BC government acquires 1,600 acres for 18 provincial parks and protected areas
The provincial government announced today it acquired over 1,600 acres of land for the expansion of 16 provincial parks and two protected areas.
The acquisitions during the 2019-20 fiscal year, equivalent to more than one-and-a-half landmasses the size of Stanley Park, have a combined value of nearly $10 million.
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Lands are regularly added to the parks and protected areas through the acquisition of private land and partnerships with conservation groups and individual donors.
“Our parks and protected areas are among the natural treasures of our province and play an important role in our overall health and well-being, especially during COVID-19,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
“These areas also provide critical habitat to a number of species. Acquiring additional land means more species and ecosystems will be protected, and the land will be here for generations to come.”
Here is the full list of new acquisitions:
- 250 acres for Chasm Park, Clinton: $420,000
- 61 acres for Tweedsmuir Park, Bella Coola: $575,000
- 49 acres for Octopus Islands Marine Park in Okisollo Channel, Quadra Island: $1.525 million
- 5 acres at Cowichan River Park, Duncan: $395,000
- 161 acres for Skaha Bluffs Park, Penticton: $1.035 million
- 44 acres for Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Protected Area, Kaslo: $640,800
- 0.4 acres for Mount Pope Park, Fort St. James: $220,000
- 2.2 acres for Mount Robson Park, Valemount: $50,000
- 203 acres for Cathedral Park, South Okanagan: $1.00
- 146 acres for West Twin Protected Area, McBride: $120,000
- 6.2 acres for Muncho Lake Park, Mile 463 on Alaska Highway: $590,000
- 188 acres for Cape Scott Park, Northern Vancouver Island: $515,000
- 304 acres for Naikoon Park, Haida Gwaii: $411,000
- 2.5 acres for Landstrom Bar, Hope: $762,500
- 79 acres for Valhalla Park, Slocan: $175,000
- Trapline Tenure at Valhalla, Park: $50,000
- 52 acres for Okanagan Mountain Park, Peachland: $1 million
- 20 acres for Lac du Bois Grasslands, Kamloops: $50,000
- 40 acres for Jewel Lake Park, Greenwood: $615,000
After the provincial government acquires new land, it conducts consultation with local First Nations and local governments before designating the footprint as a park or protected area.
Currently, BC has 1,035 provincial parks, recreation areas, conservancies, ecological reserves, and protected areas covering more than 34,594,753 acres — equivalent to 140,000 sq km, 14.4% of the provincial land base, or 1,217 times the size of the City of Vancouver.
Over the last three years, 2,182 acres — more than twice the size of Stanley Park — have been acquired for parks and protected areas.
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