The flora and fauna of the Queen Charlotte Islands in western Canada, and the traditional culture of the indigenous Haida people, are under threat from the logging industry. The Haida are working with the logging companies to try to minimise the negative effects on their culture and the local ecology, but, for now, there is only so much they can do.
Fifty years ago, the logging industry discovered the forests on the islands and since then the timber trade has become the backbone of the provincial economy. To date, half of the forest has been cut down.
The most favoured tree is the cedar. Cedars can grow up to 75 metres tall and over 5 metres in diameter and they have been known to live 1,500 years. The wood is straight-grained, aromatic and bacteria-resistant, and reportedly the most valuable wood in the world. However, it also has a place at the heart of the culture of the Haida people.
Ingrid Plante Radio Netherlands 01 April 2003
