Portraits Of The Highwood
Beginning in December 2023, Spray Lake Sawmills is logging 1,100 hectares of the Highwood Pass in Kananaskis Country. Being within driving distance of Calgary, the area has become a destination for hiking, fishing, hunting, and other forms of recreation.
For more information on the area, Spray Lakes Sawmills, the impact of the logging, and the efforts being taken to prevent it, visit the in-depth article by The Narwhal here:
“Tourists’ cars line these Rocky Mountain roads. Soon logging trucks will haul the trees away” by Drew Anderson
The following is a look at eight individuals who frequently visit the area and an exploration of their outlook on the clear-cutting. All images were photographed in various locations throughout the Highwood Pass.
Isis, Owner of Tender Living Farm
The Highwood River and surrounding area holds a special spot in my heart. As someone who works with plants on a daily basis, I am constantly in a state of admiration and observation of the beauty and abundance this area holds. It’s an absolute treasure trove of wild native plants that the denizens of the Highwood rely on, not to mention the absolutely stunning scenery it offers to all who visit.
I think it is so important to protect and defend places like this, as an act of hope. I really believe with the privilege of enjoying these wild spaces, comes a responsibility to advocate for them. To log this area would be unbelievably devastating to the plant and animal populations, not to mention the wellbeing of so many. It’s important to have these wild spaces to visit and enjoy, and the Highwood is such a special one.
Dewy, Owner and Operator of Anchor D Guiding & Outfitting
Having been outfitting and guiding in the Highwood area for 40 years the area has not only become a big part of my life, but also my business. Being a permitted, operational outfitter we use the Highwood area to showcase Canada, and Albertas, beauty to guests from all over the world.
Although I understand the importance and value of logging, both for resources and fire protection, I hope we can explore an alternative route to clearcutting the entire area.
Having been a guide in the Highwood area for over 40 years, this region has not only become a significant part of my life but also the foundation of my business. As a permitted operational outfitter, we utilize the Highwood area to introduce guests from all over of the world to the natural beauty of Canada and Alberta.
While I acknowledge the significance of logging for resources and fire protection, I sincerely hope that we can consider alternative approaches instead of resorting to clearcutting the area.
Becky, Member of Take A Stand Kananaskis
Since I have lived in Southern AB, the Highwood has been a sanctuary for me. Whether through a long lunch in the forest on a hike with friends, backcountry wagon trips into its upper reaches or a quick dip after work on a 35 degree day, it has been a place to escape to and recharge in.
Rethinking how we treat our rivers and wild places in Alberta is something that weighs heavily on me. Something that I think about a lot, in relation to the Highwood, is the concept of ‘shifting baselines’ or ‘landscape amnesia’. I come from a generation and a culture that does not have the institutional memory of what was once here and what was on our landscape. This place once held an abundance that I truly can’t comprehend. And after generations of prioritising industrial development and ‘death by a thousand cuts’ style management, we have no memory of what these places once were and instead are left squabbling with government and industry over protecting a dozen trout here or a couple metres of setback there. This work is important, but really this case of logging in the Highwood illustrates to me how we have failed our landscapes and wildlife more broadly, and how we have to do better.
Jeff, Angler & Hunter
My connection with the Highwood River began the day I was legally allowed to drive there. Stories of football-sized Cutthroat and Bull Trout as thick as your leg quickly became tangible facts, and the valley echoed with screaming reels. My connection with the area began 30 years ago, and I guess in that amount of time, it becomes special.
Protecting the Highwood is a multi-layered discussion that includes a multitude of negative impacts on our wildlife resource. What once lived there now only passes through. From any animal's perspective, we have effectively created an incredibly massive area of land that holds little to no value. Logging is a necessity, for now. Let's not destroy this place only to find a sustainable solution once it's gone.
Courtney, Co-Owner of Barun Fox
I have been recreating in the Highwood for what feels like forever, whether it be hiking, dipping in the river on a hot day, biking, or ski touring early season. It’s always been a pretty special spot that feels untouched. The Highwood also has a community of people who care deeply about the land, folks who have spoken up about how they hope the landscape should be conserved for future generations and for the species that call that spot home. I have been lucky enough to be welcomed into that community.
The Highwood is an important watershed that supports an abundance of wildlife, such as at-risk native trout. These waterways also supply communities downstream with clean water. The intact forest mitigates flood and drought risk for those very same neighbors. This is something that we need to think about sooner rather than later. Once those forests are gone, the ground's capacity to store and release water is gone too.
Kananaskis is also an incredibly special place for people to recreate. It is visited by five million people annually because of its pristine beauty. The tourism value of this area alone is a sustainable source of revenue for the province and is economically more beneficial than timber harvesting in the long run. In Alberta, our forests are slow-growing. I have personally witnessed clear-cutting on the Eastern Slope landscape and have seen the degradation of important carbon sinks such as fens and bogs. I have seen leftover stands strewn on the landscape like kindling waiting to be burned, and ten-year-old replanted forests with trees only as high as my knees. I know things can be done differently on our landscape, and today, what I see is a broken practice that needs to be updated and responsibly managed. I dream of a future where my children get to wander in forests of multi-aged trees with intact ecosystems. For me, the conservation of Kananaskis should not just be a misleading $90 pass but actionable steps towards making the whole area of Kananaskis a protected park.
Neil, Founder of Take A Stand Kananaskis
My family and friends have been enjoying the Highwood and Kananaskis Country since 1977/78. A wonderful place to camp, hike, photograph and heal. Many personal memories through the years and seasons.
If I cannot help protect the Highwood and K-Country headwaters, wild lands and wild life what purpose do I have? The recreation values of this area needs to be protected because that are very few of these easy to access places left for people to enjoy with family and friends. Besides the Highwood we need to protect the Sheep, Elbow, Ghost, Cataract, and Kananaskis River watersheds.
Michael, Co-Owner of Barun Fox
Growing up in the foothills of the Rockies, I was super lucky to have parents that introduced me to the all the corners of Kananaskis at an early age. Recreating in the Highwood throughout my life has given me the chance to see many of its incredible vistas, all of which are unspoiled by humans. The upper Highwood is the last pocket of Kananaskis outside of the protected areas that hasn’t seen large-scale industrial clearcutting and it’s worth fighting to keep it that way.
Large-scale landscape conservation is one of the best actions we can take in the face of the climate crisis. Preserving pristine headwater regions like the Highwood is not only beneficial to us but also necessary for the entire ecosystem. Specifically, the threatened trout species that inhabit the area rely on cold, clear water to thrive. The removal of the forest canopy and the construction of logging roads, which are known to release sediment, have the opposite effect.
Dylan, Photographer
As a trail runner, hiker, and photographer, Kananaskis and the Highwood area have become my go-to destination for both leisure and work. Having access to the trails, rivers, and breathtaking scenery of the Highwood and its surroundings is an integral part of my experience as an Albertan.
Initially, when the $90 'Conservation Pass' was introduced, I believed it signified the Alberta Government's commitment to preserving the area and acknowledging the significance of our wilderness for the recreation of Albertans. However, permitting logging in the region has left me questioning these values. It is crucial to safeguard the Highwood and similar areas to ensure that current and future generations of Albertans can continue to enjoy these natural spaces that make our province so special.
To read more visit…
Take A Stand Kananaskis: https://www.kcountryclearcut.ca/
