AFA Partner Organization, NBSF, Acquires 55 Hectares of Land for Conservation in Kanaka Bar

We’re excited to share that our partners at Nature-Based Solutions Foundation (NBSF) have successfully acquired two parcels of private land inholdings totalling just over 55 hectares within the territory of Kanaka Bar Band (ƛ̓əq̓ƛ̓áq̓tn̓mx) and inside the boundaries of Kanaka Bar’s 320km² proposed Indigenous Protected & Conserved Area (IPCA)!

Commonly known as the “Across the River” and “Jackass Mountain” properties, these acquisitions protect exceptionally diverse old-growth forests, including habitat that features the largest documented Rocky Mountain juniper in Canada. They also build on NBSF’s earlier purchase of the “Old Man Jack’s” property in 2022 — bringing the total to three private properties that will be returned to Kanaka Bar and protected through Indigenous-led conservation, title-registered legal protection, and long-term stewardship funding.

Read NBSF’s media release.

“Return of these properties to the Kanaka Bar Band helps us secure and protect lands and waters at the heart of our IPCA.”

— Sean O’Rourke, Director of Lands & Culture, Kanaka Bar

Important Natural Values

These acquisitions close key gaps in a high-priority conservation landscape contiguous with the Stein Valley Heritage Park, strengthening landscape connectivity and reinforcing the long-term integrity of the broader conservation area.

The lands contain endangered ecosystems and critical habitat for species at risk. The “Across the River” parcels form an essential low-elevation habitat along the Fraser River, within the range of the imperilled Stein-Nahatlatch grizzly bear population, and protect a rich mosaic of old-growth forests, wetlands, and riparian ecosystems. The “Jackass Mountain” parcels sit in a rare transition zone, protecting grassland patches and rare old-growth forests. These parcels also lie within federally identified/designated critical habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl, considered essential to the species’ recovery.

Pioneering Conservation Agreement

Each property will be re-gifted to Kanaka Bar and protected through a pioneering conservation agreement registered on title, designed to reflect Kanaka Bar’s vision for conservation and stewardship and to align with the IPCA framework. These agreements ensure Kanaka Bar owns and governs the lands, with uses guided by community priorities and cultural stewardship, while placing legally binding conservation protections on title. A dedicated stewardship endowment tied to each property will fund long-term care and monitoring to support stewardship for generations.

See coverage of this conservation milestone in Fraser Valley Today and Chilliwack Progress/Hope Standard.

WATCH: Kanaka IPCA Mini Doc

In this 5-minute video, Inside Kanaka Bar’s Conservation Plan: Protecting Rare Ecosystems & Indigenous Culture, hear from Kanaka community members as they discuss their vision and the ecological and cultural significance of this protected area initiative.

About Kanaka Bar’s IPCA

The T’eqt’aqtn Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) is one of the most advanced IPCA projects in BC and will safeguard some of the most endangered and ecologically diverse old-growth forests in the province, spanning the Kwoiek and Four Barrel watersheds and dramatic stretches of the Fraser River Canyon.

This remarkable region sits at the meeting point of coastal and interior ecosystems and is home to 42 species at risk, including some of the largest Interior Douglas-fir trees known in Canada, within the highly under-protected Interior Douglas-fir zone.

Through the Old-Growth Solutions Initiative (OGSI) — a partnership between Ancient Forest Alliance, the Endangered Ecosystem Alliance (EEA), and the Nature-Based Solutions Foundation (NBSF) — we are providing key support from start to finish to develop and establish the T’eqt’aqtn IPCA.

Learn more about this diverse region and Kanaka Bar’s plans to protect it.

Please also take a moment to send an instant message to the BC government today, calling on them to work proactively with First Nations to support the protection of endangered old-growth forests.