Habitat Conservation in British Columbia
British Columbia possesses remarkable climatic, topographical and biological diversity, including some of the most significant tracts of wilderness in North America. Most provincial land is publicly owned, and a great deal of it has been set aside for parks, recreation and wildlife management. Unfortunately much of this protected land consists of alpine forests and ‘rocks and ice’—scenic but not the terrain that is richest in biodiversity.
By comparison, only a small fraction of the province comprises valley bottoms, wetlands and coastal estuaries—the arteries that sustain entire ecosystems—and a relatively small proportion of that land is protected. Not surprisingly, this is the land that has always attracted human settlement and development. Consequently, much of this land is now privately owned, and much of the sensitive habitats have been compromised or are now threatened by residential, recreational, and industrial development.
The valley bottoms continue to attract people. They are the choice locations for human settlement, urbanization, highways and utility corridors. But these same valley landscapes are also the most critical habitat for wildlife.
We realize that in general it is neither realistic nor even desirable to try to restore these sensitive lands to a pristine state. In many cases these regions have been ‘working landscapes’ for a century or more, and they continue to provide livelihoods for many people. Rather, we favor strategies that mitigate adverse affects of previous development and industry, restore habitats as much as possible, and employ leverage to encourage sustainable practices and responsible stewardship in future.
Since it's inception in 2002, the Tula Foundation has provided approximately $12 million to initiatives for habitat conservation in British Columbia.
Niut Mountains, Tatlayoko Lake
Goose in the shoals, Quadra Island