B.C. valley of ancient trees, rare animals preserved in deal with forest firm
A valley of giant trees, lakes and wetlands in southeastern British Columbia nearly 200 times the size of Vancouver's Stanley Park is being preserved in an agreement with governments, Indigenous groups, a forest company and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
The partnership to protect the Incomappleux Valley east of Revelstoke, B.C., involves Interfor Corp. giving up about 75,000 hectares of its forest tenure.
The valley is a rare inland temperate rainforest with substantial areas of mature and old-growth trees, some ranging in age from 800 to 1,500 years.
The forest also supports hundreds of lichen species, some that are new to science. It provides habitat for grizzly and black bears, as well as a variety of endangered fungal and plant species, the government said.
The Nature Conservancy said in a statement that several species at risk are found in the valley, including two endangered bats and the threatened southern mountain caribou.
The northern edge of the project abuts Glacier National Park, which the Nature Conservancy says increases important habitat for wide-ranging animals across the southern Interior B.C. mountains.
The B.C. government said the conservancy covers almost 59,000 hectares, while another 17,000 hectares of forests in the southern part of the valley will be protected from logging.
Environment Minister George Heyman told a group gathered for the announcement on Wednesday at the legislature that the area is one of the few temperate rainforests in the world.
“It is a unique part of the province,” he said.
“The conservation community and people who live in the area understood and understand what an important and unique region this is and they've been calling for protection for many years.”
Heyman says the announcement supports the B.C. government's commitment to protect 30 per cent of the land base by 2030.
Premier David Eby said the valley is one of B.C.'s greatest treasures, home to old-growth cedars and hemlocks that are four metres in diameter.
“It's one example of how our province's landscape is a source of beauty, food and recreation and a source of great pride for all British Columbians.”
The environmental group Wildsight said it is celebrating the news.
“The protection comes after decades of threats to the Incomappleux River Valley, including an independent power project, and several attempts to log the remaining ancient forests. In 2005, a landslide occurred in the Incomappleux canyon halting logging operations and making the road impassable.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.