Courtesy NTBC
Map provides approximate location.
Bummer’s Flats – MapleCross Benchlands
Kimberley, BC
The Nature Trust of British Columbia – 2024
171 hectares
Property Description
Bummer’s Flats – MapleCross Benchlands, covering 424 acres (171 hectares), is primarily comprised of dry, open forest and grassland situated above the Kootenay River floodplain.
Located in the unceded and traditional of the Ktunaxa Nation, this area offers connectivity for species like elk, grizzly bear, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. It also provides critical habitat for the federally endangered American badger, and supports diverse plant species, birds, amphibians and reptiles.
With the support of MapleCross, this new conservation area has expanded the existing Bummers Flats Conservation Complex to 4,930 acres (1,995 hectares), which includes other conservation areas managed by The Nature Trust of BC, the Province, and Ducks Unlimited Canada. This project also succeeds in establishing a cross-valley connectivity corridor that spans from upland habitat west of the Kootenay River, across the river floodplain and up into benchlands at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.
The Nature Trust of BC successfully raised just under $1.4 million to protect and conserve this land. The van der Velden family, who sold the conservation area to The Nature Trust of BC, also donated to the fundraising campaign in honour of Aart, their late father and husband.
“I am deeply thankful that this beautiful land has been protected by The Nature Trust of BC. This land was incredibly important to my husband, Aart, who loved nature his entire life. We moved from Holland to Canada in 1983 and we have always loved the incredible scenery and wildlife in Canada. This land is close to a highway, so we were always concerned the area would be developed one day and that our community would lose its beauty. We see the conservation of this land as a legacy to Aart who would have been thrilled to see this area flourish for generations to come.” said Gerrie van der Velden, previous owner and seller of Bummers Flats – MapleCross Benchlands.
Content and property pictures courtesy of Nature Trust of British Columbia.
