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Ministry of Transportation and Ducks Unlimited Canada Unveil New Wetland Projects 
Courtenay, B.C., July 18, 2003—A conservation partnership among the Ministry of Transportation (MOT), the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, (MWLAP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) on behalf of the Pacific Estuary Conservation Program partners is ensuring a secure future for properties containing fish and wildlife habitats that border the recently constructed Vancouver Island Highway, located within the Comox-Strathcona Regional District on Vancouver Island.
The properties forming the Vancouver Island Highway Courtenay Wetlands Project include; Piercy Creek, Morrison Creek, Linton Environmental Conservation Area, Bevan Creek, Forbidden Plateau Creek and Japanese Swamp Creek totaling 48.5Ha (119.9Acres).
The properties all contain wetland habitat that are a mix of open water, riparian, and streams . As part of the compensation work for the Vancouver Island Highway construction, key enhancement features such as small ponds, stream complexing and large wood debris, animal passage structures, wildlife snags, and wildlife rock piles have already been completed for fish, waterfowl and other riparian species. Common wildlife to the area include Canada geese, mallard, wood duck, coho salmon, pink salmon, cutthroat trout, deer, black beer, beaver, wolf, cougar, woodpeckers, raptors and passerine birds.
The goal for the Vancouver Island Highway Courtenay Wetlands will be to maintain the present habitat diversity for the benefit of fish and wildlife. As the natural ecological processes appear to provide sufficient habitat for the needs of wildlife, no restoration or enhancement proposals are contemplated at this time. All of the land parcels contain one or more streams. The securement of these parcels of land will support local stewardship efforts in watershed management.
The conservation partners agreed the most effective method to secure the properties in the long term would be to transfer the properties to a non-government conservation organization who would manage and maintain the areas for biodiversity in perpetuity for present and future British Columbians to enjoy.
Pacific Estuary Conservation Program partners: Environment Canada; Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Habitat Conservation Trust Fund, The Nature Trust of British Columbia, The Land Conservancy of British Columbia, Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada.