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NORTH VANCOUVER – In celebration of Earth Day, Premier Gordon Campbell and Environment Minister Barry Penner announced that the B.C. government is creating a $9-million endowment fund for land conservation groups. This one-time funding will create an environmental legacy for future generations.
“The British Columbia government is dedicated
to the protection of our natural heritage,” said Premier Campbell. “Our government
also encourages others to accept responsibility for the conservation of our
land base. This new funding will help our conservation partners to continue
doing valuable work throughout the province.”
“B.C. is home to some of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes in the world,” said Penner. “The establishment of this $9-million endowment for the management of conservation lands will benefit British Columbians for years to come.”
The funds will be administered by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF), a non-profit organization with a mission to invest in projects that maintain and enhance the health and biological diversity of British Columbia’s fish, wildlife and habitats so that people can use, enjoy and benefit from these resources. The HCTF will create an endowment from which earned investment income will be used to fund the management of land conservation projects.
“HCTF has a very long history of providing funding for conservation land management in British Columbia,” said Harvey Andrusak, chair of the HCTF board. “This provincial contribution will allow us to provide additional funds to manage important fish and wildlife habitats across the province.”
The HCTF will work with government and conservation groups to develop a long-term plan to ensure that these new funds are allocated to high-priority conservation lands throughout the province. Conservation groups will then be invited by the foundation to submit proposals seeking funding for conservation lands management projects.
“For over 37 years, the Nature Trust of British Columbia has been focused on acquiring and managing habitat which is at the greatest risk of being lost,” said Robin Wilson, chair of the Nature Trust board. “We live in a province with extraordinary biodiversity, and we are proud to continue to partner with the Province, HCTF and other conservation organizations in conserving B.C.’s natural beauty for future generations.”
“Once conservation lands have been protected, the ongoing management of those lands is always a challenge,” said Bill Turner, executive director of The Land Conservancy of British Columbia. “The government is to be commended for listening to the needs of the conservation groups and for responding with this new funding. It will make a difference.”
The B.C.
government has designated 23 wildlife management areas (covering 232,000
hectares) and has acquired administration and management of an additional 240
sites for fish and wildlife conservation purposes. Together, these conservation
lands for fish and wildlife comprise approximately 258,000 hectares. The
Ministry of Environment continues to work with many non-profit and government
partners in acquiring and managing these conservation lands.
The Nature Trust
of British Columbia, along with other large non-profit conservation
organizations in the province such as Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Nature
Conservancy of Canada, The Land Conservancy of British Columbia and many
smaller land trusts, continues to acquire and manage conservation lands. These
presently include approximately 680 privately held conservation lands
protecting about 43,000 hectares and a large number of conservation covenants,
stewardship agreements, grazing rights and other interests that help to protect
habitat values on a much larger scale.
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contact: |
Manager, Media Relations Ministry of Environment 250 953-4577 |
Executive Director Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation 250 356-6124 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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