B.C. to add 229 hectares of land to parks, protected areas

Gowlland Tod Park on Vancouver Island is pictured: (BC Parks)

Victoria -

The B.C. government plans to add hundreds of acres of newly acquired land to parks across B.C.

The province has acquired more than 229 hectares of land through purchases, private donations, and partnerships with conservation groups, which will be added to seven provincial parks and one protected area after consultation with First Nations and other legal steps are completed.

The land ranges from grasslands in the Okanagan to a heritage river on Vancouver Island.

In total, the land is estimated to be worth $2.47 million.

"Our parks and protected areas are rich with biodiversity and provide critical habitat for numerous species," said Environment Minister George Heyman in a release Monday.

"By working with our partners, the ecological, recreational and cultural values of these unique and special places will be protected and enjoyed for years to come," he said.

The new land will be added to the following seven parks and one protected:

• Edge Hills Park near Clinton
• Blue River Black Spruce Park near Blue River
• Pinecone Burke Park near Coquitlam
• Cowichan River Park near Duncan
• White Lake Grasslands Protected Area near Okanagan Falls
• Wakes Cove Marine Park near Nanaimo
• Gowlland Tod Park near Victoria
• Cypress Park near West Vancouver

B.C. currently has more than 14 million hectares of land in 1,036 provincial parks, protected areas, ecological reserves and recreation areas.

These properties make up approximately 14.4 per cent of all provincially owned land.