A South Shore coastal conservancy group has bought half of an island and hopes to be able to buy the rest so that West Ironbound Island will be protected forever.
The 57-hectare island is off the tip of Gaff Point, south of Lunenburg, and went on the market two years ago.
The group tried to buy it last year, but John Campbell of the Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy says it withdrew its bid when it couldn't raise enough money.
But he says an anonymous buyer came forward, bought the island, and then sold half of it to the conservancy for $775,000.
He has given the community group an option to buy the other half if it can raise the $775,000 by Dec. 20, 2011.
The island was first mapped by Samuel de Champlain in 1604 and initially settled in 1765 as a fishing outport.
