS was publicly accused of not honouring their own Legacy Tree Program guidelines, among other things. This was because the AFA’s narrative was taken at face value by a number of media outlets, who were not diligent enough to research both sides of the story. Many of you will know that, as an advocate for forests, I am an ardent supporter of the AFA. While that still remains true, accuracy is important, especially when making public statements, and that is why it’s my belief that the campaign should have been appropriately altered. If, as conservationists, we are going to be demanding integrity from the forest industry, we have to demonstrate that same value.
Eventually, the AFA’s campaign proved effective in shining a spotlight on questionable forestry practices in the valley. Photographs taken by the AFA’s T.J. Watt clearly showed the irreversible destruction that had occurred. In 2018, the AFA also filed a complaint with the B.C. Forest Practices Board, citing that reforms were badly needed. The subsequent investigation eventually found that the Province of British Columbia was at fault for not meeting objectives set forth for biodiversity and old growth preservation in the Nahmint River Watershed. While, as expected, it was concluded that there had not been any violation of existing rules by BCTS, it was still recommended that the Forest Stewardship Plan for the region be amended. Therefore, all of the previous confrontation managed to plant seeds of positive change.
Since the mighty trunk of Dead Doug crashed to earth in 2018, BCTS has committed to a number of noteworthy changes in the Nahmint Valley. First, a moratorium was declared on auctioning any new blocks of old growth timber for sale. Then in 2021, old growth deferrals proposed by the province for the region under BCTS management were also accepted. The majority of Old Growth Management Areas (OGMAs) in BCTS Nahmint tenures have also been expanded during the past several years, and the Legacy Tree Program has also grown considerably during that time. Greg oversees the program in the South Vancouver Island region, and he has proposed expanding it into other BCTS jurisdictions in the province.
It’s a haunting feeling when you walk beside the stumps of giants, picturing the trees that once towered above. As much as one can try to envision past glories, the carnage seems so final when witnessed firsthand. This scene, as we all know, has occurred repeatedly in British Columbia over the last 150 years, where ancient forests have been fast disappearing. The reasons for preserving these trees becomes more pronounced every day!
Duncan was reminded of what he had witnessed the previous year, when taking part in the Fairy Creek Blockade, which tried to prevent old growth logging in the Port Renfrew area. An important contribution he made there was a series of short interviews he recorded, asking visitors to the blockade one simple question: “Why are you here? ” The heartfelt responses he gathered truly showed the passion people have for saving the trees ( those interviews can be seen by clicking on the stories titled “Blockade #…” on Duncan’s Instagram page). Struggling to achieve those goals came up short, unfortunately, as British Columbia’s laws have always had a decided bias toward industry.
We walked on, making more observations. Nearby, the entire length of a massive Douglas fir lay prostrate, its trunk serving as a walkway into the adjoining forest. There, the crown of another giant pierced the clearing skies. We investigated, pausing in reverence of this survivor. Here was a place to linger, and appreciate the marvels of nature!
Skirting the edge of another cut block, we noted that there were more ancient trees that had been set aside, as we carefully negotiated a small ridge. Meanwhile, lively conversation ensued, as the mood lightened. Unexplored forests, the never ending trials and tribulations of the Covid- 19 pandemic, the joys of world travel, and even Ira’s epic summer drywall project all made for topics of discussion All of that chatter was happily interrupted by the discovery of several more giants, two standing, and a third now fallen. There, we spent time taking measurements, and counting the growth rings of a massive cedar stump. I’ve always been fascinated that trees so effectively record their own age, almost as though nature was well aware that information would be relevant someday!
With the use of LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), Greg is able to examine map images which identify tall trees and their large canopies. Then, he will analyze the landscape in order to plan reasonable access to those trees. The imaging is so detailed that it’s possible to navigate terrain even more efficiently than with conventional mapping. Typically, Greg’s idea is to visit some well known trees, as well as to search out some uncharted objectives. If you enjoy the forest and have a ready sense of adventure, there are few more enjoyable ways to spend the day!
What followed was challenging, as we worked our way toward a slope which would eventually lead us toward a creek canyon. The ground now became very difficult, with visibility obscured by tall ferns, and forward progress delayed by countless obstructions. Eventually we found ourselves crossing that creek, then scuffling up an extremely steep bank on its opposite side. Once we had covered the worst of the ground, we decided it was high time to stop for lunch!
As I tried to keep my sandwich away from the ever vigilant Angus the Springer Spaniel, Greg scrutinized the intended route more closely. He announced that our next quarry, a sizeable Douglas fir, was not too distant and looked to be on comparatively friendly terrain. This of course was met by a chorus of laughter; I’m not even sure the dogs believed him at the time, but it did turn out to be true, within reason! We climbed the remainder of the spine alongside the creek, then began an ascending traverse to avoid a cut block, and keep it below our stance.
