About Us

The Salt Spring Island Conservancy (SSIC) was formed to help the community preserve natural habitats on Salt Spring Island and in surrounding waters. Its core functions are public education, holding conservation covenants, acquiring ecologically valuable land and helping land owners become good stewards of their own land.

Since 1995, we have helped buy or protect over 1052 hectares (2600 acres) on Salt Spring Island. In the process, we have built strong partnerships with other conservation groups and government agencies.

The SSIC became a registered society in December 1994. Since then, our achievements include:

• Organizing the campaign to purchase Mill Farm in 1995.
• Working with Ducks Unlimited to secure the land around Ford Lake in 1999.
• Raising money and negotiating the agreement to protect the Maxwell Lake watershed in 2001.
• Leading the campaign to buy the Mt. Erskine summit in 2005.
• Contributing to the purchase of the Creekside Rainforest in 2008.

We were the first conservancy in BC eligible to hold conservation covenants and we now hold 12 conservation covenants, protecting 307 hectares (754 acres). SSIC was also the first conservancy in BC to preserve a watershed with a covenant and we now hold covenants on two important Salt Spring Island watersheds: Maxwell Lake & St. Mary’s Lake.

We currently (2009) own 4 nature reserves, totalling 240 acres:

• Andrea Vogt Nature Reserve
• Manzanita Ridge
• Mt. Erskine summit (co-owned with partners)
• North View Place Reserve

How you can help us protect our island:

• Become a good steward of the land you live on.
• Place a conservation covenant on your property
• Donate ecologically valuable land to a land conservancy for permanent protection
• Support the Salt Spring Island Conservancy: become a member, volunteer your time, donate funds

Annual Reports

Committees

Board of Directors

The Salt Spring Conservancy Constitution and Bylaws

Policies on Donations