The Nature Conservancy of Canada raised $3.4-million to purchase 1,300 acres of ranch lands in the Nicola Valley.
When Linda Hannah first saw the sweeping grasslands of Napier Lake Ranch in the 1980s, she thought the area was so beautiful and ecologically rich it had to be protected for all British Columbians.
It seemed like a dream at the time, but some 30 years later, as B.C. regional vice-president of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ms. Hannah launched a fundraising project that quickly raised $3.4-million – enough to allow the organization to purchase 1,300 acres of ranch lands.
"I don't think I've ever seen a project that had so many different individuals and groups involved," she said on the eve of a Friday news conference in Kamloops to announce the finalization of the deal. "It was really quite remarkable the number of people who wanted to see this land conserved."
In addition to individual donors, the Nature Conservancy received support from the federal government's Natural Areas Conservation Program, the provincial Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the Sitka Foundation, the estate of Thomas T. Forbes and others.
Ms. Hannah said the Napier Lake Ranch will be added to a larger mosaic of 6,128 acres of habitat in Nicola Valley already protected through conservation covenants the Nature Conservancy has signed with land owners. She said it is vital to protect B.C.'s dwindling grasslands because of their environmental importance.
"Grasslands are very rare, complex ecosystems, but they are disappearing," she said. "They are under threat of development. The threat is habitat fragmentation as large tracts of land are broken into smaller development parcels."
She said the Napier Lake land is located in an important flyway that is used by a wide variety of bird species, and it provides habitat for large animals, including moose and deer.
"It is worth saving. It is very special," she said. "We like to say grasslands punch way above their weight class in British Columbia. They occupy only 1 per cent of the provincial land base, yet they support over 30 per cent of the species at risk. So they are incredibly rich and important, vibrant ecosystems."
Nicola Valley, which lies south of Kamloops and north of Merritt along Highway 5A, is an important nesting and breeding area for long-billed curlews, Swainson's hawks and sharp-tailed grouse. The grouse have special breeding areas known as leks in the area.
"Leks are dancing grounds. The male birds gather there to perform spring mating dances for the females, so it's very important to protect that area," she said.
Ms. Hannah said although the land is being saved, the Nature Conservancy will allow portions of the ranch to continue to operate as a cattle ranch.
"What the Nature Conservancy has committed to do is ensure that there is a continuation of a sustainable way of life," she said. "Ranching is a part of the social and economic fabric of the Nicola Valley. It's our intention to continue to offer some grazing leases. Admittedly we'll be working in a different rotational basis, we'll be putting up fencing to protect some of the wetlands, we'll be reducing the number of animal unit months of grazing in that area, but we're very sensitive of the need to maintain that social-economic fabric in the valley."
The Napier Lake Ranch was bought by Agnes Jackson and her late husband, Roy, in 1974. Ms. Jackson could not be reached for comment Thursday, but Ms. Hannah said she agreed to the deal with the Nature Conservancy because the family wanted the land protected in perpetuity.
"Agnes and her family have been very strong conservationists," she said. "They are very committed to conservation and they wanted to leave a legacy that befits the approach they took on their ranch lands over many decades."
Mark Hume