Khutzeeymateen Provincial Park, also known as Khutzeymateen/K'tzim-A-Deen Grizzly Sanctuary, is a Class A

provincial park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to t ...

located in the North Coast region of

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

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. The park, within the purview of BC Parks, was established on August 15, 1994, to protect critical habitat for the region's grizzly bear population and the largest contiguous stand of old-growth Sitka spruce in the world. It was officially opened by

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...

, on August 17, 1994.

Geography

Khutzeeymateen Provincial Park is located in the northern

Kitimat Ranges , photo = Lax Kw'alaams.jpg , photo_size = 280px , photo_caption = Lax Kw'alaams backdropped by Mount McNeil , map = , map_image = BC-relief_Kitimatranges.png , map_caption = Kitimat Ranges ...

, at the head of Khutzeymateen Inlet, approximately northeast of Prince Rupert. It borders Ksi X'anmaas Conservancy to the north, Khutzeymateen Inlet Conservancy to the west, and, to the south, Khyex Conservancy, covering the Khyex River watershed. The park protects of upland and of foreshore in the

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

of the Khutzeymateen River. It is the first undisturbed estuary of its size to be protected along the north coast of BC.

History

The area that is now Khutzeymateen Provincial Park had been designated for logging when, in 1982, wildlife biologist and conservationist Wayne McCrory received an anonymous tip about a "unique valley" on the northwest coast. McCrory visited the inlet in October of that year, accompanied by bear researchers Stephen herrero and Ralph Archibald. "Overwhelmed" by what they saw, the team decided to campaign to protect it. A 300 km (185 mi) hunting ban was established around the inlet and the provincial Crown commissioned a study into ways of logging without harming grizzlies. The preserve was created at the urging, and with the assistance, of

, the husband and consort of

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. Reserchers worked with Philip, who was also President of the

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, and the Lax-kw'alaams First Nation to secure its protection. The Prince, with 13 Tsimshian hereditary chiefs, opened the Khutzeeymateen Provincial Park on August 17, 1994, two days after it was established by

order-in-council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council (''Kin ...

of the Queen's representative,

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, on the advice of his

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Mike Harcourt Michael Franklin Harcourt, OC (born January 6, 1943) served as the 30th premier of British Columbia from 1991 to 1996, and before that as the 34th mayor of Vancouver, BC's largest city, from 1980 to 1986. Early life and education Harcourt was ...

The Khutzeymateen Inlet Conservancy was established in 2008 with the aim of enhancing and ensuring the protection of important grizzly bear intertidal and foreshore habitats throughout the inlet, as well as protecting and maintaining biological diversity and natural environments; preserving social, ceremonial, and cultural uses of

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

(Coast

Tsimshian The Tsimshian (; tsi, Ts’msyan or Tsm'syen) are an Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Their communities are mostly in coastal British Columbia in Terrace and Prince Rupert, and Metlakatla, Alaska on Annette Island, the only r ...

depend on this area); maintaining recreational values; and ensuring that development or use of natural resources occurs in a sustainable manner. The park is the first area in Canada created specifically to protect grizzly bears and their habitat. Though this prevented hundreds of grizzly deaths in British Columbia each year, dozens are still killed as a result of poaching, vehicle collisions, and government-sanctioned animal control.

Activities

All visitors entering the sanctuary by boat are required to check-in at the K'tzim-a-deen Ranger Station, located in the inlet. Due to the ecological importance of the park, activities are limited to guided tours of the river

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...

and a limited amount of controlled

wildlife viewing Wildlife observation is the practice of noting the occurrence or abundance of animal species at a specific location and time, either for research purposes or recreation. Common examples of this type of activity are bird watching and whale watching ...

from the inlet; shore access is forbidden. Land use is strictly prohibited.

References

External links

Blue Book of Boats: Cruising Destination - Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
Provincial parks of British Columbia North Coast of British Columbia Wildlife sanctuaries of Canada Grizzly bears 1994 establishments in British Columbia Protected areas established in 1994 {{BritishColumbia-park-stub