Picture of sẁiẁs Provincial Park [Formerly Haynes Point] in Osoyoos
British Columbia has the second largest parks system in the world after Canada's National Parks. 13.9 million hectares or 14.7 % of British Columbia is Protected which is more than any other Province in Canada. In 2011 BC Parks celebrated it's 100th Birthday - BC Parks 100 marking the establishment of the first BC Provincial Park, Strathcona Park, on March 1st, 1911.
The Government of BC owns about 90% of the Land within the Province nearly half of which is covered by trees and is home to 2/3 of the Provinces bird Species and land mammals. With the Provincial Government working since the 1970's to protect British Columbia from excessive logging and development.
Today has 1,030 designated Parks and Protected areas
Which takes into the account the hard work of the BC Government since 2001 who established 84 new parks, 156 conservancies, two ecological reserves, and thirteen protected areas. As well as working towards the expansion of 75 parks, six ecological, three protected areas. The Government accounts for the responsibility including protection of 2.3 million Hectares of land which is over 4 times the size of Prince Edward Island.
Part of this protected land includes the 200,000 hectare habitat for the Spirit Bear which is also called the Kermode Bear and is the Provinces official Mammal.
The Current Parks and Protected areas in British Columbia include Regional, Provincial and National Parks, Provincial and National Historic Sites, Recreational areas, Provincial Marine Parks, Conservation Areas, National Park Reserves and Ecological Reserves
BC Parks and Protected areas attract more than 20 million visitors yearly with almost 90% of British Columbians having used a Provincial Park at Some point, with an estimated 6 out of 10 residents of BC using a Provincial Park Annually.
Roughly 1/3 of the parks offer some developed facilities such as Picnic Shelters, Boat Launches and parking areas. With more than 230 of those parks having facilities that cater to those with Disabilities. Within the Provincial Parks there are 340 campgrounds accounting for 11,000 Campsites.
Nearly 1/10 of the Provincial Parks are wilderness that is largely undisturbed and untouched by Civilization, there is an estimated 6,000 KM of Hiking trails that are frequently used by Backpackers and Mountaineers.
The oldest Park in BC is Strathcona Park which was the Province's first established Provincial Park in 1911 and is where you can find the 440 metre Della Falls which is the highest Waterfall in Canada and one of the 10 Highest Falls in the World.
The Largest Park is Tweedsmuir Park with 989, 616 hectares of land with the smallest park of Memory Island clocking in at less than 1 hectare.
Other parks of note include the Tatshenshini-Alesk Park which is 947, 026 Hectares in size and alongside adjacent parks in Alaska and the Yukon Territory forms the worlds largest international World Heritage site. The Khutzeymateen park is Canada's only Grizzly Bear Reserve and is home to at least 50 Grizzly Bears.
The largest in tact Coastal Temperate Rain forest in the world is in Kitlope Heritage Conservancy. The world's most productive Sockeye Salmon Run can be viewed at Roderick Haig-Brown park.
British Columbia is also home to an abundance of Forests with roughly half the Province Covered in a variety of Trees.
Coniferous/Evergreen Trees
Douglas Fir, Lodgepole Pine, Arbutus, Grand Fir, Ponderosa Pine,
Subalpine Fir, Western White Pine, Sitka Spruce, Black Spruce,
White Spruce, Yellow Cedar, Mountain Hemlock, Western Hemlock, Rocky Mountain Juniper and Western Red Cedar which is the official Tree of BC.
Deciduous Trees include
The Dogwood which is the Provincial Flower,
Red Alder, Big Leaf Maple, Mountain Alder, Pacific Crab Apple,
Choke Cherry, Sitka Mountain Ash, Pacific Willow, Paper Birch,
Sitka Willow, Water Birch, Garry Oak, Greene Mountain Ash,
Balsam Poplar (Black Cottonwood) and the trembling Aspen which is the most wide spread and abundant deciduous Tree in BC.
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