The Ktunaxa Nation and Teck Resources Limited announced the signing of a Joint Management Agreement for more than 7,000 hectares of land purchased by Teck in 2013 for conservation. The lands are located in ?amak?is Ktunaxa and in the region of Teck’s steelmaking coal operations in southeast British Columbia. Under the Agreement, the Ktunaxa Nation and Teck agree to jointly manage the land for conservation purposes protecting significant fish and wildlife habitat. The Agreement will also support the Ktunaxa Nation Stewardship Principles, and Teck’s goal to achieve a net positive impact on biodiversity in the areas where it operates. Teck and the Ktunaxa Nation worked closely with stakeholders to purchase the land in 2013 in the Elk Valley and Flathead River Valley because of its exceptional social, cultural and ecological value. Teck’s purchase of these lands was one of the single biggest private sector investments in land conservation in B.C. history. There are approximately 7,150 hectares in total of private lands consisting of three parcels: Flathead Townsite (992 hectares), Alexander Creek (3,098 hectares) and Grave Prairie (3,059 hectares). The lands provide important habitat for numerous species, such as grizzly bear, wolverine, badger, elk, lynx, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout, and hold significant value for local communities. Teck and the Ktunaxa will begin implementation of the Joint Management Agreement in January 2021. This will include developing conservation management plans with input from communities and other stakeholders.