The Nature Trust of B.C. (NTBC) has purchased two parcels of land to add 354 hectares to their protected conservation areas in the Kootenays.
NTBC officials said they were able to purchase the properties with $4 million raised by nature enthusiasts from around the province and the federal government’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund.
The NTBC said the areas, known as Bummers Flats – MapleCross Benchlands and Wycliffe Prairie, serve as a crucial habitat for animals such as grizzly bears and elk.
“This land is incredibly important in terms of the habitats and ecosystems they support. They’re also important corridors as wildlife moves along the landscape,” said Dr. Jasper Lament, CEO of the NTBC.
“This is an area that grizzly bears use to move back and forth between mountain ranges. It’s important to keep connectivity at the landscape scale so they can safely make their seasonal movements across their range.”
The NTBC said the properties contain diverse biomes including grasslands, wetlands, riparian corridors, and Douglas-fir forests.
Lament said many endangered species and migratory birds call the area home.
“There are a lot of species at risk that use this landscape as well, like Lewis’s woodpecker. There are only a few hundred pairs of them left in B.C., so it’s pretty cool to be able to buy that land and make a difference for species at risk by keeping that landscape alive,” said Lament.
“Thanks to the generosity of British Columbians with a deep-rooted love for our province and its incredible nature, we are able to protect Wycliffe Prairie and Bummers Flats – MapleCross Benchlands, forever. We live in the most biodiverse province in Canada, yet almost a third of the species assessed in B.C. are now at risk. Together, we are making a difference by safeguarding vital biodiversity in the Kootenays and helping to mitigate climate change.”
Wycliffe Prairie, located on unceded, traditional territory of the Ktunaxa Nation, spans 182 hectares and brings the Wycliffe Conservation Complex up to 1,450 hectares of protected wilderness.
The NTBC said this piece of land cost $2.5 million, which was raised by donations and federal government funding.
“We are deeply grateful for the support of our many partners and donors in helping to conserve these ecologically significant areas. It’s an exciting day and an incredible example of the power of collaboration amongst the conservation community. Together, these two projects will leave a lasting legacy for the wildlife and people of the region.” said Chris Bosman, Kootenay Conservation Land Manager.
Meanwhile, the Bummers Flats – MapleCross Benchlands property, also located on unceded, traditional territory of the Ktunaxa Nation, adds 171 hectares to the Bummers Flats Conservation Complex, bringing it up to 1,995 hectares.
The NTBC was able to purchase the land with just under $1.4 million raised in donations and federal grand funding. It was sold by the van der Velden family, who also donated to the fundraising campaign in honour of Aart, their late father and husband.
“I am deeply thankful that this beautiful land has been protected by The Nature Trust of BC. This land was incredibly important to my husband, Aart, who loved nature his entire life. We moved from Holland to Canada in 1983 and we have always loved the incredible scenery and wildlife in Canada,” said Gerrie van der Velden, the previous owner of Bummers Flats – MapleCross Benchlands.
“This land is close to a highway, so we were always concerned the area would be developed one day and that our community would lose its beauty. We see the conservation of this land as a legacy to Aart who would have been thrilled to see this area flourish for generations to come.”
Lament said the NTBC will make sure the land is protected under their stewardship.
“We’ll be undertaking studies to understand the ecological baseline, identifying needs for habitat restoration and evaluating the need for fencing to help protect the land from livestock that might move onto the area and make sure there’s no impacts from human activities,” said Lament.
“We’ll also be taking surveys to identify where invasive weeds are located and develop a plan with the Invasive Species Council to figure out how we can manage and treat those weeds going forward.”
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