for BC Spaces for Nature

BC Spaces for Nature is a solutions-oriented, conservation organization created in 1990 to promote the protection of British Columbia’s rich diversity of wilderness and wildlife. BC Spaces works with individuals and organizations throughout the province to ensure that British Columbia’s wild spaces remain intact. Given this mandate, BC Spaces recognized the potential that Special Management Zones could make in safeguarding these values. Hence this Citizens’ Guide has been written to help the public ensure that the Special Management Zones will indeed achieve their potential. After over 125 years of forest development, British Columbia still contains extensive temperate forests. These wildlands contain an extraordinary range of plants and animals that are the envy of the world. Consequently, British Columbians have a global responsibility to steward the environ-mental values of our province. However, for many years British Columbia’s forests have been subjected to damaging logging practices and unsustainable overcutting. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, this led to increasing conflicts between the logging industry and conservationists. In places such as Carmanah Valley and Clayoquot Sound the tensions of these confrontations became intense