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Burns Bog is the largest and last remaining raised peat bog in the Northern Hemisphere, located on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, North America. It covers an area of about and occupies a quarter of Delta, British Columbia, about southeast of downtown Vancouver, and is bounded by BC Highway 10 on its south, the Annacis Highway on its east, and River Road, along the South Arm of the Fraser River on its northwest. It is named after the former owner, Dominic Burns brother of Patrick Burns of Burns Meat Packaging. Its indigenous name is Maqwum, or in proper Hunquminum orthography, Ma?qwem . The word simply means "bog" but may refer to a specific plant growing in the location as well. The bog's ecosystem sustains a wide variety of flora and fauna, including 24 species of mammal and 150 bird species. Numerous zoning codes have been enacted to protect the bog from development and retain its original state in hopes of preservation for future generations. The bog is thought to be a major regulator of the region's climate, since there is no drainage and all the rain fall is ultimately evaporated. Highway 91 and flood control measures for nearby farms have cut off periodic flooding and drainage that previously fed into the bog. While a few black bears used to inhabit the area, they have disappeared, likely due to having been hunted out prior to the implementation of the current protection of the area. According to Environment Canada, the bog ecosystem is under threat from the proposed South Fraser Perimeter Road.〔Unprotected bogland owned by MK Delta Land Group Inc. is being threatened by development of 89 acres for 1850 housing units and possibly a hotel. MK Delta's land is surrounded on three sides of Burns Bog Conservation Area. The Burns Bog Conservation Area, along with several other areas including Boundary Bay and two other sites recently received Ramsar designation. ()〕 The southern part of the bog contains a landfill for the city of Vancouver. ==History== Burns Bog has traditionally been an important place for First Nations people in the area. They practiced controlled burning of patches, which promoted the growth of a variety of berries including Vaccinium (bog blueberries) and salal berries. Berries provided an important supplement to their diet. Various plants such as Labrador tea were used by First Nations people for medicinal uses. Peat was mined from the area in the 1940s, leaving large holes and drainage ditches in the middle of the bog.〔 During the second World War, the U.S. military sought to use the peat to refine magnesium for artillery shells. Large scale peat harvesting stopped in the 1980s but resource extraction remained to be the official land use zoning of the majority of the bog until 2004.〔 A small peat harvesting operation continues to operate on the south side of the bog. Before the establishment of the Burns Bog Ecological Reserve in 2004, only of the bog were protected as the Delta Nature Reserve. Another of the bog were owned by Western Delta Lands Inc., which in the past had tried to develop the area but have been denied permission from the local and provincial authorities. The Burns Bog Conservation Society lobbied the province to buy the bog from the company, but in 1996 a $27.5 million offer was turned down by the Western Delta Lands owners, the McLaughlin family in Ontario, who also own Grouse Mountain ski area. In March 2004, of Burns Bog was purchased to be protected as the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area. The four purchasing partners are the Province of British Columbia, the Greater Vancouver Regional District, the Corporation of Delta, and Canada. A legally binding conservation covenant placed on the property will ensure Burns Bog is protected and managed effectively as a natural ecosystem. On behalf of all partners, the Greater Vancouver Regional District will act as the lead managing agency.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Burns Bog」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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