The Heron Newsletter Winter 2009

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THE HERON A NEWSLETTER FROM THE ISLANDS TRUST FUND
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P
ublic and non-profit conservation organizations now 
protect more than 15% of the Islands Trust Area land 
base. If combined, these 12,000 hectares of protected 
area would equal the total area of Galiano and Gabriola 
Local Trust Areas together. 
The Islands Trust Area covers the islands and waters 
between the British Columbia mainland and southern 
Vancouver Island, including Howe Sound and as far north 
as Comox. This is a unique and special place composed of 
13 major islands and more than 450 smaller islands covering 
approximately 5200 square kilometres of land and water.
“Reaching this milestone in the Islands Trust Area speaks 
to the hard work and commitment island communities, 
conservancy groups and government partners have dedicated 
to the protection of natural spaces on the islands” said Sheila 
Malcolmson, outgoing Chair of the Trust Fund Board. “With the 
significant contributions of our local partners, the Islands Trust 
Fund celebrates reaching this target of 15% protection two 
years ahead of our 2010 deadline”.
 Why Protect the Islands Trust Area?
The Province of British Columbia has identified the ecosystems 
in the Islands Trust Area among the most bio-diverse of all in 
BC in a new report released in June, 2008. 
Taking Nature’s Pulse: The Status of Biodiversity in 
BC, a collaborative effort of more than 50 science experts, 
reports on the state of BC’s natural environment and provides 
the basis for the Conservation Framework, BC’s new plan for 
proactive solutions regarding species and ecosystems at risk 
and in decline.
Taking Nature’s Pulse identifies the Coastal Douglas-
fir biogeoclimatic zone—the zone which encompasses most 
of the Islands Trust Area – as being the stronghold for many 
species at risk of extinction or extirpation. The Coastal Douglas-
fir zone has the highest density of species of both global and 
provincial concern in all sixteen zones in BC—more than one 
A NEWSLETTER FROM THE ISLANDS TRUST FUND
15% of Islands Trust Area Now Protected
WiNTer 2009
Since 2005, the Islands Trust Fund 
has acquired five new nature reserves 
and 18 new conservation covenants 
adding an area of more than 380 
hectares—about the size of Stanley 
Park—to the protected area network 
in the Islands Trust Area. 
CoaSTal DouglaS-fir eCoSySTem. PhoTo: BruCe WhiTTiNgToN.
hundred species at risk are found in the region. The Islands 
Trust Area supports some of Canada’s last remaining Garry oak 
ecosystems and the associated rare plants, mosses, butterflies, 

THE HERON A NEWSLETTER FROM THE ISLANDS TRUST FUND2
and reptiles. Its location along the Pacific Flyway makes the Gulf 
Islands an important wintering and migratory stopover area 
for many migratory birds. BirdLife International identifies ten 
Important Bird Areas within the Islands Trust Area, including 
Baynes Sound, Active Pass, and Sidney Channel.
The Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone comprises 
less than on

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