The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has acquired the last unprotected private property at the mouth of the Bella Coola River.
Located on the edge of Bella Coola and directly adjacent to other conservation lands, the Nature Conservancy announced earlier this week it has purchased the 70-hectare property.
“We had been working with the landowners for many years and these kinds of projects take a long time just to develop the relationships with the landowners and the community and to bring all the money that’s required to make the dream a reality,” says Nancy Newhouse, NCC Regional Vice President for the B.C. region.
With funding from the Federal natural heritage conservation program as well as several other foundations and individual donors, the project was around $1.6 million.
Despite its proximity to the town center, the estuary remains naturally productive, providing essential habitat for salmon, grizzly bears, migratory birds, and other wildlife.
“And it’s an area that has been used for generations by the Nuxalk Nation and so we look forward to working with them on developing management plans for the property,” Newhouse adds. “As I say about land they’re not making any more of it and especially these rich estuaries are just so rare and so important.”