Federal government invests $860,000 in Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Parkland

The Canadian government is contributing $860,000 to expand one of Nova Scotia’s premier wilderness parks.

Pulling from the Canada Nature Fund the federal governments says the money will help purchase 135-hectares of urban wilderness — pushing the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Parkland one step closer to completion.

READ MORE: Citizens’ group forming to help create Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Regional Park

The new area will help connect existing parklands owned by the provincial Crown.

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Originally made as a promise in the Halifax Regional Municipality’s 2006 regional plan, the wilderness area is made up of a mixture of natural forest, lakes, streams and wetlands.

More than 1,700 hectares of land have now been legally protected by the province.

WATCH: (January 22, 2019) Halifax has acquired 80-hectares of land for the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Regional Park

5:20 Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

The two parcels of land being purchased in the deal announced on Monday are owned by Barrett Lumber and Armco Capital.