A six-hectare parcel of old-growth forest in the San Juan River Valley, near Port Renfrew, has been dubbed Mossome Grove (a combination of 鈥渕ossy鈥� and 鈥渁wesome鈥�) by the conservationists who recently came across it.
It includes huge old-growth Sitka spruce and big-leaf maples adorned with hanging moss and ferns.
At present, most of the grove is unprotected. It is on Crown land.
Ken Wu, executive director of the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance, said the site is special.
鈥淚 think anybody who sees the photos and, at some point, gets a chance to visit the area will recognize it as one of the most beautiful and photogenic forests on Earth, literally. It would be hard for Hollywood to top this one.鈥�
Wu said he marvels at the rare combination of 鈥渢all, straight, solid Sitka spruce鈥� and ancient, mossy maples resembling 鈥減rehistoric, shaggy monsters.鈥�
鈥淭hey鈥檙e like the epitome of all the greatest qualities of ancient forests combined in one grove.鈥�
TJ Watt of the Ancient Forest Alliance said the grove should be 鈥渢he new poster child for sa国际传媒鈥檚 endangered ancient forests.鈥�
For now, those who found the grove are not saying exactly where it us, Wu said.
鈥淎t this point in time, we鈥檙e not going to disclose the location because there鈥檚 no trails there and it鈥檚 a fairly sensitive site,鈥� he said. 鈥淔irst things first, we鈥檝e got to get the area protected and the old growth protected.鈥�
Included in the grove are the ninth-widest Sitka spruce and ninth-widest big-leaf maple in sa国际传媒, Wu said.
鈥淭he spruce is over 10 feet wide, the maple is almost eight feet wide.鈥�
He said second-growth forest dominates much of the sa国际传媒 landscape, so it鈥檚 important to protect the major old growth that is left.
Wu said the provincial government is working to establish a new old-growth management policy.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know what that consists of yet.鈥�
