Conservation Resources
The following is a selection of conservation and stewardship resources available for our region listed in alphabetical order.
These resources are highlighted because they have been featured in the KCP eNews. This is not intended to be a comprehensive library of all conservation resources in the Kootenays. Please email us if you have any additional resources that you think should be on this list.
See below for resources organized by the following categories. For a list of KCP publications, visit KCP Resources.
- Stewardship
- Landscape & Habitat Conservation
- Species at Risk
- Wildlife Monitoring
- Indigenous Knowledge
- Climate Change
- Water
- Invasive Species
- Restoration
- Databases, Directories & Toolkits
- Technical
- Miscellaneous
STEWARDSHIP
A Field Manual to the Conservation, Restoration and Stewardship of Low Elevation Brushland (Gb), Grassland (Gg) and Dry Forest Ecosystems in the West Kootenay Region
Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) and the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) Section of the Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development
This field manual (Version 3.0) was developed to provide clear and concise best management practices for conserving and protecting the sensitive ecosystems of low elevation brushland (Gb), grassland (Gg) and dry forest ecosystems. These ecosystems are ecologically important, uncommon on the landscape, very sensitive to human disturbance and highly threatened due to their location in valley bottoms where human activity is concentrated. The sensitive ecosystems also have low resiliency to disturbance.
The manual summarizes best management practices for avoiding/minimizing disturbance on sensitive sites, rehabilitating, revegetating and restoring disturbed/impacted areas, and monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness and success of treatments. The area covered by this manual is the south and central parts of the West Kootenay Region that includes the Boundary area.
Prepared by Evan McKenzie Ecological Research and Thomas Hill Environmental, Nelson, BC (February 28, 2023).
Background Information Document for the Conservation, Restoration and Stewardship of Low Elevation Brushland (Gb), Grassland (Gg) and Dry Forest Ecosystems in the West Kootenay Region
Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) and the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) Section of the Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development
This background document describes the project objective, goals and project area and provides information related to guiding work activities in low elevation Gb, Gg and dry forest ecosystems. It was developed to supplement and support the field manual summarizing the best management practices. The background document provides additional information on the following topics:
- Target ecosystems in the West Kootenay Region
- Ecological and cultural importance of target ecosystems
- Threats and potential negative impacts to ecosystems
- Conservation and protection strategies and practices
- Site and Ecosystem Restoration
Prepared by Evan McKenzie Ecological Research and Thomas Hill Environmental, Nelson, BC (February 28, 2023).
A Field Guide to Ecosystem Classification and Identification: Boundary–Eastern Okanagan–Shuswap–
Southern Arrow
Province of British Columbia
This field guide presents site classification and identification information for ecosystems following the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) system. It is part of a four-volume series for southeast British Columbia that updates the biogeoclimatic and site classification previously published for the former Nelson Forest Region (Braumandl and Curran 1992; Braumandl and Dykstra 2005) and for parts of the former Kamloops Forest Region (Lloyd et al. 1990).
A Field Guide to Ecosystem Classification and Identification: Southern Thompson-Okanagan (Interim draft)
Province of British Columbia
This field guide presents site classification and identification information for ecosystems of the southern Thompson–Okanagan following the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) system. It is part of a three-volume series for the Thompson–Okanagan Region that updates much of the biogeoclimatic and site classification previously published for the former Kamloops Forest Region (Lloyd et al. 1990)
A Resource for Kootenay Lake Living
Regional District of Central Kootenay
Best practices to keep your lakeshore natural can protect your property from flooding since deep-rooted trees and roots absorb water and wave energy, reducing shoreline erosion. Native plants, trees, rocks and soil help filter rain and storm water runoff by trapping sediment and contaminants which protect water quality. Since all wildlife need a healthy and safe place to survive and thrive, keeping the lake shore natural preserves fish and wildlife habitat. Download “A Resource for Kootenay Lake Living” for more information.
Green Shores for Homes Guide
Stewardship Centre for BC
Green Shores for Homes (GSH) is a program that focuses on positive steps to reduce the impact of residential development on shoreline ecosystems, and helps waterfront homeowners restore natural shorelines and enjoy the many benefits they bring.
Off-Road Vehicle Guide to B.C.’s Grasslands
Grasslands Conservation Council of BC
The recreational and commercial use of off-road vehicles (ORV) continues to grow in British Columbia and there is an ongoing need to promote their safe, responsible use. The Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia (GCC) recently updated its guidelines for ORV use on grasslands and produced a summary in a pocket-sized brochure.
Stewardship Practices Guide
Stewardship Centre for BC
The Stewardship Centre for BC offers free resources to the stewardship community. These diverse and comprehensive documents are available for use on all ecological projects. The Stewardship Practices series is intended to encourage people to take voluntary stewardship actions to safeguard wildlife and species at risk.
LANDSCAPE & HABITAT CONSERVATION
An Honest Accounting: Improving BC’S Approach to Claiming Other Conserved Areas
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society & EcoJustice
It will take collaborative efforts from all levels of government – Indigenous Nations, community partners and experts – to create meaningful, effective protected and conserved areas that conserve ecological and cultural values. “Other conserved” areas were initially conceived as a tool to make the creation of protected areas more inclusive, recognizing Indigenous and community conservation values. As pointed out in this recent report, unfortunately, BC has misused this tool to falsely inflate their progress towards protected area targets. This report was created to take a deep dive into the three designations – Old Growth Management Areas, Wildlife Habitat Areas, and Wildland Zones – that make up more than 97%, by size, of BC’s claimed “other conserved” areas. The authors underscore it is critical that BC and other jurisdictions apply rigorous standards in their accounting of protected areas and other effective conservation measures to ensure these areas legitimately promote in-situ (i.e. “in place”) biodiversity conservation, to comply with Canadian and international standards in order to meaningfully contribute to 30 by 30.
Center for Large Landscape Conservation Resource Library
Center for Large Landscape Conservation
The Center for Large Landscape Conservation strategically connects ideas, individuals, and institutions to catalyze collaboration and amplify progress toward the imperative of our time: to conserve Earth’s resilient, vital large landscapes. The Center is inspired and led by a team of professionals with heart who bring their expertise and experience to the cause in support of good science and government, vision and on-the-ground practice, engineering, and communications. The Center’s resource library provides access to ideas, tools for policy makers and practitioners, case studies, and more.
BC’s Old Growth Forest: A Last Stand for Biodiversity
Karen Price (PhD), Rachel Holt (PhD, RPBio) and Dave Daust (MSc, RPF)
Karen Price (PhD), Rachel Holt (PhD, RPBio) and Dave Daust (MSc, RPF) conducted these analyses to investigate the province’s claims about the state of old growth, and arrived at a more accurate and, unfortunately, alarming view. For example, of the 13.2 million hectares of “old-growth”, the vast majority (80%) consists of small trees, including bog forests and subalpine forests. In contrast, only about 400,000 hectares of remaining old forest supports large trees, covering less than 1% of BC’s forested land. The report includes urgent recommendations, and concludes current policy will make matters worse.
Building Resilience in the Kootenays
Kootenay Resilience
These pages describe a number of local projects that are: examining ongoing threats to biodiversity and communities; assessing vulnerabilities, and; identifying opportunities for building resiliency.
Columbia Basin Action Plan
Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program
The Columbia Basin Plan sets forth the strategic direction for the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) in the Columbia Region. The priority setting process is then described, followed by a short synopsis of the priority Action Plans. Taken together, this Basin Plan and the accompanying Action Plans present the FWCP priorities for investments in compensation activities within the Columbia Basin.
Conservation Resource Directory
Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative
To enhance communications and information exchange on landscape-level conservation efforts, the Great Northern LCC has developed an online resource directory containing descriptions of landscape initiatives and organizations that conduct conservation work within the Great Northern geographic area.
NCC Resource Centre
Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC)
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is a leader in conservation science and planning. Learn more about some of the concepts and terms behind our work, or download some of our conservation planning documents.
Research Brief: Ecosystem Services and British Columbia’s Inland Temperate Rainforest
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
This research brief provides a summary of new research on ecosystem services in B.C.’s inland temperate rainforest, as well as highlights from the Upper Columbia basin and southern mountain caribou habitat.
