List of protected areas of British Columbia

Protected Lands & Waters in British Columbia


Distribution and location of protected areas in British Columbia (2006)

Statistics (2015)
Type Area
Land Water
National Protected Areas 0.7% 2.2%
BC Parks 14.4% 0.9%
BC Conservation Lands 0.26% 0.07%
NGO Conservation Lands 0.1%

The following list of protected areas of British Columbia includes all federally and provincially protected areas within the Canadian province of British Columbia. As of 2015, approximately 15.46% of the province's land area and 3.17% of the province's waters are protected.

International recognition

Three UNESCO World Heritage Sites are entirely or partially located in British Columbia:

  • Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (shared with Alberta)
  • Kluane / Wrangell–St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek (shared with Yukon and Alaska, United States)
  • SG̱ang Gwaay

Two UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserves are in British Columbia:

  • Clayoquot Sound
  • Mount Arrowsmith

Federally protected areas

Parks Canada

Seven National Parks of Canada are located in British Columbia, more than any other province or territory:

One National Marine Conservation Area of Canada is located in British Columbia:

There are numerous National Historic Sites of Canada in British Columbia, with 13 being operated by Parks Canada:

  • Chilkoot Trail
  • Fisgard Lighthouse
  • Fort Langley
  • Fort Rodd Hill
  • Fort St. James
  • Gitwangak Battle Hill
  • Gulf of Georgia Cannery
  • Kicking Horse Pass
  • Kootanae House
  • Nan Sdins
  • Rogers Pass
  • Stanley Park
  • Twin Falls Tea House

Canadian Wildlife Service

Six National Wildlife Areas of Canada are located in British Columbia:

  • Alaksen
  • Columbia
  • Qualicum
  • Scott Islands Marine
  • Vaseux-Bighorn
  • Widgeon Valley

Seven Migratory Bird Sanctuaries of Canada are located in British Columbia:

  • Christie Islet
  • Esquimalt Lagoon
  • George C. Reifel
  • Nechako River
  • Shoal Harbour
  • Vaseux Lake
  • Victoria Harbour

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Three Marine Protected Areas of Canada are located in British Columbia:

Three Marine Refuges of Canada are located in British Columbia:

  • Gwaxdlala/Nalaxdlala (Lull/Hoeya)
  • Offshore Pacific Seamounts and Vents
  • Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef

Provincially protected areas

BC Parks

Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

The British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD) manages a system of 31 Wildlife Management Areas throughout the province:

  • Bert Brink
  • Boundary Bay
  • Chilanko Marsh
  • Cluxewe
  • Columbia Wetlands
  • Coquitlam River
  • Cranberry Marsh/Starratt
  • Dewdrop-Rosseau Creek
  • East Side Columbia Lake
  • Green Mountain
  • Great Bear Rainforest
  • Hamling Lakes
  • Lhá:lt/Harrison-Chehalis
  • Lazo Marsh-North East Comox
  • McTaggart-Cowan/Nsək'łniw't
  • Midge Creek
  • Parksville-Qualicum Beach
  • Pemberton Wetlands
  • Pitt-Addington Marsh
  • Quatse Estuary
  • Roberts Bank
  • S'amunu
  • Serpentine
  • Skwelwil'em Squamish Estuary
  • South Arm Marshes
  • South Okanagan
  • Stellako River
  • Sturgeon Bank
  • Swan Lake
  • Todagin
  • Tofino Mudflats
  • Tranquille

See also

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