These seven parks and protected areas resulted from the Morice Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) and associated government-to-government discussions with the Office of the Wet"suwet"en. They include: Atna River Provincial Park, Burnie Shea Protected Area, Morice Lake Provincial Park, nadina Mountain Provincial Park, Nanika-Kidprice Provincial Park, Old Man Lake Provincial Park, and Tazdli Wiyez Bin-Burnie Shea Lakes Provincial Park. All of these parks are moderate to large backcountry parks that were recently established to increase representation of regionally significant ecosystems, to provide opportunities for unroaded wilderness recreation, and to protect cultural heritage values.

Open houses will be held to discuss these management plans, and are scheduled for Oct 29 in Smithers and November 3 in Houston.

This 334 hectare park is located on Salt Spring Island in the southern Gulf Islands. It contains significant conservation, recreation, wildlife, fish and historic values. Burgoyne Bay is the largest undeveloped bay and estuary left in the southern Gulf Islands. Two salmon streams run into the bay, which has about 2 km of sensitive tidal flats with extensive healthy eelgrass beds.

This 486 ha park is located on Salt Spring Island in the southern Gulf Islands. With its 7 kilometers of shoreline, rocky headlands and tiny coves and bays, the park provides hours or even days of enjoyable exploration. The park has a year-round campground and offers numerous day-use activities. A mixture of forest, field and shore habitats makes it one of the most productive wildlife viewing areas on Salt Spring Island. The park is also an area rich in cultural history.Irish emigrant Henry Ruckle first homesteaded here in 1872 and the descendants have farmed the property for more than a century. Although they donated most of their property to the province for a park in 1974, the Ruckle family still raises sheep on private land at the entrance to the campground.

This includes the draft managment plans for: Mount Maxwell Ecological Reserve, Mount Maxwell Provincial Park, Mount Tuam Ecological Reserve, Mount Erskine Provincial Park, Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park and Ruckle Provincial Park.

The Khutzeymateen/K'tzim-a-Deen Grizzly Sanctuary 45 km northeast of Prince Rupert was established as the first area in Canada to be protected specifically for grizzly bears and their habitat. It also represents the first undisturbed estuary of its size to be protected along the north coast of BC. The inlet conservancies are adjacent to the Khutzeymateen/K’tzim-a-deen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary (44,300 hectares) and protect important grizzly bear habitat. The Khutzeymateen is historically associated with the Gitsi’is Tribe and associated with Lax Kw’alaams and Metlakatla First Nations (collectively Coast Tsimshian).

On October 20 & 21, 2009 the Ministry of Environment, BC Parks, will host the final Open House and public sessions to discuss the draft management plans for Burgoyne Bay, Mount Erskine, Mount Maxwell and Ruckle provincial parks, and Mount Maxwell and Mount Tuam ecological reserves. Read the event details.

Find out more about the Salt Spring Island planning process.

Mount Erskine Provincial Park is located on the west side of Salt Spring Island in the South Gulf Islands. The 107 hectare park, was established on December 1, 2006. The campaign to establish Mount Erskine Provincial Park, led by the Salt Spring Island Conservancy, was supported by many individuals, local businesses, non-government organizations. Mount Erskine Provincial Park provides protection for several species and habitats at risk as well as the incredible viewscape from the summit of Mount Erskine.

Mount Maxwell Ecological Reserve is located on the south end of Salt Spring Island in the southern Gulf Islands. In 1972, the ecological reserve, comprising 65 hectares on the north side of Burgoyne Bay was established under the Ecological Reserve Act. In 2004, lands were added to the ecological reserve increasing the area to 390 hectares. The ecological reserve protects stands of Garry oak and associated vegetation.

Mount Maxwell Provincial Park is located on Salt Spring Island off the east coast of Vancouver Island. The 231 hectare park includes one of the highest points of land on Salt Spring Island, the summit of Mount Maxwell, called Baynes Peak (560 meters). The park and the adjacent protected areas have high conservation values. These protected areas contribute to the protection of the under-represented Coastal Douglas fir biogeoclimatic sub zone; contain extensive Garry oak meadows, old growth Douglas fir and several species-at-risk. Also of significant ecological value, the steep cliff portion of Baynes Peak is identified as a sensitive habitat, supporting potential and active habitat for cliff-nesting species including raptors and bats.The park offers a parking lot, viewing area, benches, pit toilet, information shelter, signs, trails, and picnic tables for visitors.

Mount Tuam Ecological Reserve is located on the south end of Salt Spring Island in the southern Gulf Islands off the east coast of Vancouver Island. The 362 hectare ecological reserve encompasses three separate areas of land and includes pure stands of arbutus, coastal Douglas fir forests, Garry oak forests and rare plant communities and species. Ecological reserves are areas selected to conserve representative and special natural ecosystems, plant and animal species, landscape features and phenomena. The goals of ecological reserves are to contribute to the maintenance of biological diversity and the protection of genetic materials and are not created for outdoor recreation.

Lax Kwil Dziidz/Fin Island Conservancy is about 20 km south of Hartley Bay, 100 km southwest of Kitimat and 130 km southeast of Prince Rupert. The 1,902 hectare conservancy encompasses all of Fin Island, and the foreshore and intertidal areas covered by water within 200 metres of the high tide line. Lax Kwil Dziidz/Fin Island has been used since time immemorial by the Gitga'at and other First Nations people for cultural, social and economic purposes. It has high intertidal values, including a unique shell spit known for its clam beds, and has several protected anchorages that are popular with mariners.