Taking Nature’s Pulse: The Status of Biodiversity in British Columbia
Biodiversity BC
This addresses the full range of land and freshwater biodiversity, including elements that overlap with the marine (saltwater) realm, such as salmon and seabirds, as well as important elements of biodiversity not addressed at a species or ecosystem level. It also discusses the pressures on biodiversity caused by human activity, including climate change.
Wildlife Connectivity: Fundamentals for Conservation Action
Center for Large Landscape Conservation
Conserving nature’s parts and processes requires working at ecosystem, landscape, and bioregional scales. Size matters in ecology; in general, the larger the scale of focus, the better the chance of conserving critical ecological processes such as hydrologic function, natural disturbance regimes, species life cycles, and functional trophic interactions. This document is intended as a guide in advancing wildlife corridor and ecological connectivity conservation.
SPECIES AT RISK
Berries and bullets: influence of food and mortality risk on grizzly bears in British Columbia
Best Management Practices for Bats in British Columbia
Columbia Wetlands Marsh Bird Monitoring Project Report
Goldeneye Ecological Services/Canadian Wildlife Service
Movement ecology of endangered caribou during a COVID-19 mediated pause in winter recreation
R. Gill, R. Serrouya, A. M. Calvert, A. Ford, R. Steenweg, M. J. Noonan
The long-term conservation of species at risk relies on numerous, and often concurrent, management actions to support their recovery. Generally, these actions are habitat-based while others are focused on a species’ position within its ecological community. Less studied are the impacts from human presence, despite evidence that human activity may reduce the area functionally available for occupancy or resource acquisition. In the winter of 2020/2021, Covid-19-related travel restrictions led to a reduction in helicopter-assisted back-country skiing (heli-skiing). In the moist to wet interior mountains of southern BC, the authors examined how these reductions in heli-skiing (termed the anthropause) affected the movement ecology and resource selection of southern mountain caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) as compared to two prior years (2018/2019 and 2019/2020) and the following year when heli-skiing resumed (2021/2022). They found that home-range size was on average 80–120% larger during the anthropause than in years of normal heli-ski operations.
Natural and human-made nesting habitat use by Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) in Canada
Noémie Pelletier, Janice E. Arndt, Rachel Darvill, and Marc-André Cyr
A 2022 publication in the Canadian Field Naturalist includes some findings from the Upper Columbia Swallow Habitat Enhancement Project, which is partially funded by the Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund (CVLCF), and the Kootenay Bank Swallow Survey. This peer-reviewed literature speaks to natural and human-made nesting habitat use by Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) in Canada, including some implications for conservation.
Species at Risk Fact Sheets
Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands
Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands (SARPAL) is an initiative supported by the Government of Canada under the National Conservation Plan. The goal of this initiative is to help recover and protect species listed under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) through voluntary stewardship on farmland where critical habitat for SARA-listed species are found.
Species at Risk Management Plan and Conservation Framework
BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
British Columbia is home to tens of thousands of plant and animal species living in a rich diversity of habitats. Many of these species and their habitats are at risk of extinction or extirpation. This site is a gateway to information about species and ecological communities (ecosystems) at risk in B.C.
Species at Risk Public Registry
Government of Canada
The Public Registry contains news, information, and documents related to species at risk in Canada. The website has been designed to help the public better understand Canada’s approach to protecting and recovering species at risk, learn about species at risk and what’s being done to help them, and get involved in decision making and recovery activities.
Species-at-risk Recovery in BC: An Audit of Federal and Provincial Actions
Jared Hobbs, M.Sc., R. P. Bio
This report was commissioned by Sierra Club BC and Western Canada Wilderness Committee to provide an assessment and effectiveness evaluation of legal protection afforded to species-at-risk in BC. In Canada, recovery of threatened, extirpated and endangered species falls under the purview of the federal Species-at-risk Act (SARA) with responsibilities shared between governing bodies in each of Canada’s provinces and territories. The intent of this report is to audit current accomplishments and challenges hindering recovery of species-at-risk in BC, to better facilitate recognition of potential improvements that could be made at all levels of government, in order to ensure the goal and intent of the SARA are met for the betterment of species-at-risk and conservation of biodiversity.
Species-at-risk Recovery in BC: Case Study
Jared Hobbs, M.Sc., R. P. Bio & Todd Mahon, M.Sc., R.P. Bio
An independent case study found that logging is the biggest contributing factor for the decline of southern mountain caribou and spotted owls in BC. In the case of spotted owls, logging is pervasive across the habitat, extreme in the severity of harm and has an extremely high overall risk ranking. The case study assesses wildlife decline in BC and the legal gaps responsible in three geographic regions of BC (coastal, southern and northern areas), for six different species; caribou (southern mountain and boreal), spotted owls, western rattlesnake, great basin gopher snake, great basin spadefoot, and tiger salamander, representing diverse threats causing their decline. The study uses eleven threat categories developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to assess whether these threats are addressed in provincial law. Findings highlight that the federal Species-at-risk Act (SARA) does not have automatic legal authority on provincial crown land, which makes up 94% of the land base, and that no provincial legislation is designed specifically to protect critical habitat.
State of the Bats report
Conservation Status and Threats to North American bats
This very readable report highlights the current state of bats in North American, including trends of bat species in Canada. The report includes the benefits of bats, existing threats to bat species, and what people can do to help protect bats.
Survey of Long-billed Curlews and Grasslands in BC
David Bradley, Birds Canada
In 2017, Birds Canada began a study of Long-billed Curlews breeding in the East Kootenay grasslands at the Skookumchuck Prairie Important Bird and Biodiversity Area. This work had three main aims: to fit satellite transmitters to curlews to track their movements over a full year, to determine the breeding success of those birds in a natural prairie environment, and to connect with farmers and local naturalists in the area to learn from them about the species and what it means to them. In 2022, a BC-wide citizen-science curlew survey was initiated, which revealed an interesting trend in the distribution of those birds.
WILDLIFE MONITORING
Abundance Estimates for Marsh Bird Species in the Columbia Wetlands
The Columbia Wetlands are one of the largest contiguous wetland complexes in western North America. Current population estimates are necessary for designation of priority conservation areas and for reliable assessment of population status for species of conservation concern. This multi-year study (2016–2019) was designed to estimate abundances of focal and secondary marsh birds using standardized call-broadcast protocols and distance sampling methods. Abundances of focal species varied by year, and mean population estimates indicated the most abundant secretive marsh birds were Sora (Porzana Carolina), followed by American Coot (Fulica americana), Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola), and Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps). Most abundant secondary species were Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris), Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus), and Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata). Habitat covariates for detection functions varied by species, tended to include woody vegetation, tall vegetation, and open water; supporting previous studies proposing that a ‘hemi-marsh’ state is an important habitat condition for many marsh bird species. The Columbia Wetlands provide important wetland habitat and these estimates underscore the need for effective management for the conservation of BC’s avifauna.
Dynamic balancing of risks and rewards in a large herbivore: Further extending predator–prey concepts to road ecology
Marie-Pier Poulin, Seth G. Cherry & Jerod A. Merkle
Animal behaviour is shaped by the ability to identify risks and profitably balance the levels of risks encountered with the payoffs experienced. Anthropogenic disturbances like roads generate novel risks and opportunities that wildlife must accurately perceive and respond to. Funded by Parks Canada, this study tested whether animals dynamically balance risks and rewards relative to roads using extensive field-based and GPS collar data from elk in Yoho National Park, where a major highway completely bisects their range during most of the year. The researchers found that elk generally selected intermediate and high forage biomass and avoided crossing the road. Most of the time, elk modulated their behaviour given varying risks and rewards.
Osprey Monitoring Report: Kootenay Lake (1997 – 2021)
Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society (FOKLSS)
Osprey are considered a worldwide indicator species for aquatic ecosystems, and monitoring their reproductive success can help inform changes within aquatic food webs. This is due in part by their almost exclusive diet of fish, their long lifespan, their strong nest fidelity, their global distribution, their tolerance to human development, their known sensitivity to human contaminants and their ability to accumulate most fat-soluble contaminants. FOKLSS tracked long-term changes in population sizes of breeding osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) by conducting nest surveys to better understand the cumulative impacts of stressors on the lake. Data from 25 years of osprey nest observations collected on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake (1997–2021), and 6 years of osprey and bald eagle nest observations from the main lake (North and South Arms, 2016–2021) is analyzed.
