COLUMBIA LAND TRUST ACQUIRES CRITICAL SALMON SPAWNING HABITAT IN THE LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN

VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON (April 6, 2009) — Columbia Land Trust announced today the acquisition of one of the most significant chum spawning sites in the entire Columbia River Basin – 305 acres at the confluence of the Grays River and Crazy Johnson Creek in Wahkiakum County, Washington. The Land Trust purchased the property from the Hancock Timber Resource Group, a timberland management organization that had owned the land since 2005.

"This project is a vital part of a multi-year effort to restore salmon habitat and river processes in this area and ultimately the entire Columbia River." said Columbia Land Trust Executive Director Glenn Lamb. "Thousands of salmon churning the waters of a clean river as they spawn is a true wonder of the Northwest, and this is one of those places. This is important, for the chum, the local communities, and everyone."

The Grays River and Crazy Johnson Creek support spawning, migration, and rearing of a number of salmon species, including federally protected chum, steelhead, Chinook and coho. Chum were listed as a threatened species in 1999. Chum spawning is perhaps the most vital since a significant portion of the Columbia River population spawns within the project area.

The 305-acre parcel includes 6,000 feet along the Grays River and approximately 1,300 feet along Crazy Johnson Creek. This project will permanently protect the property, provide for conservation stewardship to protect and enhance habitat quality for critical species, and provide opportunity for reach-wide restoration/enhancement actions.

The acquisition builds on earlier purchases along the lower Columbia to restore fragmented and degraded habitat so that it supports healthy salmon and strong local economies. The Land Trust will develop a management plan with local input. Selective logging will likely continue, enhancing upland forests. The Land Trust will pay property taxes on the land, as they do on their other properties in Wahkiakum County.

Funding and support for this project came from several partners, including the Bonneville Power Administration, Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership, and North American Wetland Conservation Program. The Bonneville Power Administration funded the purchase as part of its responsibility to mitigate impacts of Columbia River hydroelectric dams.

"This important work can only be accomplished through partnerships," said Lamb, "we’re facing a monumental task in fish recovery in the Columbia, and we must work together.‖ Columbia Land Trust and Hancock Timber completed a previous project which included the sale of 480 acres in Klickitat County, Washington, to restore and preserve critical salmon spawning habitat along 15 miles of the Klickitat River. "We are extremely pleased to be able to complete this transaction,‖ Lamb continued, "and grateful to our partners to work with us to protect environmentally sensitive lands."

"It is a fundamental principle of Hancock Timber’s stewardship ethic to work closely with groups such as Columbia Land Trust to preserve environmentally sensitive lands that are best managed under public ownership or ownership by private conservation groups," said Derek Solmie, Pacific Northwest Project Manager, Hancock Timber Resource Group. "The Grays River"Crazy Johnson Creek parcel is an important piece of land for conservation, which makes this agreement with the Columbia Land Trust so gratifying."

Through its Sensitive Lands Program, the Hancock Timber Resource Group has helped preserve and protect nearly 400,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands across the United States. Its largest single sensitive lands transaction was the protection of approximately 90,000 acres of timber lands in King County Washington in 2004. Under this agreement with King County, Hancock Timber sold the development rights on the vast majority of the Snoqualmie Forest, just east of Seattle, ensuring that the land will remain a working forest in perpetuity.

About Columbia Land Trust

Columbia Land Trust is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to conserving signature landscapes and vital habitat together with the landowners and communities of the Columbia River region. The Land Trust conserves lands in both Oregon and Washington, from the east side of the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean. The Land Trust has 1,500 members and has conserved more than 9,800
acres. The Land Trust works collaboratively with landowners, local residents, government entities, and other non-profit organizations to develop the best possible plans for people, habitat, and wildlife. For more information contact Columbia Land Trust at (360) 696-0131, (503) 224-3601, or www.columbialandtrust.org.

About the Hancock Timber Resource Group

The Hancock Timber Resource Group, a division of Hancock Natural Resource Group, Inc, an operating company of MFC Global Investment Management, manages more than five million acres of timberland worth approximately $8.5 billion in the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast United States as well as Brazil, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Additional information about HTRG may be found at www.hancocktimber.com.

MFC Global Investment Management is the asset management arm of Manulife Financial Corporation. Based in North America with investment offices in Toronto, Boston, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, the firm has more than 100 years of experience. Additional information about MFC Global Investment Management may be found at www.mfcglobal.com.

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$405 billion (US$330 billion) as at December 31, 2008.. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial may be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

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