The Land Conservancy of B.C. (TLC) announced its members and donors successfully raised the money needed to buy and protect the Clearwater Wildlife Corridor.
The group launched the acquisition campaign in March to bring in funds to protect 10 acres of wildlife corridor in the Upper Clearwater River Valley.
TLC is a non-profit, charitable land trust working throughout B.C. with a main objective to benefit communities by protecting natural habitats of plants and animals.
Thanks in part to two donations of more than $20,000 from TLC members, who wish to remain anonymous, the charity has accomplished its goal of raising $100,000 towards the acquisition.
The transfer is scheduled to close by the end of the year and TLC will own 113 acres of adjacent lands for its ongoing protection and appropriate use for research and educational programming.
TLC protected 28 acres of wetland in the Valley earlier this year.
Having already gained a section of the wetland through the mix of direct purchase and a donation made through the federal Ecological Gifts Program, the land trust entered this second phase of the project to better support the wildlife that transverse this corridor each year.
Since Wells Gray Provincial Park was established in 1939, the southern border of the park has been extended several times.
As a result there are two southward lobes of park land, but no designated wildlife corridors connecting them.
This forced the park’s large wildlife – deer, moose, cougar, bobcat, grizzly, black bear, wolves, coyotes – to cross private land twice a year while migrating between winter and summer ranges.
As the Clearwater River Valley becomes more developed this causes more concern for the continued survival of the wildlife that call it home.
“We are thrilled to have achieved our fundraising goal; thank you to TLC Members and donors that have made this campaign possible including the local Clearwater businesses that have generously supported our initiative.
“We look forward to launching educational programming in the Clearwater River Valley in the spring,” said Cathy Armstrong, TLC executive director