Secretive marsh bird occupancy across a spectrum of hydroelectric reservoir management in western montane Canada
Ashleigh M. Westphal, David J. Green, Janice E. Arndt, Rachel Darvill & Mark C. Drever
This report outlines how the alteration of hydrological regimes for generating hydroelectric power has affected the occurrence of secretive marsh bird species in the West Kootenay and Columbia Wetlands regions of BC. Sampling was done across a spectrum of hydrological regimes and other potentially relevant factors. At each survey station, the researchers assessed wetland occupancy during the breeding season using broadcast-callback surveys focused on five secretive marsh bird species: American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), American coot (Fulica americana), pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), sora (Porzana carolina), and Virginia rail (Rallus limicola). Additionally, they measured vegetation structure and the proximity and size of nearby water bodies for each survey station, and then used occupancy models to assess important correlates behind wetland occupancy for these marsh bird species, considering water management operations, regional differences, and local- and landscape-level wetland characteristics. Secretive marsh bird species were more likely to occupy wetlands in areas with less frequently altered hydrological regimes. Therefore, the authors suggest that reservoir management is altering vegetation communities within these wetlands, indirectly promoting lower occupancy of secretive marsh bird species.
INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES
4 Phases of Indigenous Engagement
Bringing the Salmon Home
Bringing the Salmon Home: The Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative is an Indigenous-led collaboration of the Syilx Okanagan Nation, Ktunaxa Nation, Secwépemc Nation, Canada and British Columbia. Salmon have been blocked from returning to the Canadian portion of the upper Columbia River for more than 80 years. The long-term vision is to return salmon stocks for Indigenous food, social and ceremonial needs, and to benefit the region’s residents and ecosystems as a whole. Includes the Bringing the Salmon Home Festival.
Documentary: Bringing the Salmon Home
This documentary was produced with the Syilx Okanagan, Secwépemc and Ktunaxa Nations, and the governments of Canada and BC, and premiered at the recent online festival also called Bringing the Salmon Home. For more info and to support the work of the Columbia Salmon Reintroduction Initiative, please see their website.
Entering Ethical Space: A Series on Land-based Reconciliation in the Kootenay-Columbia
Guide for Land Acknowledgements
How to Be an Ally of Indigenous-led Conservation
Indigenous and Western Knowledge: Bringing Diverse Understandings of Water Together in Practice
Global Commission on the Economics of Water
The importance of multiple perspectives in understanding human-nature relationships and associated benefits for biodiversity, ecosystems and overall quality of human life, is underscored by Indigenous Peoples’ values, worldviews and knowledge systems. For many Indigenous Peoples, water is a living entity with inherent value to be revered and protected – an essential relationship that extends beyond dominant Western approaches. While efforts are being made to bring diverse Indigenous and Western values, worldviews and knowledge systems together to restore freshwater systems, on a practical level the question remains: “how to do so?” in an ethical and responsible way. This report responds to that gap by synthesizing insights gained through a review of documented experiences from projects across the area currently known as Canada and the United States.
Indigenous Ally Toolkit
Indigenous Conservation Agreements in Canada: A Review of Best Practices, Challenges, and Implications for the Future
Indigenous Laws in the Context of Conservation
Indigenous-Led Approaches to Salmon Reintroduction
Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative
Indigenous-Led Water Relationships within the Columbia Basin
Native-Land.ca
One with Nature: A Renewed Approach to Land and Freshwater Conservation in Canada
The Promise of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas in Canada
Bolstering Indigenous-led conservation will be critical if Canada wants to follow through on its climate, biodiversity and reconciliation promises. So what are the best practices? How can we get this right? And what we can learn from similar, longer-running efforts in Australia. Four expert panellists came together to share insights on how IPCAs can help us manage species, reduce wildfire risk and safeguard the environment
Transboundary Indigenous-led Conservation of Nature and Culture (Fourth Transboundary Dialogue)
Walking Together to Care for the Land and Water: NCC’s Indigenous Conservation Engagement Framework
We Rise Together: Achieving Pathway to Canada Target 1 through the Creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas in the Spirit and Practice of Reconciliation
Whose Land is it Anyway? A Manual for Decolonization
Y2Y Principles for Working With Indigenous Peoples
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate Change Education Resources
Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN)
CBEEN has compiled an online library of climate change resources on its website. This is a one-stop shop that provides access to easy-to-use, localized and credible climate change resources and information for the Columbia Basin.
