Sunshine Coast Conservation Association
We Are the SCCA
Who We Are
We're an association of individuals and groups dedicated to protecting the biodiversity and integrity of the Sunshine Coast for all time. Our work is carried out by a small paid team and dozens of volunteers.
Our Goals
We endeavour to conserve lands and marine areas – from Howe Sound to Bute Inlet – in their natural states and to protect ecological values and restore biodiversity throughout the Sunshine Coast Natural Resource District.
What We Do
We engage in research, educational outreach, and advocacy activities, holding decision makers to account and encouraging government to protect biodiversity and ecosystems. We also assist member groups with their objectives.
Latest News
OCP Renewals on the Sunshine Coast
Official Community Plans or 'OCPs' are visionary bylaws used by local governments as the basis for future land use decisions. Their purpose is to direct future land use and growth by establishing where development will and will not occur and what form that development may take over time.
Simultaneously, for the first time, all three of the main local governments on the lower Sunshine Coast are updating their OCPs at the same time. Communities across the whole coast have a once in a generation opportunity to support holistic land use planning and solutions for our changing world.
The SCCA will be posting a host of content relating to the OCP renewal process - make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter to get these updates straight to your inbox!
Land Covenants
Protecting Biodiversity on the Sunshine Coast
A conservation covenant is a voluntary, legal agreement between a landowner and a conservation organization where the landowner promises to protect ecological values on the land. Covenant agreements are attached to the property title and stay with the land forever, regardless of who owns it.
This allows property owners to secure natural values for biodiversity, natural asset management, and enjoyment of nature. Financial benefits may include tax receipts, reduced land value and property taxes. Conservation organizations agree to monitor the land and ensure that the intentions and objectives of a covenant are maintained.
As a registered Land Trust, the SCCA partners in holding and developing conservation covenants for Cliff Gilker Park, Mt Artaban Nature Reserve, Long Bay Nature Reserve and Brigade Bay Bluffs Nature Reserve on Gambier Island, Sandy Beach on Keats Island, Rainfrog Sanctuary in Roberts Creek and Gospel Rock in Gibsons.
Are you passionate about biodiversity?
Volunteer with Us!
There are many ways you can leave your mark.
Biodiversity Hero
Paul Harris Jones
Paul Harris Jones
Marbled Murrelet Protector
Paul Jones has had a special relationship with birds ever since his childhood days in India. He has been a leader in the local campaign to protect marbled murrelets.
In 1993 Paul's team discovered an active nest in the Caren Range, the oldest closed-canopy temperate rain forest in Canada. Further sightings led to the creation of Spipiyus Provincial Park. Spipiyus is the shíshálh name for the murrelets, which are revered in many coastal First Nations communities.
Old-growth logging, climate change and other factors continue to put the survival of the species at risk. Paul continues to advocate for the murrelets through a proposed Jervis Inlet Biosphere Conservation Area.
(Know a biodiversity hero who deserves to be recognized here? Contact us!)
Marbled Murrelet in the News
Legal Victory for the Marbled Murrelet
The SCCA is celebrating a legal victory that could help the threatened Marbled Murrelet - the bird shown in our logo.
In the fall of 2023, Ecojustice lawyers were in Federal Court to advocate for the protection of migratory birds and their habitats across Canada. They were acting on behalf of Sierra Club BC and Wilderness Committee.
These lawyers argued that a “protection statement” - issued by federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault in 2022 - too narrowly interpreted the Species at Risk Act, unlawfully limiting the minister's duties to protect at-risk bird habitat by protecting only the nests and not the wider habitat which the birds need to survive and recover.
In Feb 2024, The Chief Justice set aside the “protection statement” and sent it back to Minister Guilbeault for reconsideration with the Court’s reasons.
We hope this decision will result in the federal government taking timely action to protect critical habitat.
What YOU can do Today to Make a Difference
Give back to the SCCA this #GivingTuesday
This #GivingTuesday, we invite you to support our work to protect biodiversity on the Sunshine Coast.
Maintaining a stable income as a nonprofit can be challenging, with funding and grants often unpredictable and limited. This #GivingTuesday, we're inviting our supporters to consider signing up for monthly donations to the SCCA.
Your monthly gift, even as little as 0.1% of your income, could have a huge impact on our mission and the future of biodiversity on the Sunshine Coast.
Call to Action: Participate in the Ghost Gear Survey
As part of our ongoing commitment to marine conservation, we encourage our community to provide feedback to the Canadian federal government through the Ghost Gear Survey. This initiative is crucial for addressing the issue of abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear—commonly referred to as ghost gear—which poses significant threats to marine life and ecosystems.
The survey closes on November 30.
Support Local Conservation
Donations fund our research and advocacy activities.
We gratefully acknowledge support from
