Conservancy overview
Located on the northwest side of Princess Royal Island and connected to Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy, Moksgm’ol/Chapple-Cornwall Conservancy protects the habitat of the Kermode (spirit) bear, rare karst forest ecosystems, old growth forests, a diversity of wildlife habitats, several small lakes, wetlands and streams as well as important salmon spawning habitat.
A number of small bays and inlets are contained within this conservancy. One such inlet, Emily Carr Inlet/Sager Islets, contains high biodiversity values, including rare plant species, cave and karst topography. The forest is atypical of outer coastal forests, being exceptionally productive due to the presence of marble and limestone.
The conservancy and adjacent areas also have important recreational values to local and international visitors. Floating lodges, fishing (fresh and saltwater), heli-hiking, bear viewing and safe boat anchorages are some of the recreational uses.
The area also contains several culturally significant sites to local First Nations, including old village sites, traditional use areas, and several archaeological sites. One village site, Kayel, is still used by the Gitga’at First Nation each spring as a seaweed harvesting and fishing site.
Advisories
Safety info
- There are no trails and only a few old, overgrown logging roads in this wilderness area. There are some old roads near the west side of Chapple Inlet and an old road along the south side of Whalen Creek that leads to the Whalen Creek waterfalls (about 15 minute hike in) and to the west end of Whalen Lake. These old logging roads are not maintained.
- For Kermode bear gene protection, all black bear hunting is closed within 1 km of the Whalen Creek Estuary near the northwest end of Princess Royal Island.
- Be bear aware while on shore in this conservancy.
Special notes
- There is a whale research station near the conservancy, located in Taylor Bight at the south end of Gil Island. It is called Cetacealab and is operated by the North Coast Cetacean Society, a charitable organization dedicated to the research and protection of whales in BC coastal waters. They primarily study Humpback and Killer Whales that frequent Caamano Sound to Douglas Channel. Use the following link for more information or to contact them: www.whaleresearch.ca.
Camping
Wilderness camping is allowed but no facilities are provided. All sites are on a first come, first served basis.
Facilities
Firewood is not provided. If you must have a fire, please burn only dead and down wood, and be sure to fully extinguish the fire when done. Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil so please use it conservatively, if at all.
We encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of campfires and using camp stoves instead.
Campfire bans may be in place. Before lighting a fire, check for bans or restrictions on BC Wildfire Service and on local or Indigenous government websites.
Activities
Swimming is possible in the ocean, but the water is cold year-round.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Adventurous and experienced canoeists or kayakers may enjoy exploring the inlets, bays and shorelines in this conservancy.
There are opportunities to fish for trout, char and salmon in the streams and lakes of this conservancy. Please consult the appropriate non-tidal fishing regulations for more information.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Black bears, wolves, waterfowl, eagles, spawning salmon and the occasional deer can be seen in the conservancy. Humpback whales, killer whales, Dall’s porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins, sea lions and harbour seals can also be seen in the adjacent marine waters.
This conservancy protects a population and habitat of Kermode bears. The Kermode bear, also known as the “spirit bear”, is a subspecies of the American black bear living in the central and north coast of British Columbia and noted for about 1/10 of their population having white or cream-colored fur. This colour variant is due to a unique recessive trait in their gene pool. They are neither albino nor related to polar bears. The Kermode bear was named after Francis Kermode, former director of the Royal B.C. Museum who researched the species.
Because of their ghost-like appearance, “spirit bear” hold a prominent place in the First Nations mythology of the area and is known to them as Moksgm’ol. During the February 2006 Throne Speech by the Government of British Columbia, the Kermode bear was designated as British Columbia’s official mammal.
Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.
This Conservancy is open to hunting during lawful hunting seasons. For Kermode Bear gene protection, all Black Bear hunting is closed within 1 km of the Whalen Creek Estuary near the northwest end of Princess Royal Island. Please check the BC Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis for more information.
Moksgm’ol/Chapple-Cornwall Conservancy is only accessible by boat, floatplane or helicopter and is located about 35 km south of Hartley Bay and 105 km southwest of Kitimat. It is located along the northwest side of Princess Royal Island.
