An environmental charity says it has reached an agreement with the federal and British Columbia governments as well as other private and public sector partners to conserve 45,000 hectares of timberland in the province.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada says it is among the country's largest private land conservation projects to date, and it becomes part of a network of protected areas in the Rockies that stretches into Montana.

The group says the land being conserved is known as the Kootenay Forest Lands located in southeastern B.C., within the homelands of the Ktunaxa Nation.

It says among the private partners to the conservation agreement is Glencore-subsidiary Elk Valley Resources, which operates coal mines in the valley, and it is endorsed by the Ktunaxa Nation.

Federal Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin says in a statement that the conservation project is a reflection of Canada's commitment to both protecting nature and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The land involved is described as "high elevation grasslands" that provide a "rare ecosystem considered to be at risk," with old-growth forests, 930 kilometres of streams and critical habitat for grizzly bears, whitebark pine, bull trout and bighorn sheep.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2025.