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
Gibsons Official Community Plan Update
The Town of Gibsons is updating its Official Community Plan (OCP), an important document guiding land use, growth, and conservation over the next decade. Last updated in 2015, this OCP refresh comes at a critical time, as we face the increasing impacts of droughts, heat domes and atmospheric rivers.
The OCP update process is a vital opportunity for community members to have their say about how their town will grow and change over the next decade, and to ensure sustainability, ecosystem protection, and climate resilience over the long term.
Ways to contribute:
- Complete the online survey before Nov 15
- Provide feedback via the online interactive map before Nov 15
We strongly encourage community members to participate in their OCP engagement processes.
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
Help Us Protect
Canada’s Endangered Landscapes!
The federal government has committed to protect 30% of Canada’s lands and waters by 2030. Large tracts of land have already been protected through funding from the Natural Heritage Conservation Program (NHCP) which ends in March 2026.
Our partner, the Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia (LTABC), is working to secure $250 million in NHCP funding to help groups like the SCCA protect Canada’s most endangered landscapes. Please sign this petition and help us protect endangered spaces!
Attend This Upcoming Event: Forestry and Water with Our Executive Director
On November 23, discover the connection between logging and water security as SCCA’s Executive Director Suzanne Senger joins Dr. Younes Alila of UBC to discuss forestry’s impact on flood risk and the importance of watershed protection.
Learn about the SCCA’s ongoing efforts to safeguard vital aquifer recharge areas on the Sunshine Coast.
Seaside Centre in Sechelt. Doors open at 6:30pm
Support Local Conservation
Donations fund our research and advocacy activities.