Once we had reached relatively level ground, I was walking through a thicket of thorny devil’s club with Ben, when I heard Ira call out loudly. He had taken a slightly lower line than I across the slope and was elated about what he’d just found. Greg and Duncan followed quickly, and soon we could all see why he was so excited. Before us stood a massive western red cedar that was likely over a thousand years old, which we measured at 3.84 metres in diameter!
This giant easily met the 3.10 metre size threshold needed to qualify for protection under the BCTS Legacy Tree Program, but incredulously, it still falls just short of the Province of BC Special Tree Protection Regulation standard, currently set at 3.85 metres. Interestingly, in 2019, the provincial government introduced limits that were in keeping with those introduced BCTS in 2017, yet those were repealed and replaced with higher size limits in 2020. More here.
Few living beings exude the magic of an ancient cedar, and this one had all the storybook qualities. Curiously, a vigorous western hemlock which had germinated years ago in a modest pocket on the tree’s trunk, and now reached high into the forest canopy above. Just steps away, a cluster of bigleaf maple trees grew on a slide boulder field, where many full sized trees had been thrown unceremoniously to the forest floor by windstorms. This was not the safest ground to negotiate, as you could never be quite sure where to place your next step!
We knew that the fir Greg had wanted to investigate was just thirty metres away, yet we could not locate it until we were practically standing right beside its massive trunk. Encroaching trees prevented a proper and accurate measurement, but the sturdy fir was well over two metres in diameter. Based on age values we have determined lately by core sampling trees, it is reasonable to estimate it may already have seen ten centuries as well!
Well, nobody ever says bushwhacking is easy, and the next hour was a classic illustration of that statement. The four of us wove our way carefully through thickets of salmonberry and young shoots of red alder, as we battled our way down toward a badly overgrown logging spur. Roughly one in every three steps landed us on stable ground, I’d guess, but who’s counting? We were truly happy to emerge on the main road that would lead us to the finale of our expedition.
Once there, a short walk brought us to one of the true gems of the Nahmint Valley, that being a massive Douglas fir known as the Alberni Giant. A true leviathan, it measures 3.64 metres in diameter and ranks fifth in its class on British Columbia’s Big Tree Registry. At Greg’s urging, I led us on the path toward this giant, pausing on the way to admire a beautiful western red cedar. A minute or two later, an immense shadow emerged before us, belonging to the Alberni Giant!
We were undoubtedly in the presence of greatness, because even twenty five metres off the ground, this tree still likely measures close to two and a half metres in diameter! It is protected by both the BCTS Legacy Tree Program and the government’s Special Tree Protection Regulation, and is also designated as a Wildlife Tree. “Well, what do you think now, Duncan? Is seeing this beauty worth all the punishment we just endured?” The smile on his face gave Greg the answer he’d asked for!
The day then took on a much more relaxed pace, once we had befriended the Alberni Giant. Greg suggested we drive over to the Nahmint Bridge so that we could spend some time beside the river.
Next, we began the long journey back to Port Alberni, where we were to part company with Duncan, before visiting the Alberni Brewing Company for some well deserved refreshments! Greg had warned me, over coffee that morning, that a single visit to the Nahmint Valley would do little more than arouse my curiosity, compelling me to return there over and over again. That may have sounded trite at the time, but sure enough, by the end of the day, it had earned the ring of truth. I could not wait for the next expedition!
*******AUTHOR’S NOTE*******
Thanks for this story go out to my companions on this fine day; Duncan Morrison, Ira Sutherland, and especially Greg Herringer, without whose guidance this trek would not have been possible. I would also like to acknowledge the Hupačasath, Tseshaht, and Ucluelet First Nations, on whose ancestral lands this adventure unfolded. Credit, too, to the Ancient Forest Alliance, whose dedicated campaign ultimately helped lead to more preservation of Nahmint Valley’s ancient forests.
Nobody would dispute that the relationships between the forest industry, provincial government, First Nations, and conservationists remain contentious, but I still see windows of opportunity to improve these relationships. The next two decades of forest management are going to be crucial to the environment and now, more than ever, it’s time to begin changing the status quo. Why not leave the boardrooms and accomplish that goal by walking through these forests together? To my mind, clear decisions are made when everyone understands what is at stake. The fate of our remaining giants, meanwhile, hangs in the balance.
bctreehunter 
Wow. What a tree. What a story!
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This was one of the more memorable days we’ve had in the forest. Nahmint Valley is so full of surprises!
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Your stories and especially your photos are first-rate. I’m thrilled to see a connection between your ideas of legacy and a legacy story about trees that I’m getting underway. Hint: It will be about Ocotea hartshorniana, a tropical species found in Costa Rica. Stay tuned.
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Glad you’re enjoying, I look forward to hearing more about what you’re doing, as well
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