Lax Ka'gaas/Campania Conservancy

Conservancy Info

Lax Ka’gaas/Campania Conservancy is mostly low-lying and flat, with very shallow soils and much exposed bedrock. The central portion of the island contains Mount Pender, which rises to 700 m. Marine features include a rare white sandy beach near McMicking Inlet, small estuaries, and, many inlets on the west coast, several of which are safe anchorages.

Other nearby protected areas include: Dewdney and Glide Island Ecological Reserve, 10 km to the west; K’nabiyaaxl/Ashdown Conservancy, 5 km to the east; Lax Kwil Dziidz/Fin Conservancy, 10 km to the east; Monckton Nii Luutiksm Conservancy, 3 km to the north; and Moksgm’ol/Chapple – Cornwall Conservancy, 8 km to the east. These are all remote backcountry conservancies that include large terrestrial and marine components.

Lax Ka’gaas/Campania Conservancy is one of a number of areas that were identified for conservancy status from the North Coast Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP). The Gitga’at and Gitxaala First Nations have identified interests in Lax Ka’gaas/Campania Conservancy. This conservancy was designated in 2006. See News Release for more information.

General Visitor Information

• Park User Fees
• What to Know Before You Go
• General Safety & Ethics
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Fishing and Hunting Information
• Other Links

Location

Lax Ka’gaas/Campania C onservancy covers 17,075 ha of upland habitat in the Hecate Lowlands Ecosection and 3,429 ha of foreshore in the North Coast Fiords Marine Ecosection, for a total of 20,504 ha. It is located 65 km southwest of Hartley Bay, 125 km southwest of Kitimat and 145 km south of Prince Rupert. Access to the conservancy is primarily by boat and there are a number of sheltered inlets suitable for anchoring. Floatplane access to the shoreline is possible, and helicopter access is possible at suitable landing locations such as wetlands and along the shoreline.

Nature & Culture

Lax Ka’gaas/Campania Conservancy helps to protect the areas biological diversity and natural environments by protecting representative coastal flora and fauna, plant communities and animal species at risk, and special features, particularly extensive lowland coastal muskeg (bogs and fens) with associated rare/unusual plants.

Campania Island is part of the Milbanke Strandflat, a geological formation that is mostly composed of granitic bedrock. This formation has many well-defined lineaments, which are filled with many peatlands or shallow lakes in the interior of the island, and form narrow inlets near the coast. Much of the vegetation is open bog or bog forest, with some scrub forest. Combined with the exposed bedrock, the result is a very open landscape. Glacial cirques also occur at sea level in the area.

Lax Ka’gaas/Campania Conservancy also protects a historically and currently used area of marine harvesting and its associated cultural values, and provides First Nations with an opportunity to conduct social, ceremonial and cultural uses.

Management Planning

There is an active management planning project underway for this conservancy.

What are you views? Visit the Lax Ka’gaas/Campania Conservancy management planning page to provide your input on the management plan for this conservancy.

Map / Brochure

• Conservancy Map (PDF)
• North and Central Coast Maps of Conservancies