Nature Trust of B.C. expands White Lake holdings again

For the modest sum of $200,000, The Nature Trust of B.C. has added another 161 acres to the White Lake Basin Biodiversity Ranch south of Penticton.

Since 1996, The Nature Trust of BC has permanently acquired 13 parcels of private land in the White Lake Basin Biodiversity Ranch now totalling 20,317 acres, demonstrating its commitment to building large conservation complexes over time.

“As we face rapid biodiversity loss and climate change, nature is our biggest ally. Large-scale nature conservation is a strong tool to ensure biodiversity can flourish undisturbed while also helping to mitigate against climate change,” said Jasper Lament, the trust’s CEO, in a news release.

“We are delighted to be able to preserve connectivity among rare and threatened ecosystems in the White Lake Basin, through the purchase of this property and take steps to support climate regulation through conservation.”

The goal of the latest land acquisition – dubbed Park Rill Creek Infill West – is to conserve contiguous natural grassland and associated ecosystems to support a diverse thriving community of native plants and animals. Additionally, it will facilitate a viable domestic cattle ranch while protecting and restoring natural grasslands and other sensitive ecosystems.

Approximately 95% of the property contains sensitive ecosystems that are home to a variety of at-risk species, including the Lewis’s woodpecker, the pallid bat, American badger, western tiger salamander, and Great Basin gophersnake.

Funding for the purchase was supplied by private donors and governments.

Since 1971, The Nature Trust of BC and its partners have acquired more than 178,000 acres of ecologically significant land to save vulnerable wildlife, fish and plants.

Visit naturetrust.bc.ca to donate.

To The Herald NATURE TRUST/Special A domestic cattle ranch will continue operating on a 161-acre site recently purchased by a conservation group that’s now part of the White Lake Basin Biodiversity Ranch.