Climate Disruption in the Upper Columbia Basin
Columbia Basin Climate Source
Columbia Basin Trust & Selkirk College
The Columbia Basin Climate Source website was initiated by Columbia Basin Trust and developed by Selkirk College’s Applied Research and Innovation Centre. The site is for people seeking easy-to-understand information on climate change specific to communities throughout the Columbia Basin and boundary regions. The Climate Data Tool on the website has been enhanced to improve the presentation of data for over 40 climate variables in an easy-to-use format. Through data, videos, maps and more, the website offers information to help users understand the data and make better informed decisions locally.
WATER
BC Water Tool
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
The BC Water Tool is a modular application which provides access to water related data and knowledge in support of sustainable resource management. On this site you’ll find custom watershed reports for every stream, river and watershed in the Kootenay Boundary Region. You’ll also find monitoring data from more than 50 organizations, at more than 50,000 locations across southern B.C.
Columbia Basin Water Hub
Living Lakes Canada
The Columbia Basin Water Hub makes water data readily available to those who need to access it. The Water Hub contains numerical and spatial data, reports, photos and other types of information about streams, lakes, wetlands, groundwater, snow, glaciers and climate in the Columbia Basin, both historical and current. The data is accessible for decision makers, researchers, students, professionals and the public. Data can be submitted by community-based monitoring groups; municipal, regional or First Nations governments; Indigenous knowledge holders; the private sector; or academia. Data can also be linked to existing databases. Learn more by reading the full-length report about the Water Hub.
Expanding Water Monitoring Within Canada’s Upper Columbia Basin
Living Lakes Canada
On June 8th 2020, Living Lakes Canada on behalf of the Columbia Basin Water Monitoring Collaborative convened and facilitated a hydrology workshop with the purpose of developing recommendations for a phased expansion of the monitoring network for the Upper (Canadian) Columbia Basin (UCB). Greg Utzig, PAg, and Dr. Martin Carver, PEng/PGeo, PAg, provided a proposed approach to expanding the UCB monitoring network, and then the workshop participants actively engaged with the proposal, providing feedback on how it might be improved and implemented.
Indigenous and Western Knowledge: Bringing Diverse Understandings of Water Together in Practice
Global Commission on the Economics of Water
The importance of multiple perspectives in understanding human-nature relationships and associated benefits for biodiversity, ecosystems and overall quality of human life, is underscored by Indigenous Peoples’ values, worldviews and knowledge systems. For many Indigenous Peoples, water is a living entity with inherent value to be revered and protected – an essential relationship that extends beyond dominant Western approaches. While efforts are being made to bring diverse Indigenous and Western values, worldviews and knowledge systems together to restore freshwater systems, on a practical level the question remains: “how to do so?” in an ethical and responsible way. This report responds to that gap by synthesizing insights gained through a review of documented experiences from projects across the area currently known as Canada and the United States.
The importance of groundwater to the upper Columbia River floodplain wetlands
Casey Remmer, Rebecca Rooney, Suzanne Bayley, and Catriona Levena
Declining river flows in western North America, including the upper Columbia River, have reduced the area of open water wetlands in the floodplain and raised concern that the Columbia Wetlands will not remain viable under increasing climate change. In this study researchers used water isotopes and electrical conductivity to quantify the proportion of groundwater, river water and precipitation contributing to wetland water balance, as well as the role of evaporation, in the Columbia Wetlands through the spring, summer and fall of 2019, and found strong seasonality of water input sources. Groundwater and precipitation were important in spring and fall, while river water was dominant during the summer.
Why Care About Water Data in the Columbia Basin?
Living Lakes Canada
The purpose of this three-part webinar series hosted by the Columbia Basin Water Hub and Living Lakes Canada is to increase awareness of what water data is, and the value and applications of water data for decision makers and the public. Webinar 1: Climate change in the Columbia Basin and why water data is needed for adaptation; Webinar 2: Who is collecting water data in the Columbia Basin?; Webinar 3: Applications of Water Data for Decision Making.
