Who We Are
We acknowledge that our operations are conducted on the traditional lands of the Ktunaxa people. The Ktunaxa occupied the area now recognized as Ȼaqahak – Thick Forest (Fernie) for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers. We honour the history and the role that the Ktunaxa people play in the stewardship of the Elk Valley.
The Elk Valley Regional Land Trust is a non-profit society which is also registered as an environmental charity with the Canadian Revenue Agency.
The purposes of the Society are to conserve and protect the environment for the benefit of the public by acquiring and managing property in the Elk Valley and through the establishment of conservation covenants designed to conserve, protect and rehabilitate ecosystems and the environment.
We are also chartered to support responsible and sustainable recreational use on those lands, such as hiking trails, mountain biking, snowmobiling, skiing and other traditional uses.
You can learn more about or non-profit registration here and charitable status here.
strategic plan
Our Vision
We see a future in which wildlife corridors and connected refuges are conserved on both the eastern and western slopes of the Elk Valley, and in which recreational use is permitted subject to the conservation imperative.
Our Mission
Our mission is to acquire the lands, or rights in lands, necessary to protect continuous forest corridors in the Elk Valley, and the native animal and plant species within them.
Our Values
Our core values are conservation, connectivity, stewardship and collaboration.
The Trust was established in 2019. It’s first Strategic Plan, for the period 2020 to 2025 envisaged that it would take a period of 2 to 3 years to establish an organization capable of acquiring and stewarding lands in the Elk Valley. You can see the Trust’s Strategic Plan here.
The Trust itself is governed by a Board of Directors composed of founders as well as representatives of various community groups. You can learn more about the trust Board of Directors below. In addition to being a charitable organization, the trust is a registered BC Society. The business of the Trust is carried in accord with policies and procedures specified by the Board.
If you have any questions about the matter in which the trust is organized or how it functions, please feel free to contact our Executive Director, Kevin La Roche, directly at kevin.laroche@elkvalleylandrust.org.
board of directors
The Elk Valley Regional Land Trust Society is a registered, volunteer-run, Canadian non-governmental organization. Founded in 2019 by a group of residents, business owners and recreationalists, EVRLT’s call to action evolved from a shared concern. We all recognize the need for sustainable forest management to ensure the economic and social well-being of the Elk Valley.
Our skill set is diverse: finance, entrepreneurialism, risk management, engineering, land management and communications. We are driven by our passion to create a stronger, more resilient community. We exist to parlay the Valley’s natural capital into a more sustainable economy, one that conserves nature and makes room for human experience.
Roger Swierstra
Pamela Rannelli
Jeff Leitl
Steve Kelly
Michael Belenkie
Melanie Wrigglesworth
Ashlee Jollymore
Pat Gilmar
Additional Directors joining in January 2023
TBD - Fernie Chamber of Commerce
TBD - Tourism Fernie
Kevin LaRoche
Craig Lee
special advisors
Aysha Haines
Terry Nelson
How We Work
A Land Trust is a non-profit organization that works with private owners to acquire lands, or conservation covenants in private lands. The Land Trust then acts as a steward of that land, in perpetuity, to achieve specific conservation objectives reflected in a Stewardship Plan created for the property.
What Lands by the Elk Valley Regional Land Trust Interested In?
Why Should Landowners Work with the Trust?
