Two large parcels of forestland in the Robson Valley have been protected for their ecosystem values.
First, they were made into private conservation projects and then they were gifted to the public trust. The Nature Conservancy of Canada acquired the two spots and on Thursday it was announced that the NCC was donating them to the provincial Ministry of Environment.
The properties are:
64 hectares along the Fraser River near McBride as part of the West Twin Protected Area, featuring fish and wildlife habitat, including a rare stand of cottonwood.
63 hectares of low-lying wetland, upland forest, trails and interpretive signage at the Natasha Boyd Conservation Area, near McBride.
The properties were first conserved by The Land Conservancy of B.C., transferred last year to the NCC, and now they have been transferred to the provincial government as part of a partnership involving 26 such properties across the province.
"Through our partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the province will assume ownership of two important properties near McBride," said Shirley Bond, MLA for the affected areas. "We will continue to preserve the West Twin protected area and ensure that the fish and wildlife habitat, wetlands and cottonwood stands can be enjoyed for generations to come."
Linda Hannah, B.C.'s regional vice president of the NCC, said, "The Nature Conservancy of Canada was extremely motivated to ensure these important properties remain protected, and to uphold the expectations of the donors who had originally contributed to their conservation. We are grateful for the support of the Province in helping to ensure these conservation lands will continue to be part of the British Columbia's incredible conservation legacy."
The two Robson Valley properties now form part of the provincial system of parks, dedicated recreation areas, ecological reserves and other forms of preserving ecosystems and environmental priorities. Such protected spaces amount to more than 14 million hectares, covering approximately 14 per cent of the provincial land base.
The NCC formed in Ontario is 1962 and since then has helped protect more than 1 million hectares across Canada. Although much of this has been handed over to various provinces for their management, almost all of this land was acquired over and above provincial park-making efforts.
