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Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park Background Document BC Parks.. 1999

Posted May 5, 1999 | Categories : 69,Maps,Reports,Species List |

Introduction:

This report has been prepared to provide natural, cultural, and recreational information to assist the management planning process for Brackendale Eagle Provincial Park.

Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park is located on the west side of the Squamish River, near the community of Brackendale, B.C., approximately 70 km. north of Vancouver (Figure 1). It is 755 hectares in size.

The Squamish River Valley has long been recognized as one of the most significant areas of wintering bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in North America. On January 9th, 1994, Squamish had a world record count of 3,769 eagles. The river’s riparian area is heavily used for roosting, perching and feeding. Prolific runs of chum salmon (Oncorhynchuus keta) in the Squamish, Cheakamus, and Mamquam rivers draw eagles in from all over the Pacific Northwest from November to February each year.

 

See the full PDF file from BC Parks: bracken_background

Park Establishment and Legislation

In 1992, British Columbia announced the Protected Areas Strategy, a plan to protect 12 percent of the province by the year 2000. The selection and establishment of protected areas for most of the province was, and continues to be, attained through regional and sub-regional land use planning tables. However, to address the issue of protected areas in the Lower Mainland region, the government established a Regional Public Advisory Committee (RPAC) in June, 1995. The committee included representatives from conservation groups, the forest industry, outdoor recreation groups, mining, tourism, fish and wildlife, and a number of government agencies. In 1996 the Province accepted the committee’s recommendations for 23 new protected areas thus bringing the total amount of protected area to approximately 14 percent in this region.

Included in the recommendations was an important wintering site for bald eagles – the Brackendale Eagle Reserve. Over 700 hectares along the west side of the Squamish River was set aside to protect feeding, perching, and roosting sites that contribute to the extensive population of over-wintering eagles.

In 1999, Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park was established as a Class A Provincial Park ensuring that critical bald eagle habitat for feeding, perching, and roosting along the Squamish River was protected (Figure 2).

 

 

See the full PDF file (with maps) from BC Parks: bracken_background