A world-class rock-climbing destination and provincial park soon will be bigger, thanks to a land transfer to BC Parks from the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and TLC, The Land Conservancy of British Columbia, Environment Minister Terry Lake announced.

The 308-hectare private property adjacent to Skaha Bluffs was purchased in 2008 for a total of $5.25 million. B.C.'s Ministry of Environment provided $1.25 million, NCC, with support from the Government of Canada, through the Natural Areas Conservation Program, provided $2.3 million and TLC raised $1.7 million.

Today's agreement allows the land to be added to Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park and managed for its important conservation and recreation values. The lands contain coniferous forest, riparian areas, rugged terrain and some shrub-steppe grasslands. This habitat also helps support up to 15 species-at-risk, including bighorn sheep.

B.C. has one of the largest parks and protected areas systems in North America. There are 1,000 provincial parks, recreation areas, conservancies, ecological reserves and protected areas covering approximately 14 per cent of the provincial land base - more than 13 million hectares.

TLC is a non-profit land trust that engages people in protecting and caring for B.C.'s natural areas, historic sites, farms and ranches, and places of community and recreational importance.

NCC is the nation's leading not-for-profit private land conservation organization, working to protect important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect one million acres in B.C.

For more information:

BC Parks: www.bcparks.ca

TLC: www.conservancy.ca

Nature Conservancy of Canada: www.natureconservancy.ca

Contacts:

Dan Gilmore
Communications
Ministry of Environment
250 213-2302

Bill Turner
Executive Director
The Land Conservancy
250 589-8024
bturner@conservancy.bc.ca

Lesley Marian Neilson
Communications Manager, BC Region
Nature Conservancy of Canada
250 661-2969