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From the Great Bear Rainforest
Deep in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest,
on the central coast of BC, is
the small community of Klemtu, home to
the Kitasoo/Xaixais First Nation. Accessible
only by boat or seaplane, Klemtu is a remote
community with limited access to
resources, markets and economies. Consequently,
the Kitasoo have had to become
very creative in dealing with their economic
and social issues. After years of frustrated
dealings with governments and programs
that provided little or no benefit, the Kitasoo
decided that they needed to take control of
their economic, social, land and marine use
planning. Klemtu is now becoming a progressive
community, one that is guiding its
own destiny and leading the way in community
economic development.
In June of 2000, the Kitasoo released their
own cutting-edge Land Use Plan after slow
progress was being made in the Central
Coast Land and Resources Management
Planning initiative (CCLRMP). The primary
objective of the Kitasoo Land Use Plan is
to protect fish, wildlife, cultural and
The elusive Spirit Bear.
biodiversity values. The plan sets aside more
than 40% of their traditional territory as
Protected Area including the soon to be
announced ‘Spirit Bear Protected Area’. The
land that the Kitasoo are protecting and
managing in their traditional territory has
sustained their people for centuries and they
want to ensure this process continues.
In the protected areas of the Kitasoo Land
Use Plan—the Nakami Weld—logging,
mining and other resource extraction will
be prohibited. Important recreational resources
will be protected as well as key
habitats of endangered species like the elusive
white Spirit Bear (a genetic variation
of the coastal black bear), which makes its
home in the Kitasoo Territory. The remaining
land base of the traditional territory will
be designated as Integrated Use Areas and
Kitasoo totem pole.
will be managed according to Ecosystem
Based Management (EBM) principles. Land
and resources in these areas will be utilized
in a sustainable way so as to create jobs
and economic development opportunities
while conserving wildlife, fisheries and
other ecological values.
When the Kitasoo developed their land
use plan, they had full involvement from
industry stakeholders and environmental organizations,
and now the provincial government
will be incorporating the Kitasoo
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plan, in its entirety, into its Central Coast
Land and Resource Management Plan. This
will certainly mark a new direction in land
use planning for BC.
The Kitasoo are also actively involved in
economic development initiatives such as
small scale forestry and aquaculture.
Aquaculture, especially salmon farming, is
controversial and the Kitasoo are aware of
the great debates over the issue. The problem
for the Kitasoo is that in isolated coastal
communities there are limited options for
creating employment. However, there is
another option for economic development,
one that may help ensure a future for this
fragile coastal paradise. The Kitasoo are
developing Klemtu Tourism, a wilderness
tourism business. They are working on several
new tourism products in order to diversify
their economy and capitalize on the
opportunities created by the protected areas.
If successful, this may prove to be a
viable economic alternative to logging and
fish farming.
Klemtu Tourism offers several wilderness
trips based out of the remote village of
Klemtu. On these trips, guests have the opportunity
to travel through beautiful channels
and fjords, hike through pristine valleys,
view rare wildlife, and visit some of
the 100 documented ancient cultural sites.
Guests travel by motorboat or kayak to the
sites of interest. Guides share their knowledge
of indigenous plants and foods, wildlife
and local culture. You may see orcas
and humpback whales, or a magnificent
grizzly bear may splash through a stream
on the hunt for salmon. If fortune smiles on➝
February/March 2003 www.WaveLengthMagazine.com
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