A land parcel acquisition by the province has grown Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park by 16.4 hectares.
The land, known as the Harvard Road vacant acreage located on the north end of the 7,677-hectare park, was purchased by the government for $947,000.
Situated in the northern section of the park which borders Kelowna, the parcel of land contains an open forest and grassland ecosystem, as well as a significant wetland.
The area has high recreational values, as several popular mountain biking and hiking trails intersect within the park. The property contains habitat that supports various wildlife, some of which is considered at-risk in the province.
Securement of the property also greatly increases habitat connectivity within the balance of the park. The land is also part of the Crawford-area mountain bike trail system.
“Friends of South Slope started advocating for the property to be purchased when the previous owner died in 2006,” said Isabel Pritchard, a member of Friends of South Slope, a volunteer organization that promotes outdoor recreation in Myra-Bellevue and Okanagan Mountain provincial parks.
“It is considered to be highly important to Myra Bellevue Park, because the public has been using it for many years,” Pritchard added. “Over the years since 2006, FOSS has been very actively pursuing all avenues towards achieving this goal. We are very excited about this because when looking back, FOSS is 20 years old this month.”
To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.
<>@KelownaCapNews
newstips@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.