Some people in the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) are questioning the purchase of Hamilton Marsh.

Critics are wondering why taxpayers are funding its purchase when there was no plan to develop the area, and taxes are rising at what they say is an unsustainable rate.

Earlier this month, the RDN announced its plans to purchase a 360-hectare parcel of land for $30 million.

Hamilton Marsh, located southwest of Qualicum Beach, is a pristine piece of nature that’s poised to be preserved forever.

It’s a 36-hectare marsh surrounded by a 100-year-old forest.

“The opportunity to protect a place like Hamilton Marsh doesn’t come up very often. It’s in the coastal Douglas fir ecological zone, which is the most imperilled zone in B.C. with the largest number of species at risk,” said Paul Chapm

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