RAINBOW-JORDAN WILDERNESS

The Rainbow – Jordan Wilderness is the most intact remaining inland temperate rainforest discovered in British Columbia’s Monashee Mountain Range. The 8,408-hectare area includes parts of three valleys, comprising a stretch of unroaded wilderness of diverse habitats, including ancient inland temperate rainforest (ITR) and rare wetland ecosystems.

North of Revelstoke, the Rainbow-Jordan Wilderness includes parts of the Frisby Valley, Jordan Valley, and an unnamed valley just north of the two that was christened “Rainbow Valley” by lichenologist Dr. Toby Spribille. Since its discovery in 2017 this pristine wilderness is being recognized as the fouth known biodiversity hotspot of the inland temperate rainforest ecosystem.

Of the four inland rainforest hotspots, only part of the Robson Valley has been protected. The three remaining biodiversity hotspots must all be protected to enhance biological resiliency amid the impending landscape changes that scientists project to increase due to global warming. Since the discovery of the famous Incomappleux Valley, no other ITR ecosystem was thought to still exist with such intactness and extraordinary biodiversity. The completely intact Frisby Valley includes significant remaining low-elevation tracts of ancient Interior Cedar-Hemlock forest (ICH).

The full proposal covers low and middle-elevation slopes, including 4467.8-ha of federally designated critical habitat for the Frisby Boulder herd of mountain caribou. Though their presence has not been confirmed in recent years due in part to inconsistent censusing, this wilderness was historically frequented by mountain caribou.

The unnamed valley at the north end of the proposal was christened Rainbow Valley by the research team. There are multiple wetland ecosystems. 2473-ha of the proposal area is already provincially designated as a no-logging Ungulate Winter Range for mountain caribou.

Along the Jordan River in the southern part of the proposal are vast, intact Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir (ESSF) forests on gentle slopes that could make valuable recovery habitat.

The eastern side of the proposal borders the Frisby Ridge recreation area. Extensive nearby logging, as well as motorized and non-motorized recreation on Frisby Ridge, demand equivalent, adjacent refugia for sensitive ecosystems and wildlife of the region. Mountain caribou are especially in need of unroaded refugia for their survival and recovery

Tourism. Stunning waterfalls are just one of many notable landscape features within the proposed park. The Rainbow-Jordan Wilderness offers a unique opportunity for B.C. tourism. Visitors can venture into the proposed park from multiple access points that lead to unique scenic wonders of an ancient world. Travelling along established wildlife trails, visitors can experience rare ecosystems never altered by human beings. The ancient cathedral forests surrounded by towering mountain peaks create a feeling of true wildness, of solitude, or of a time in the distant past.

Old-growth forests treasured by explorers are also vital to the survival of local biodiversity. These ancient remnant ecosystems are libraries of information with huge benefits to human health and medicine, clues to advancement in technology and engineering, and keys to uncovering the secrets of life itself. The Rainbow-Jordan Wilderness is one example of such few remaining biodiversity hotspots in the interior of BC that its protection could provide a significant increase in the refuge for certain rare species in the southern Interior Wetbelt region, and could lead to the discovery of new species to science.

The proposal also lies within the area of a traditional village and fishing site of a large band of Sinixt peoples. Much of their cultural heritage has been lost through overdevelopment and resource extraction from similar ecosystems that have since disappeared.

Researchers have only scratched the surface of what is to be discovered in this vast wilderness. The proposed Rainbow-Jordan Wilderness Park is a unique mosaic of habitat types interspersed between significant tracts of ancient inland temperate rainforest. Only the wettest Interior Cedar-Hemlock forests are considered true rainforests. The intact, ancient remnants of these forests are incredibly rare. Ferns growing high in the crevices of ancient cedars indicate a very wet ecosystem. They also harbour an assemblage of rare species, including old-growth dependent and coastal rainforest species that can remarkably survive inland due to the consistent moisture in these ancient, low-elevation forests.

The ancient forests of the Rainbow-Jordan Wilderness have survived through many centuries of landscape disturbances. Some of the ancient rainforest in the proposal has survived wildfires. Likely, it has also withstood pests, disease, climate variation and roaring winds. In the midst of a mass extinction event and rapid climate warming, safeguarding this resilient haven of biodiversity should be an absolute priority for British Columbia. Old-growth forests are now considered a non-renewable resource. If they are logged, these forests under the pressure of climate change will never return to what they once were, even if they are allowed to grow past an 80-year harvest cycle.

Forests of the Rainbow-Jordan are lush with life. Ideal growing conditions have produced thriving plant and lichen communities, including ancient mosses and some lichen species found in larger colonies than previously recorded inland. Researchers have also documented unusually gigantic plants, including 10-foot-tall groves of devil’s club – an important First Nations medicinal plant. If this forest were given the chance to rejuvenate from logging, it would not produce trees of this stature again until at least the year 3000.

Lichens are an indicator of ecosystem health. They are sensitive to pollution and to moisture loss caused by forest fragmentation. The diversity of lichens found in the proposal rivals that of the most biodiverse inland rainforests yet found. All but one of the rare species found in the Incomappleux have been found in the Rainbow-Jordan Wilderness, plus a discovery that has never been found in the Incomappleux. A significant finding: The Methuselah’s beard lichen, Usnea longissima, was found in large colonies in the proposal area. Only small fragments of this lichen had previously been discovered inland at two widely different locations. Lichens fix nitrogen in the soil and provide nesting materials to small animals. As a primary food source to mountain caribou and other animals, lichens play a fundamental role in the inland rainforest ecosystem. The rapid loss of the ancient inland rainforest threatens the survival of species that rely directly on old-growth-dependent lichens, and of species that are inextricably supported by their ecosystem function.

