The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) yesterday announced a commitment to purchase and conserve 550 square kilometres of biologically-rich land in the south Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia. The acquisition of the Darkwoods forest represents the largest, single private conservation project ever done by a Canadian non-profit organization.
“Wildsight applauds the Darkwoods purchase,” said John Bergenske, Wildsight’s Executive Director. “This area—with its rare old growth forests—is crucial habitat for the recovery of Mountain Caribou in southeast B.C.”
The NCC and Canada’s Federal Government worked together to fund the $125-million project, not only buying the 55,000 hectares but setting up endowment funds to ensure the Darkwoods landscape is cared for into the future.
The Darkwoods forest is situated between Nelson, Salmo and Creston in the Selkirk Mountains. It connects a number of protected lands and wilderness management areas to create a tract covering more than 100,000 hectares – enough for wide-ranging animals such as the endangered Mountain Caribou and grizzly bear to roam freely.
The Mountain Caribou is a variety of woodland caribou that has adapted to the special conditions of B.C.’s wet, mountainous forests. It only lives in the mountains of southeast B.C. and parts of Washington, Idaho and Montana—making it globally significant. Biologists consider it one of the most endangered mammals in North America.
“Wildsight has been working to protect habitat for Mountain Caribou for over a decade, and is very, very pleased that the Federal Government of Canada and the NCC have co-operated to make this important purchase for the wild,” Bergenske said. “The Darkwoods acquisition is critical to recovery of the international transboundary herd west of Creston. We’re working with the provincial government toward announcements of further habitat protection this fall.”
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to protecting Canada’s most ecologically significant lands. Wildsight is a grassroots organization that works to maintain biodiversity and healthy human communities in Canada’s Columbia and Rocky Mountains ecoregion.
