Awarded to the Nature Conservancy of Canada towards the purchase of the last missing piece in a vast conservation landscape puzzle of inland temperate rainforest that extends over 1,100 km2.
PROPONENT: Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC)
DESCRIPTION: Next Creek is a 7,882 hectare (19,476 acre) property extending west from the southern portion of Kootenay Lake into the middle of the NCC’s Darkwoods Conservation Area and at the centre of a network of Provincial and private conservation lands, including neighbouring Wildlife Management Areas & Provincial Parks. Established in 2008 by NCC, Darkwoods made history as the single largest private acquisition for conservation in Canadian history.
The goal of this project was to acquire Next Creek, which was the last missing piece in this vast conservation landscape puzzle.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this land acquisition was to safeguard the natural integrity of over 1,100 km2 of one of the world’s only Inland Temperate Rainforests. Securing the property has protected an important movement corridor for native ungulates, carnivores and other wildlife moving north-south along the west side of Kootenay Lake and east-west between the Purcell and Selkirk Mountains. The Nature Conservancy of Canada acquired Next Creek, a property that was previously owned by a private forest company on the west side of Kootenay Lake. With the addition of Next Creek, the network of conservation lands in the South Selkirk Mountains now spans more than 1,100 square kilometres. This network is anchored by NCC’s Darkwoods Conservation Area, which was established in 2008. Darkwoods made history as the single largest private acquisition for conservation in Canadian history.
PHOTOS: Steve Ogle/NCC
