In 2012, the Wells Gray Action Committee formed to halt logging in the Clearwater Valley — the southern corridor entrance and Clearwater's connection to Wells Gray Provincial Park — until such time as non-fibre values inherent in the valley are given equal priority. In spite of vigorous protests, in 2015 and 2016 the BC government awarded several permits for industrial logging in Critical Habitat for Caribou on the west side of the Clearwater River Valley.

In 2017 the Wells Gray Action Committee registered as the Wells Gray Gateway Protection Society. On April 7, 2017, we asked the federal government for an Emergency Protection Order against logging in federally designated Critical Habitat for Caribou near Wells Gray Park. Our action precipitated an avalanche of protection requests for caribou herds all over BC.

On May 4, 2018, our request was denied. Subsequently, the federal government handed responsibility over to the BC government which organized a Caribou Recovery Team to review the status of BC herds and to make plans for recovery. To date, the Wells Gray South herd, at 135 remaining individuals, still waits for a recovery plan.

In 2023 we registered as the Friends of Wells Gray Park Society to better reflect our commitment to promote and protect all of Wells Gray Provincial Park.

The Friends' goals
• To promote and protect the assets of Wells Gray Provincial Park.
• To protect the integrity of the Clearwater River watershed.
• To protect Mountain Caribou habitat in the Clearwater Valley.
• To protect the water sources that residents of the Clearwater Valley depend upon.
• To ensure that the Wells Gray Park road remains unaffected by washouts and flooding caused by upstream industrial logging activities.
• To protect the tourism product that is important to the economy of Clearwater.
• To ensure that the Guiding Principles for the Management of Land and Resources in the Clearwater Valley are respected and accepted.