Province eyes Meteor Lake Wetland for conservation

The roughly 2,400-hectare area contains at least 15 different wetland ecological communities, including bogs, marshes, and shallow open-water wetlands. /Courtesy Nature Trust of British Columbia

By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG

The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship is considering giving the Wildlife Management Area designation to the Meteor Lake Wetland, an area in the Robson Valley along the upper Fraser River.

The roughly 2,400-hectare area contains at least 15 different wetland ecological communities, including bogs, marshes, and shallow open-water wetlands, according to a letter the Ministry sent to the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George in early May.

The designation is a long-term conservation strategy that establishes guidelines for conserving important fish and wildlife habitat, the ministry said in a statement to The Goat.

“WMAs [Wildlife Management Areas] often concurrently provide for a range of opportunities for public access, including day hiking, hunting and fishing, wildlife viewing, scientific research and education and traditional activities of First Nations,” the ministry added.

While the wetland was added to the provincial Conservation Lands Program in 2021, this was not a long-term conservation measure, the ministry said. The program restricts tenures being issued under the Land Act and was used as a stopgap measure as the ministry contemplated making the area a Wildlife Management Area.

The wetland is one of the largest intact bog complexes on the Fraser River, according to the ministry’s letter to the RDFFG. About 68 per cent of the area is made up of blue-listed ecosystems – meaning they are classified as “Special Concern,” and considered vulnerable to human activities. The area also provides important habitat for waterfowl, raptors, amphibians and bears, the letter says.

The ministry is continuing to discuss the possible Wildlife Management Area designation with Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, according to the statement. It will also solicit public and stakeholder feedback on the designation, after which it will consider submitting a request to the B.C. Environment and Land Use Cabinet Committee to designate the wetland as a Wildlife Management Area.

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