The inland temperate rainforest is an important part of the Yellowstone to Yukon region that stretches some 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) from Idaho to northern British Columbia, about 310 miles (500 km) from the Pacific coast.
Found nowhere else in the world, the inland temperature rainforest is home to rare old-growth trees including ancient cedars that rival the coastal giants. Endangered mountain caribou, flying squirrels and grizzly bears plus a vast array of bird and plant life make their home here.
These forests provide food, water, fuel, medicines, timber, recreation and tourism opportunities, as well as fulfill cultural and spiritual needs for people living in communities nearby, including Indigenous Peoples.
The inland temperate rainforest is a special, resilient place that has lasted for millennia.
But now it needs your help.
Old-growth at risk
Approaches to forestry need to change
Current forestry rules and regulations under B.C.’s Forest and Range Practices Act are not working to protect the sustainability of these one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable, structurally and ecologically complex forests. These old-growth trees and unique habitat are ours to keep. We can only keep what we have intact, today.
You can help protect these rare ancient giants. The habitat, wildlife and people living in and near the inland temperate rainforest depend on it. Take one or more of the actions below to get involved and protect our old growth.
Take action now
Protect our rare ancient giants
Make a call: Dial the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development office at 250-387-6240 and leave a message asking her to keep the promise and get to work on protecting all at risk old growth forests and sticking to the timelines to transition the industry in this province.
Join the movement: Many groups are forming in communities, organizing rallies and peaceful demonstrations, demanding that their nearby old growth be protected. Find your friends and join these events to take a stand for your local stand. Near Revelstoke: Check out Old Growth Revylution
Know of others working on this issue in the Yellowstone to Yukon geography? Let us know. Email nadine (at) y2y (dot) net.
Find your stand
Explore these special places
People protect the places they love. For people living in interior communities such as Nelson, Nakusp, Revelstoke, Golden and others, the inland temperate rainforest is a part of life.
Many of us are fortunate to have individual trees, stands, and stretches of old growth forest in our own backyards. These are special places, and we encourage you to get to know your local old growth.
We need people to speak up and tell the stories of these places. Tell us what you found! Share your photos and stories with us and the world. Inspire others to take action.
Y2Y has access to georeferenced detailed maps that you can use on any field trip. Do you live near some big trees? Want to know just how old they are and if they are threatened?
Ask us and we can create a map for your location. Kmz files also available. Email nadine (at) y2y (dot) net.
Grow more
Additional information and reading
Grow your knowledge about old growth. Learn about these fantastic forests, how precarious the situation is, and what we can do about it.
Conservation groups join community and First Nations’ call for action on old-growth: Y2Y media release from July 21, 2021
BC’s old Growth Forest: A Last Stand for Biodiversity: Old forest comes in many forms. Read this analysis to understand what’s left. The details are complex, but the big picture answers are easy and clear.
A New Future for Old Forests: The B.C. Government accepted this independent report and committed to all 14 recommendations, from immediate response to ecosystems at very high risk to transforming the forest industry. Understand what B.C. said they’d do, and hold them accountable to their promise.
Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs demand change: See the press release and resolution from the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs calling on the B.C. Government to implement all 14 recommendations of the old growth panel and to ensure that immediate deferrals include all threatened old growth forests.
Species Extinction: Industry out of control: an interactive mapping tool to save species at risk in B.C. Built by the Wilderness Committee this StoryMap highlights key species, including interactive habitat maps, showing approved and pending logging activities. Mountain caribou are an endangered species and depend on old growth forests.
Old Growth and Resilience: Use the links provided to access maps and research relevant to the paradigm shift for old growth management underway in British Columbia.
