Emil Anderson Group has donated 71 acres of land along the Englishman River to The Nature Trust of BC, valued at more than $5 million, to ensure the protection of forest including some old growth forest and species at risk on Vancouver Island.

The donation builds on Emil’s legacy of supporting impactful projects and ensuring the conservation of the Englishman River- Kw’a’luxw – Emil Anderson Legacy Forest in perpetuity.

 “Emil Anderson Group has shown great corporate leadership by donating the entire value of the land, the 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,” said The Nature Trust’s CEO, Dr. Jasper Lament.

The Englishman River- Kw’a’luxw – Emil Anderson Legacy Forest will be added to the Englishman River- Kw’a’luxw Conservation Complex – this means the property will be protected from development and will never be sold.

“If something makes sense, you have to do it. Keeping a significant portion of our floodplain and hillside land near the Englishman River in a natural state has been a goal of mine and my family’s for many years. It is proof that resource extraction, land development, and habitat preservation can be balanced through thoughtful land use planning. We are proud to donate this property to The Nature Trust of BC, an organization with a long history of conservation excellence in this area,” said Mike Jacobs, chair of Emil Anderson Group, who donated the land.

The Nature Trust of BC has been conserving land on the Englishman River since 1978 and this is their eleventh conservation property in the area. They now protect 847 acres (343 hectares) in this important community watershed.