- Reference: Marine Charts #3719 (Chapple Inlet); #3723 (Barnard Harbour); #3724 (Caamano Sound & Approaches); #3742 (Otter Passage to McKay Reach).
- Reference: 1:50,000 scale Topographic Maps #103 A/14 (Caamano Sound); #103 A/15 (Laredo Inlet); #103 H/2 (Butedale); #103 H/3 (Gil Island).
Kitimat Visitor Information Centre
PO Box 214
2109 Forest Avenue
Kitimat, BC, Canada V8C 2G7
http://www.tourismkitimat.ca/
info@tourismkitimat.ca
phone: 250-632-6294 or 1-800-664-6554
Conservancy and activity maps
Learn more about this conservancy
Conservancy details
- Date established: July 13, 2006
- Size: 29,116 hectares
Nature and culture
History
Moksgm’ol/Chapple-Cornwall Conservancy was designated as a conservancy on July 14, 2006 following recommendations from the Central Coast Land and Resource Management Plan. There were three previous mineral claims in the conservancy.
The “Sable” claims of 1989 targeted black granite in Barnard Harbour and on Borde Island. The “Cordilla” claims of 1920 targeted pyritized quartz veins containing gold and silver on the west side of Drake Inlet, near Cornwall Inlet. From 1921-1922, a 91 metre adit was driven along a mineralized shear zone. The “Campania” claims of 1920 targeted partly mineralized quartz veins containing copper, silver and gold near Leading Point on the northwest side of Princess Royal Island. Adits, shafts and trenches were worked along the veins from 1920-1934.
There is an old wooden hull fishing boat wreck on the beach at the entrance to Barnard Harbour, on the northeast side. The UTM coordinates for the boat wreck are: Zone 09U; 5880950 m North; 0492823 m East.
Cultural Heritage
The conservancy is in the asserted traditional territories of the Gitga’at and Gitxaala First Nations. The conservancy contains eight known archaeological sites (pre-contact shell middens, culturally modified trees, fish traps, canoe skid, habitation and burial sites) and has historically been used for the traditional harvest of shellfish, seaweed and trapping by local First Nations.
Because of their ghost-like appearance, “Spirit Bears” hold a prominent place in the First Nations mythology of the area and is known to them as Moksgm’ol.
There are three Indian Reserves (IR) adjacent to and excluded from the conservancy. IR #7 (Kahas) is located in Cameron Cove (Barnard Harbour); IR #8 (Kayel) is located south of Redfern Point and east of Ashdown Island; and IR #9 (Lackzuswadda) is located on Sager Islets near the entrance to Chapple Inlet.
Use the below links for more information or to contact these First Nations.
- Gitga’at First Nation
- Gitxaala First Nation
PO Box 149
Kitkatla, BC V0V 1C0
Phone: 250-848-2214
Fax: 250-848-2238
Conservation
The conservancy protects an area of cultural and historical value to the local First Nations as well as high recreational use and old-growth forests of red cedar, hemlock and spruce, portions of small coastal streams and coastal wildlife habitat including important salmon spawning streams and habitat for Kermode bears. The conservancy also protects karst features and caves with white marble near Chapple Inlet.
Wildlife: Black bears, wolves, waterfowl, eagles, spawning salmon and the occasional deer can be seen in the conservancy. Humpback whales, killer whales, Dall’s porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins, sea Lions and harbour seals can also be seen in the adjacent marine waters.
This conservancy protects a population and habitat of Kermode bears. The Kermode bear, also known as the “spirit bear”, is a subspecies of the American black bear living in the central and north coast of British Columbia and noted for about 1/10 of their population having white or cream-colored fur. This color variant is due to a unique recessive trait in their gene pool. They are neither albino nor related to polar bears.
The Kermode bear was named after Francis Kermode, former director of the Royal B.C. Museum who researched the species. Because of their ghost-like appearance, “spirit bear” hold a prominent place the First Nations mythology of the area and is known to them as Moksgm’ol. During the February 2006 Throne Speech by the Government of British Columbia, the Kermode bear was designated as British Columbia’s official mammal.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.