The BC Parks Foundation has unveiled what it calls the largest “Terrestrial Conservation Area on the Gulf Islands” with the help of local landowners and partners.
On Lasqueti Island, two new properties are being added to two recent conservation areas and a provincial park. These now comprise 568 acres of contiguous protected area in what the release calls “one of BC’s least protected and most fragile ecosystems.”
Protecting land comes with a price tag. The release states the Gulf Islands milestone was made possible through a community of support, including Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Old Growth Nature Fund, the Wilson 5 Foundation, and the residents of Lasqueti Island.
The area known to locals as Mystic Ridge will be combined with other new and recent protections with help from Philippe and Alysha Taillefer.
The release said they bought the property because they didn’t want it to be logged or developed, and their intention was always to keep it in the family or work with a conservation group.
Some of the features these newly protected lands boast are panoramic views of Mount Arrowsmith and Vancouver Island, and dramatic rock formations and ancient old-growth trees, some of which are 350 to 400 years old.
The second area is south of Mystic Ridge, and was acquired with the help of resident Wayne Bright. The release states Bright has lived on the island for more than three decades, and has an 84-acre property that “hums with life.”
“Douglas-fir and cedar forests, camas-covered hilltops, mossy bluffs, and ponds he dug himself, now glinting with salmon fry. Over the years, Wayne has planted over 3,300 trees and raised close to a million salmon—quiet acts of restoration rooted in a deep sense of responsibility,” said the release.
Adding to past land donations, the newly acquired lands are part of five areas along the island, spanning 568 acres and creating a contiguous mature Coastal Douglas-fir forest and coastline, with wetlands, rocky bluffs and other habitats.
“This shows the momentum that can happen when landowners, community organizations, individual donors and funders inspire each other to conserve a beautiful place,” said Andy Day, CEO of BC Parks Foundation, in the release.
“As our region’s population grows, these endangered ecosystems are increasingly important for the long-term protection of numerous species at risk,” says Ken Lertzman, professor emeritus of forestry at Simon Fraser University and director of the Lasqueti Island Nature Conservancy in the release.
“Philippe, Alysha, Wayne, the Buttjes and other local community unwavering care shows the power of individuals who truly connect with the land,” said Chip and Summer Wilson of the Wilson 5 Foundation in the release.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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