McKelvie Valley

About McKelvie Valley

The McKelvie Valley is the last intact watershed in the Tahsis region. It is home to rare, ancient Douglas-fir stands, provides high-quality habitat for the endangered marbled murrelet, ensures clean water for the town of Tahsis, and is an important spawning ground for wild salmon.

Western Forest Products had previously planned to blast a road into the heart of the pristine old-growth valley to carry out upwards of 25 clearcuts. However, thanks to the community of Tahsis advocating for the protection of the valley for years, the AFA’s work to raise additional awareness about this special place, and the thousands of people who sent in letters to the government, it’s now safe from logging!

In 2020, the BC government deferred logging in the entire McKelvie watershed totaling 2,231 hectares (1,852ha of old growth). In 2021, the village of Tahsis and Western Forest Products (WFP) signed a Letter of Understanding where WFP agreed to not log the McKelvie Valley. 

Now, permanent protection of this valley and the surrounding old-growth forests is needed through the creation of new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas. The BC government must step up with conservation financing to support economic alternatives to old-growth logging to help local communities achieve this goal.

They could begin by supporting the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations Salmon Parks Initiative in Nootka Sound. This initiative would protect the McKelvie Valley and other important salmon-bearing watersheds in the region. 

The Ancient Forest Alliance, with our partner organizations the Endangered Ecosystem Alliance and the Nature-Based Solutions Foundation, are now with the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation to support this fantastic project that will safeguard a total of 312 km2 of old-growth forests.