The Columbia Valley has a new conservation area.  The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has added the Geddes Creek Conservation Area (just outside of Radium Hot Springs) to its network of protected areas in the Columbia Valley. Geddes Creek covers 193 hectares (477 acres) right next to Kootenay National Park. It begins just two km from Radium and stretches north almost to Edgewater.

Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP), a partnership of over 85 organizations, leveraged significant funding in 2024 towards land stewardship in the East Kootenay that, in turn, supports community well-being. With funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Kootenay Connect Priority Places initiative, KCP has brought in millions of dollars to support monitoring and restoration work throughout the Kootenays, including the Cranbrook and Kimberley area.

The Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP) spent significant funding in 2024 towards land stewardship in the Creston Valley. With funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Kootenay Connect Priority Places initiative, millions of dollars have supported monitoring and restoration work throughout the Kootenays. KCP is a partnership of over 85 organizations, which collectively have a huge impact on wildlife and habitat conservation in the region.

On October 10, 2024, the Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) and its partners launched the Kawartha Resilient Lands Collaborative at a well-attended kickoff event in Peterborough, Ontario. The new Regional Conservation and Climate Partnership (RCCP) looks to bridge sectoral divides among people and organizations working in land, water, climate, and conservation. KLT looked to the Kootenay Conservation Program, the Thompson-Nicola Conservation Collaborative, and Corridor Appalachien as inspiring landscape-scale initiatives working in the Canadian context.

The application period for Local Conservation Fund projects for 2025 projects is now open! Applications are accepted until October 31, and can be submitted by non-profit organizations and Indigenous nations for projects within the participating areas of both the Columbia Valley and the Regional District of Central Kootenay.