It was widely believed that northern conifer forests were low in biodiversity. Today these forests are being recognized worldwide for their remarkable species diversity that exists most abundantly in small forms such as lichens, fungi, and bryophytes. These smaller organisms form the basis of the entire food chain. Of the lichen samples identified to date, three Blue and one Red-listed species were documented as well as one species that had never been found in B.C. The federally listed Smoker’s Lung Lichen, Lobaria retigera, is a “flagship” species for other rare lichens and bryophytes. In three days of research, botanist Curtis Björk identified a total of 368 plant species. This diversity creates an ecosystem resilience unparalleled by less intact systems.

Like other small organisms of the inland rainforest, insects are the foundation of the food chain. The pristine, moisture-rich inland temperate rainforest and wetlands of the Jordan-Rainbow wilderness breed diverse insect life that sustains the whole ecosystem. Unfortunately, leading biodiversity experts warn that this basis of the food chain is where ecosystems are most at risk of collapse. Abundant insect life has been observed in the proposal area. Complete entomological surveys are expected to yield interesting results. 40% of the earth’s insect species may go extinct over the next few decades as a result of habitat loss, pollution, climate change and biological changes that include invasive species and disease.

Securing ancient refugia that are resilient to climate and biological change is crucial to human survival. Beyond parts of the scenic landscape that are reasonably accessible, this biodiversity hotspot is a safe haven from human disturbance. Abundant ecosystem services provided by pristine remaining habitats, such as the Rainbow-Jordan Wilderness, are necessary to sustain life on Earth. Some of these services include carbon sequestration, fresh water and oxygen production, and pollination.

Mushrooms. The abundance of macrofungi (mushrooms) in the proposal is so overwhelming that nowhere near complete surveys have been conducted. Biologists are amazed by the diversity. Biologist Tyson Ehlers recorded 112 taxonomic classifications in only five hours in just a small part of Frisby Valley. Fungi play an important role in old-growth forests where they feed many different wildlife and insect species and store the majority of the forest’s carbon in underground networks. In Ehlers’ survey of the Frisby Valley, 71% of species were documented in the old-growth forest, with 15% from mixed age forest, 9% from young forest, and 5% from a riparian area near a small pond. Rich old-growth mushroom diveristy suggests a complexity of underground mycelial networks that contribute greatly to the health and stability of the ecosystem.

Deeply rutted wildlife trails may have been formed by large numbers of mountain caribou. Biodiversity loss is what scientists consider to be the other major threat facing humankind, next to climate change. Pressures from high-density recreation, logging and development in adjacent areas leave wildlife struggling to find refuge. In the Rainbow-Jordan Wilderness, life can flourish in a resilient and undisturbed system of diverse habitats.

Shaped by numerous natural disturbances including wildfires, huge rockfalls, debris torrents and avalanches, this wilderness is a mosaic of connected habitats.  Wetlands adjacent to forested habitats are incredibly valuable to migrating amphibian species.• Extensive young forest created by fire. • Very old forest, with many trees around two to three metres in diameter, with some trees measuring 3.5 m. • Elfin hemlock forest composed of old, gnarled, trees stunted in size due to rocky growing sites. • Many cottonwoods along Frisby Creek and a cottonwood forest that has not yet been surveyed, but is expected to be alive with birds, bats, fishers and many other animals. • Old Western Red Cedar trees with hollow bases for potential black bear dens. • Riparian areas including lakeshore, creeks and wetlands. • An alder swamp with alder trees hung lavishly with large growths of lichen.

Researchers found a juvenile Pacific chorus frog and an adult western toad in the vicinity of a wetland, suggesting a locally important breeding area for amphibians. Loss of numerous valley-bottom wetlands and old redcedar forests from the flooding for Revelstoke dam reservoir makes these wetlands significant from a rainforest biodiversity perspective, confirming the value of the study area as a potential provincial park.”

A Balch rockside in Frisby Valley — a slope of huge boulders the size of houses where trapped snow and cold air has created a unique growing environment for lush colonies of mosses and lichens. McCrory was unable to detect evidence of use by mountain caribou, although potential scat was found by other participants. However, the broad, well-worn wildlife trails through much of the proposal indicate that there is much more to learn about wildlife in the Rainbow-Jordan Wilderness.

8 Red listed species Southern Mountain Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) Haller’s apple moss (Bartramia halleriana) Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) Limber pine (Pinus flexilis) Umatilla Dace (Rhinichthys umatilla) Blue-listed species Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida) Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) Wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus) Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) Black Swift (Cypseloides niger) Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) Magnum Mantleslug (Magnipelta mycophaga) Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) Shorthead Sculpin (Cottus confusus) Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus)

Endangered Species. In addition to an anticipated list of species undocumented or unknown to science, the following endangered species are listed both provincially and federally, with known occurrences. After discovering multiple rare species that are not stated here, researchers know that the number of endangered species in the proposal is actually far greater. British Columbia’s huge list of endangered and declining species will only continue to grow as the rarest habitats are also imperilled. Protecting this ancient legacy of a globally significant rainforest is fundamental to halting the massive collapse of the unique B.C. inland rainforest ecosystem. Moose, black bears, a marten or fisher, and what was likely a cougar or lynx have been documented through wildlife camera footage in the proposal area. Small mammal dens have also been noted, as well as an abundance of birds and evidence of grizzly bear habitation. The protection of forest blocks influences wolf-caribou co-occurrence.