Q’altanaas /Aaltanhas Conservancy

Q’altanaas /Aaltanhash Conservancy is located on the east side of Princess Royal Channel, along the Inside Passage route. It protects the Aaltanhash and McIsaac River watersheds, scenic mountains, coastal old-growth forests, bear habitat, salmon spawning streams, marbled murrelets and low-elevation Sitka spruce forests. It also provides a protected anchorage adjacent to the main Inside Passage route where visitors can spend a night to rest, fish or watch wildlife.

The conservancy contains ten known archaeological sites (Pre-contact fish traps, shell middens, canoe skid, and culturally modified trees) and has historically been used for traditional food gathering, fishing and trapping by local First Nations. The area was inhabited year-round by First Nations as recently as the 1930’s, when resident families hunted and trapped in the area and traveled to Butedale for supplies.

Overview provided by BC Parks