Delta, BC, January 8th 2013 – Delta Council's first meeting of the New Year ended with an endorsement of the addition of over 400 hectares to the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area.
The decision was immediately praised by the Burns Bog Conservation Society and other environmental groups.
The municipality has approved a plan to transfer the properties into a joint ownership agreement with Metro Vancouver, and add them to the conservation covenant, which will ensure the properties are not developed or farmed. The properties include the Delta Nature Reserve, a popular destination for local naturalists. Public access will not be affected by the decision.
"Delta Council deserves credit for keeping a promise made in 2004," said Eliza Olson, president of the Burns Bog Conservation Society. "It has taken a long time to happen. It's worth it when you realize that 400 hectares of bog stores ten times more carbon than the same area of forest in nearby Whistler or Port Coquitlam."
Burns Bog, a raised bog ecosystem, was protected by a federal conservation covenant in 2004. It was recognized as a wetlands of international significance and designated as a Ramsar Site in 2012. The area is one of the largest urban wildernesses in North America and critical habitat for water fowl.
The new additions increase the total protected area by 20%, to a total of just under 2500 hectares. Metro Vancouver and the Corporation of Delta plan to finalize an operating agreement for the area later in the year.
Another 200 hectares remain in the private possession of MK Delta Lands, a company which plans a rezoning application for development adjacent to the conservation area. A proposal for an 1800-unit condo development will be heard by Delta Council later this year.
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Nicholas Ellan
604-572-0373