B.C. acquires land to expand 5 provincial parks

The B.C. government is set to increasethe size offive provincial parksin what it says is an effort toenhance recreational opportunities and improve ecosystem health across the province.

In a media statementreleased Tuesday, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy said the province has purchased a total of109 hectares of land to expand the parks.

"Our government continually looks for opportunities to acquire more ecologically and culturally significant land for conservation purposes, and for people to enjoy," Environment Minister George Heymansaid in the statement.

"Acquiring these lands enhances protection of important ecosystems and wildlife habitat and improves access to outdoor recreation experiences."

The acquisitions, worth about $1.9 million, were made withassistance fromthe B.C. Parks Foundation, according to the ministry.

The largest acquisition is a 64-hectare parcel of landthat includes old-growth forest on Haida Gwaii, to be added to Naikoon Park.

In B.C.'sInterior, more than 33 hectares of wetland and second-growth forest will be added to Wells Gray Park, and over eight hectares, including the popular potholes swimming area, will be added to Gladstone Park.

The remaining additions include three hectares of forested hillside inBowron Lake Park,known for its famous canoe circuit, and 0.15 hectares added toMount Pope Park near Fort St. James to connect a climbing area to a planned parking lot.

The province said it is consulting with First Nationsgovernments before making decisions about legally establishing the lands as parks and protected areas.

B.C. has 1,039 provincial parks, recreation areas, conservancies, ecological reserves and protected areas covering more than 14 million hectares, or approximately 14.4 per centof the land base.