20,000 acres of land in Elk Valley is the target for two groups looking to preserve it for conservation and community use.
According to Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies (CFKR) officials, the inter-agency campaign will aim to raise between $10-million and $20-million for the deal.
Once the money has been raised and the land purchase is complete, the Elk Valley Regional Land Trust (EVRLT) will register conservation agreements to protect the ecology and access to the forest into the future.
“We are thrilled to be working with CFKR on this project,” said Aysha Haines, EVRLT Director. “CFKR is an extremely valuable asset to organizations such as ours and to other community groups in our local communities. Being able to work with an organization like CFKR definitely gives us a stronger ability to accomplish our goals, and we look forward to working together on this exciting project.”
The CFKR will function as the charitable partner in the campaign spearheaded by the EVRLT.
“CFKR supports a broad range of initiatives to enhance our communities, and we look forward to working with EVRLT on this important project in the Elk Valley, to support the sustainable use of this land for a wide variety of user groups”, said Lynnette Wray, CFKR Executive Director.
More: CFKR website