Physical Accessibility of Cedar for Cultural Use in Haida Gwaii Cedar Stewardship Areas
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Often referred to as the edge of the world, Haida Gwaii is an island archipelago off the northwest coast of British Columbia. Home to the Haida peoples for thousands of years, its forests are dominated by western hemlock, Sitka spruce, western red cedar, yellow cedar, and red alder. Cedar is the newest arrival on the islands, showing up around 1230 BC, however, due to its rot-resistant properties, it was adapted into all aspects of Haida life, from cradle to grave. Cedar became central to Haida culture, making red and yellow cedar important to protect to ensure future generations of Haida have access to the wood as well. Logging became widespread across the islands a few decades after the turn of the century because the large trees of the temperate rainforest region were prized for building materials. After decades of logging, particularly old growth trees, members of the Haida Nation brought forward a mandate in 1993 and again in 2001 over concern about the over-logging of cedar trees, fearing the loss of cultural sustainability. In response to this, Cedar Stewardship Areas (CSAs) were created with the intention of preserving cedar, and a management plan for the areas was published in 2016. This study uses the 2016 management plan as a foundation and builds on it by revisiting the CSAs and analyzing their physical accessibility for members of the Haida Nation. This is done by spatially assessing three factors; species dominance to determine cedar dominant stands within CSAs, road access and walkability from the roads, and terrain. Overall accessibility was determined by applying an accessibility rating system to the CSAs and comparing the outcome to the results from the spatial analysis. Results reveal that less than 50% of the CSAs are cedar dominant stands, not all the areas within the CSAs are reachable by road or foot based on the criteria set forth in this study, and steep slopes in certain CSAs add to difficult access. The study recommends collaborative planning between the Haida Nation, CHN, government of BC, and local logging licensees to devise permanent routes into CSAs that will be maintained by central funding. Additionally, future ethnographical research about the importance of CSAs coupled with scientific research involving CSAs could be conducted to raise more awareness and strengthen the protection of the areas. This study aims to bridge the gap between policy and reality in terms of cultural wood access in Cedar Stewardship Areas.
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