Pooley Conservancy

Highlights in this conservancy

Pooley Conservancy features a number of small watersheds and lakes draining directly into the ocean along with scenic old growth forested hills and subalpine areas.

The elusive white Kermode bear frequents the estuaries of Pooley Island while salmon use the main creeks at James and Windy Bays. Sharing borders with Fiordland Conservancy, this conservancy encompasses more than 3000 hectares of the north eastern portion of Pooley Island. James and Windy Bays are listed as Provincial Boat Havens with James Bay providing a safe anchorage and destination waypoint en route to Fiordland Conservancy.

Pooley Conservancy is located within the Kitasoo First Nation traditional territory and is co-managed under an agreement between the Kitasoo Nation and the Province of British Columbia. This co-operative management agreement will allow the Kitasoo Nation to access land and resources for their use within the conservancy while achieving conservation and recreation objectives for the area.

Know before you go

Advisories

Review the detailed guides under visit responsibly for more information on staying safe and preserving our natural spaces.

Visit responsibly

Follow these guides to ensure your activities are safe, respectful, and ecologically friendly:

Maps and location

Location Map

Getting there

Pooley Conservancy is located 20km northwest of Klemtu, 45 km north of Bella Bella and 110 km northwest of Bella Coola and shares boarders with Fiordland Conservancy. Pooley can be accessed by boat via Mathieson Channel or via Finlayson Channel and Sheep Passage.

Camping

Wilderness camping

Wilderness camping is allowed, but no facilities are provided.

When visiting the backcountry, always follow Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. To learn more about staying safe in the backcountry, read our backcountry guide.

Things to do

Hiking

For your own safety and the preservation of the conservancy, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.

Hunting

The conservancy is open to hunting. Please refer to the British Columbia Hunting Regulations for more information.

Anyone hunting in British Columbia must comply with BC hunting regulations. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.

Facilities

Campfires

Please conserve firewood. Campfires are allowed but firewood is not provided. Be prepared to bring a portable stove for cooking. If you must have a fire, please burn only dead and down wood, and be sure to extinguish the fire fully. Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil so please use it conservatively, if at all. You can conserve firewood and air quality by keeping your campfire small.

Campfire bans may be in place. Before lighting a fire, check for bans or restrictions on BC Wildfire Service and on local or Indigenous government websites.

About this conservancy

Cultural heritage

Pooley Conservancy is in the asserted territories of the Heiltsuk and Kitasoo First Nations. Windy and James Bays hold high cultural, heritage and fisheries values for the Kitasoo/XaiXais First Nation. The Kitasoo people have traditionally used Pooley Island for berry picking, collecting medicines, and gathering wood for crafts and housing. The area is also a traditional hunting and fishing area.

History

This conservancy was established pursuant to recent government land use decisions in the Central Coast LRMP area.

Conservation

The primary role of the Pooley Conservancy is to maintain wolf and deer interactions as well as habitat values. The conservancy maintains watershed integrity along with Kermode bear habitat values. The productive estuaries at Windy and James Bays are protected within the conservancy along with important fisheries values.

Wildlife

Often seen feeding in the scenic estuaries of this conservancy are black bears and the famous kermode bear who inhabit the inland. The conservancy is also home to a population of grey wolves which prey upon the island’s deer population. Numerous salmon species utilize the main creeks of James and Windy Bays for spawning grounds.

General Wildlife, Marine & Outdoor Ethics Information

Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples

BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.

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