Originally covering 60 million acres, the once continuous coastal forest between Alaska and Northern California has been severely altered, such that no undisturbed watersheds remain in California, Oregon, or Washington. Although much of the coast of British Columbia and Alaska has also been heavily impacted, some intact expanses of lowland old growth forest still remain and populations of wild salmon, grizzly bear, wolf, and wolverine can still be found. Given the critical loss of populations, species, communities, habitats, and ecosystems worldwide, the value of the extant wildlands remaining along this coast cannot be overstated, as these areas represent some of the last remaining examples of coastal temperate rainforest.



With a small group of students, Round River began working in British Columbia in 1993, in cooperation with the Big House Society of the Heiltsuk First Nation and with the Raincoast Conservation Society. Today we are working in several regions in British Columbia and in 2006 Round River rejoins the Heiltsuk First Nation in the Coast Watch Program.