A massive part of the densely forested mountainside above West Vancouver will be “protected forever,” according to the district, as on Monday, it created the latest park in the area.
The district explained the area to be designated parkland is almost twice the size of Vancouver’s Stanley Park. It will be maintained and stewarded through funding from the BC Parks Foundation and the Cypress Hollyburn Legacy Fund, with a $3 million matching gift from the Wilson 5 Foundation.
“Today we are proud to share we will be protecting 781 hectares – or 1932 acres – of forest land as our gift to our community and the world,” West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager said.
“This area will help preserve sensitive ecosystems and wildlife and store carbon to fight climate change. It will also ensure that old growth trees will continue to stand in our stunning municipality, which we know is very important to our residents and people across the globe.
“We also recognize that this new park dedication will maintain the beautiful view of the mountains, which is something that everyone in the metro region can enjoy.”
The district explained that with this newly designated park, the West Vancouver region will now be home to more than 32,000 hectares of protected parklands. This includes the Cypress Provincial Park, Capilano, and Seymour Watersheds, and also protects lands around the Old Growth Conservancy, home to an important stand of old-growth trees in West Vancouver.