Conservancy overview
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.
Advisories
Camping
Wilderness camping is allowed, but no facilities are provided.
Facilities
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.
Activities
The conservancy is open to hunting. Please refer to the British Columbia Hunting Regulations for more information.
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.
Conservancy and activity maps
Learn more about this conservancy
Conservancy details
- Date established: July 13, 2006
- Size: 3,269 hectares
Nature and culture
History
This conservancy was established pursuant to recent government land use decisions in the Central Coast LRMP area.
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.
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.
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.