iN VIDEO: Nature Conservancy adds to inventory of protected land in South Okanagan

The inventory of protected lands in the South Okanagan continues to increase as the Nature Conservancy of Canada recently announced the acquisition of new acreage in the area.

An additional 126 hectares has been purchased by the Nature Conservancy to be added to an existing area known as the Sage and Sparrow Conservations Area, according to a media release. The acreage, located around 30 minutes west of Osoyoos along the Canada-U.S. border, increases the Sage and Sparrow conservation area to over 1,500 hectares.

The area is made up of grasslands, Interior Douglas fir forests and spans a diversity of habitats. It’s also home to 62 confirmed at risk plants and animals, some of which are not found anywhere else in Canada.

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“The work we are doing in this imperilled landscape is critical for the plants, animals and ecosystems here, not only in the face of climate change, but in the face of ongoing development pressure. Thanks to the generous support of our donors and partners, the Nature Conservancy of Canada is able to move efficiently and effectively with willing landowners to conserve their lands. We have made a tangible difference here,” Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Southern Interior Program Director Barb Pryce said in a release issued by the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen on Dec. 15.

The Sage and Sparrow Conservation Area is located within the provincial South Okanagan Grasslands Protected area. The recent addition extends the conservation area to the north and fills a gap in a conservation corridor.

The area is open to the public with walk-in access only.

"The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen is proud to be working with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to help protect the region’s natural heritage. Expanding Sage and Sparrow will provide greater security to dozens of at-risk species, in one of the province’s most unique landscapes,” regional district board Chair Karla Kozakevich said in the release.

The project involved the contributions of the federal government, the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sitka Foundaton, Okanagan Similkameen Parks Society, Oliver Osoyoos Naturalists Club, the South Okanagan Naturalist’s Club and other donors.

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