SILT

This year, make the perfect gift of protected land on Savary Island in honour of your friends and family. Help save the Johnson Forest! Donations are tax deductible. You may Donate Now or by mail. Use this form if you would like more information, or if you want your tax receipt go to another person.

The Savary Island Land Trust Society (SILT) was established to preserve and protect natural areas and biological diversity on Savary Island for present and future generations. SILT was incorporated as a society in the Province of British Columbia on October 21, 1997 and received registered charity status with Revenue Canada on June 2, 1998.

SILT has a growing membership of 325.  We believe in clean water, wildlife, wilderness and access to greenspace. SILT is dedicated to the preservation of natural areas and biological diversity on Savary island now and forever. Through generous donations, SILT has received ten gifts of land (14 acres) on Savary Island. SILT was established in 1997, when the dream to preserve the last undivided and undeveloped wilderness on Savary (DL1375) also known as the “Trillium Lands”  was born. The 330 acre parcel was under threat of subdivision and development as a 90 unit gated community by Bellingham developers. Research determined that the land contained rare and endangered plants and plant communities and was one of the best examples of intact coastal dune ecology in Canada, in fact a national treasure. SILT began to look for ways to preserve the land and worked with Federal and Provincial governments to secure resources to purchase it. In 2000, SILT approached the Nature Trust of BC for assistance and in 2002, the Nature Trust of BC, the Province of BC, the Government of Canada and private donors made possible the purchase of a 50% undivided interest in DL 1375 and title to 13 adjoining parcels.

Since 2002, the Nature Trust of BC has tried to purchase the remaining 50% interest from developer Mr. Roger Sahlin in order to preserve this Savary treasure forever. Recently Mr. Sahlin took the Nature Trust to court under the Partition Act and a decision subdividing the land was made in February 2010. In April 2010, the Nature Trust of BC and SILT joined forces to appeal the court decision and save the last Savary wilderness. Learn More >>

Please use this website to keep up with our latest news and what's happening with the Heart of the Island, DL1375.

Please don't forget to read Savary Island Stewardship: A visitor's Guide.
 

Help us to save a Mid Island Forest for present and future generations.

The Johnson family owns 8 undeveloped lots on the north side of Savary, Mid Island. The family would like to donate 4 of these to SILT, if we can raise the funds for the other 4. The forest, located near Mermaid Rock and the "Sand Trail" at Henderson Rd is over 2 acres with Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, Arbutus, Western White Pine and Shore Pine. SILT has received a very generous pledge of $100,000 to kick off this campaign. We need to raise $165,000 to acquire the Johnson Forest. Learn more >>

Make a Pledge today!