Imagine walking through a sun-streaked forest of Douglas Firs that were already 500 years old when the first Europeans landed in BC—trees as wide as houses and as tall as skyscrapers. Picture a river churning with spawning sockeye salmon, white Kermode bear cubs playing in the mystical Great Bear Rainforest, or a raft of sea otters floating on their backs at dusk. At Sierra Club BC, we are passionately committed to safeguarding B.C.’s wild places and promoting responsible use of our natural resources. Special Places.

We live in a province so dazzling that our vehicle license plates call it “Beautiful B.C.” and “The Best Place on Earth”. Yet more than one-half of B.C.’s ancient forests have vanished, and only a small percentage of those that remain are legally protected. BC’s unique wild places are threatened by forestry policies, climate change, oil tanker traffic, unscrupulous extraction of resources like coalbed methane, pipelines, pollution and unbridled development. Threats to our Forests and Wilderness.

Working with other conservation organizations, Sierra Club BC has spearheaded winning campaigns that have protected enough B.C. wilderness to cover nearly all of Belize, or almost four Prince Edward Islands. These include the mystical Great Bear Rainforest and Robson Bight Ecological Reserve, home to a world-famous orca whale rubbing beach. We also helped develop the certification standard for sustainable forestry in B.C. Campaigns Overview.

Canada’s only grizzly bear sanctuary. Taken by Al Harvey, Slidefarm photo files.

We work to preserve wilderness and encourage sustainable forestry practices by:

• Protecting critical old-growth forests.
• Ensuring that BC parks and protected areas remain closed to development.  
• Promoting forest management practices that ensure ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change.
• Working with First Nations to achieve mutual goals
• Fostering an enduring grassroots commitment to wild spaces through our guided Outings program that introduces people to urban parks, wilderness and the marine environment.
• Creating and publishing maps of B.C.’s ancient rainforests, logging activity and land use plans. BC Solutions That Work.  

Only a small fraction of B.C.’s wilderness and wildlife are legally protected. As climate change puts new pressures on surviving wild spaces, Sierra Club BC’s role as an environmental watchdog and conservation champion is more vital than ever. With your help, we will ensure many conservation milestones are met this year--and far beyond. What You Can Do.