Echo Lake is a spectacular, unprotected, lowland ancient forest near Agassiz, BC on the east side of the Lower Fraser Valley. It is in the unceded territory of the Sts’ailes First Nations band (formerly the Chehalis Indian Band).
The area is home to perhaps the largest concentration of bald eagles on Earth, where thousands of eagles come each fall to eat spawning salmon in the Harrison and Chehalis Rivers and hundreds roost in the old-growth trees at night around Echo Lake. It is also home to bears, cougars, deer, mountain goats, and osprey, and was historically populated by the critically endangered northern spotted owl.
The vigilance of local landowners on the east side of Echo Lake, whose private lands restrict access to the old-growth forests on the Crown lands on the west side of the lake, have held-off industrial logging of the lake’s old-growth forests for decades. Local conservationists are interested in increased protection for eagles in the Harrison/Chehalis area, and the protection of the Echo Lake Ancient Forest where the eagles roost at night. Photos by TJ Watt.
Please sign our online petition demanding the BC government protect endangered old-growth forest and forestry jobs in BC.
**Please note: Because of private lands blocking access to the Crown lands, individual hikers are not allowed to traverse the private property. Only organized hikes through the AFA through landowners’ permission are allowed. Please email us at info@ancientforestalliance.org if you want to come on a future hike.
