Logging is a huge business in British Columbia, Canada. In the beginning of September logging had entered “The Green”, a section of land that serves as a border between the black bears and the last remaining habitat of the spirit bear.
     The spirit bear, or Kermode bear, is a rare, white, genetically unique subspecies of the black bear found only on British Columbia’s north central coast. The name Kermode derives from its scientific name Ursus americanus kermodei. They are named after Francis Kermode, who first studied these bears in the early 1900’s. Although these bears have a white or cream-colored coat, they are not albino. The white coat is caused by a double recessive gene. The recessive gene can be found in both the white and black color variations of these bears. Only one out of every ten bears is born white making them very rare. There are only about 400 spirit bears left today. These bears are important because black bears outside of Princess Royal and the surrounding watershed do not carry this gene.
     The spirit bear is ecologically important to the area. Their white color allows them to catch more salmon than most bears. This provides more rotting fish carcasses that can be deposited over the forest floor. When they break down, these carcasses provide nutrients for the trees to grow. The amount of trees able to grow in this area helps to sustain one of the largest land carbon sinks in the world. The land that the spirit bear inhabits also contains populations of grizzly bears, genetically unique coastal wolves, sitka deer, bald eagles, orca whales, and over 60 salmon spawning streams with five different species of salmon, just to name a few. If this habitat disappears, so will all of these species.
       Due to the hard work and dedication of one young man, Simon Jackson, the spirit bears became recognized in Canada as an important animal that must be protected. Simon Jackson founded the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition (SBYC) to save the habitat of the spirit bear. He was on the cover of Time Magazine as the youngest person to accomplish so much for the planet. Now the SBYC has over six million members located in over 65 countries, including celebrities like J.K. Rowling, Jane Goodall, Sum 41, No Doubt, and Robert F. Kennedy Junior. Together, their power in numbers has gotten the Premier of Canada to protect two thirds of the bear’s habitat. Now the last third has been opened up to logging.
       If logging continues in The Green, bears that do not carry the unique gene will be forced to move into the spirit bear’s territory. This will dilute the gene pool and could cause the gene to disappear completely. Logging, and the roads that come with it, would also result in easier access for hunters and poachers to get to these animals, fewer bear dens, a disrupted nutrient cycle, and the overall degradation of the health of the ecosystem.  
       The Canadian government is talking about having the spirit bear be the mascot for the 2010 winter Olympics, but if logging is allowed to continue they may find themselves with a mascot but no actual bear to represent it. A Hollywood movie about spirit bears is being produced and is due to premier in theatres next year. But if logging does not cease, the movie may be released too late to save this unique animal.  
       The SBYC is not against logging, but there are other available places. The coalition believes that there are sustainable ways to log, but taking down the habitat of the spirit bear is not one of them. It is not too late to save this fascinating species.
      There are a few ways that anyone, no matter where you live, can help. One is to visit http://www.spiritbearyouth.org/ and sign up to become a member of the Spirit Bear Youth coalition. Donations are welcome and all proceeds go towards protecting the bears. Another way is to write a letter to Premier Gordon Campbell and ask him to protect the 80,000 hectare Green wilderness. His address can be found at the youth coalition website along with his email and phone number. The last way is to write a letter to the editor of your local paper expressing your support for the spirit bear.
      It’s not too late to make a difference. Make your voice heard, people will listen.