The Nature Trust of BC, one of the BC’s leading non-profit land conservation organizations, has received a donation valued over $5 million from Emil Anderson Group, a fourth-generation leader in BC’s construction industry, to ensure the protection of forest including some old growth forest and species at risk on Vancouver Island. Emil Anderson Group donated 71 acres of land along the Englishman River to The Nature Trust, building on its legacy of supporting impactful projects and ensuring the conservation of the Englishman River- Kw’a’luxw – Emil Anderson Legacy Forest in perpetuity.

“This is an exceptional gift!” said The Nature Trust’s CEO, Dr. Jasper Lament. “Emil Anderson Group has shown great corporate leadership by donating the entire value of the land, transaction costs, and establishing a land management endowment. Their generous donation will help us take care of this land far into the future. Today is a wonderful day for the fish, wildlife, and people who live in and around the Englishman River.”
The Nature Trust of BC has been working to protect the Englishman River since 1978. The land will be added to the Englishman River- Kw’a’luxw Conservation Complex – and the property will be protected from development and never be sold. 

The Englishman River is located in the Coastal Douglas-fir bio geoclimatic zone on Vancouver Island, which is BC ‘s most endangered zone and a top conservation priority for The Nature Trust. They now protect 847 acres in this important community watershed. The ecological Importance is that the Englishman River is the most crucial salmon spawning river on the mid-coast of the Island and provides a habitat for five species of Pacific salmon: Chinook, Coho, Chum (Keta), Pink, and Sockeye and is also a prime spawning area for coastal steelhead and cutthroat trout. It’s a prime feeding area for bears and the remains of the fish fertilize the forest floor and strengthen the riverbed. In addition, millions of Pacific Herring spawn along the intertidal foreshore in the spring. The area is home to many at risk species, including the Northern Red-legged Frog, Purple Martin, Bald Eagle, Northern Goshawk, Turkey Vulture, Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Townsend Big-eared Bat, Steelhead, Coho and Chinook salmon. The old growth forest is home to trees that are over 250 years old.

“Keeping a significant portion of our floodplain and hillside land near the Englishman River in a natural state has been a goal of our family for many years. It’s proof that resource extraction, land development, and habitat preservation can be balanced through thoughtful land use planning,” said Mike Jacobs, Chair of Emil Anderson Group.
“What is really remarkable about the river is the biodiversity that is on full display and the way all the species interact…,” said Lament.
To support the long-term conservation of this property, The Nature Trust has entered into a Stewardship and Management Agreement with the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation, which recognizes Snaw-Naw-As First Nation as a rights holder to manage their lands and resources, protect the cultural and ecological values of traditional lands, and improve stewardship of our forests with ecosystem-based land use planning.
Chris Bob, Snaw-Naw-As First Nation Council Member, said: “Snaw-Naw-As is looking forward to working alongside The Nature Trust to ensure the health of estuaries and everything connected to those systems. Our natural resources have always been a priority for First Nations … Building meaningful relationships to protect wildlife for future generations to enjoy and respect is the goal.”