The Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia celebrates the conservationists who are such good neighbours to us all. We salute BCs Land Trusts which make it possible.
Thousands of people across BC have left a legacy for future generations of protected places in or near their communities through support and participation with land trusts. Protecting natural areas is the best way ofabsorbing carbon from the atmosphere, providing a landscape adaptable to change and the conservation of water.
In March, BC’s land trusts are celebrating the protection of over half a million acres of land (equivalent to Greater Vancouver) in the last decade. The date marks the 10th anniversary of the umbrella organization – The Land Trust Alliance of BC. Since 1997, over 32 land trusts have formed across BC, working as charitable non-profit organizations to protect BC’s natural and cultural heritage.
Land trusts work with British Columbians to protect areas of ecological diversity, native grasslands, and heritage sites, wetland and riparian areas. Other lands are models for sustainable working farms, ecoforestry, “organic chocolate factories” and family ranches. The following 12 people are a cross section of the thousands of British Columbians who are protecting places in their communities and backyards through a combination of conservation tools and help from land trusts. They have left a legacy of natural and cultural diversity in BC.
* Ruth Masters wanted to be sure that the trail she had created on her 20 acre property along the Puntledge River would remain “when I’m on the other side of the grass.” She donated 18 acres to the Regional District of Comox- Strathcona and registered a conservation covenant with two land trusts on title to protect it.
* Judy and Brian Bloomfield restored a salmon-rearing channel on their 20 acre property in the Agricultural Land Reserve on the outskirts of Courtenay. They donated a conservation covenant to the Comox Valley Land Trust on a 6.5 acre section protecting the channel and the adjacent riparian forest.
* Daniel Terry worked with the Denman Conservancy Association to register a Conservation Covenant on his 4 acre chocolate factory property. Located on a ridge, this property contains threatened Douglas fir and arbutus, which are now protected through the covenant.
* Ilse Leader, a grandmother and weaver on Salt Spring Island says, “I think it’s a wonderful idea to preserve the nature on your property for future generations. It was a wonderful place for my kids to grow up. It sounds like everybody else is saying it, but the changes on the island are happening so fast, I felt that I could do something.”
* David Price, of Mandalay Developments purchased the Matson Lands in Victoria to build residential condominiums. He agreed to donate 2.5 acres of endangered shoreline Garry oak habitat through Environment Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program, creating a conservation area now owned and managed by Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT).
* Ab Singh leases his Delta organic vegetable farm from Ducks Unlimited Canada, who purchased it from him in 1995. Ab follows a management agreement in which he harvests vegetables and then plants a winter cover crop (such as winter wheat or barley) as grazing forage for thousands of waterfowl annually.
* Dale and Anita Lehman donated their 60 acre oldgrowth forest with artesian springs near Osoyoos as a nature reserve to TLC The Land Conservancy of BC.
* The Thomson family donated a portion of their farm for wetland restoration and a wildlife sanctuary in Kelowna.
* Hugh McLuckie, manager and Ray van Steinberg, owner of Pine Butte Ranch protect wildlife and native grasslands on their cattle ranch in the East Kootenays due to agreements with The Nature Conservancy of Canada.
* Brian McKenzie of Tech Cominco Metals Ltd. facilitated the sale of 600 acres of company lands at bargain prices to retain community trails, a heritage site and wildlife habitat.
* Elizabeth White, volunteer fundraising coordinator, raised millions in individual and corporate support to protect Burgoyne Bay, one of many parks in BC that have been protected through the collaboration of people and land trusts.
In addition to the 32 land trusts already working across BC, two new First Nation Land Trusts have recently been registered, currently awaiting charitable status. They will use education, restoration and stewardship tools, in addition to some acquisition projects to protect natural and cultural heritage sites.
—Thanks to the Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia To find a land trust near you, to donate to current purchases, or to download a pdf of People Protecting Places, see www. landtrustalliance.bc.ca
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