19 more acres of grassland protected near Kamloops Lake

More of British Columbia's scarce grassland is protected near Kamloops Lake.

A 19-acre land purchase connects protected grasslands in the Dewdrop range up the the northern shores of Kamloops Lake, according to a news release from Nature Trust of B.C.

Over 5,000 hectares in that area is already protected from development, leaving the open, grassy landscapes open for bighorn sheep, mule deer and other animals.

“We are thankful to all the donors that have helped us to acquire this ecologically important parcel of land,” Nature Trust of B.C. C.E.O. Jasper Lament said in the release.

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The 19-acre plot of land is largely only accessible by boat and surrounded by the Dewdrop-Rosseau Creek Wildlife Management Area.

While only 1% of land in B.C. is covered by grassland, it is a crucial habitat for 30% of endangered species in the province, the nature trust said.

In the Dewdrop protected areas, the habitat provides Bighorn Sheep a space for food, water, mating and an escape from predators.

Mule Deer are known to traverse from the hills above and forage in grasses during the winter.

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Open, grassy landscapes like this have interconnected root systems that can reach as deep as two metres into the soil, which is much deeper than introduced plants, the nature trust said.

The dense root systems allow grassy ecosystems to pull carbon from the air and isolate it into the roots, which is why protecting grasslands is an effect strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change.

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