INVASIVE SPECIES
Canadian Columbia Basin Regional Framework for Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS)
Canadian Columbia Basin Invasive Species Program
This AIS Program Framework was designed primarily to increase collaboration between regional committees and their partners in the Basin, such as local stewardship groups and provincial agencies, for delivering their AIS programs.
Multiple impacts of invasive species on species-at-risk: a case study in BC, Canada
Natascia Tamburello & M. Aline Litt
The historical and ongoing focus on single-species management of invasive species and species at risk contributes to inefficiencies in management strategies that present an obstacle to achieving desired outcomes. We present a case study of a more holistic approach from BC, which synthesized the identity, mechanisms of impact, mechanisms of spread, and magnitude of impacts across 782 unique pairs of invasive species and federally listed species at risk, based on a literature review of species at risk documentation.
Report Invasives BC App
Report a Weed BC
This Report Invasives app lets you report invasive species sightings anywhere in B.C. in a few quick and easy steps. Your report goes directly to a B.C. specialist for the reported species who will then coordinate follow-up activities with appropriate authorities when required. Downloads available for both Androids and iPhones.
RESTORATION
Forest Fuel Treatments for the Southern West Kootenays
Kutenai Nature Investigations Ltd.
This report prepared by Greg Utzig of Kutenai Nature Investigations Ltd. explores what types of fuel treatments would likely be most effective for application in forests in the Southern West Kootenays. The project has primarily involved a focused literature review of studies that assessed the efficacy of fuel treatments where those treatments have been tested under active wildfire conditions.
DATABASES, DIRECTORIES & TOOLKITS
BC Breeding Bird Atlas
British Columbia Breeding Bird Atlas Partnership
The British Columbia Breeding Bird Atlas partnership is proud to publish online one of the largest volunteer-based initiatives in British Columbia’s history, and a major new resource for conservation. Leading British Columbian bird experts describe the distribution, abundance, habitat and conservation of about 320 species of birds.
BC Species & Ecosystems Explorer
Government of BC Conservation Data Centre
Use the BC Species & Ecosystems Explorer to search for data and information about plants, animals and ecosystems in B.C.
BECWeb
BC Ministry of Forests and Range
This is the web portal for the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) and Ecology Research program of the British Columbia. This website is the source for information about the BEC system and access point for current and historical reports, maps, software, and other products of the program.
Columbia River Basin Biodiversity Atlas
Selkirk College Geospatial Research Centre
The Biodiversity Atlas has been developed with geographic information system (GIS) technology to provide information on biodiversity and help people learn, understand, and make decisions.
Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners REFERENCE LIBRARY
Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners (CWSP)
CWSP’s reference library contains the current and historical known research papers, projects and land use plans for the Columbia Wetlands, including the area to the east and to the west bordered by the Rocky and Purcell mountains ranges. It is a work in progress with currently over 2000 citations and more being added every year. Where possible, CWSP houses the entire document of a reference in the library, which can be downloaded if desired.
Conservation Atlas
Heart of the Rockies Initiative
The Heart of the Rockies Conservation Atlas is delivering the latest science in climate change adaptation and habitat connectivity to our land trust partners to help identify and validate selection of future conservation targets. This Atlas has a collection of spatial data specific to the conservation planning needs of our land trust partners. It is grouped into themed galleries: Connectivity, Habitat, Climate Change, Working Lands, and Planning. Thousands of additional datasets are also available to users through this platform.
Environmental Education Organization Directory
Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN)
CBEEN’s online searchable directory includes over 100 organizations that support environmental education opportunities for all ages in the Columbia Basin. This list can be searched and sorted by region, activity type, audience, and theme, and includes many KCP partners.
Kootenay National Park Resource Database
Friends of Kootenay National Park
This Research Database contains over 600 references on research and monitoring in Kootenay National Park. It can be searched by author, subject or any key word and download digital copies of the reports where available.
Forest Practices Board Reports & Publications
Forest Practices Board of B.C.
The Forest Practices Board serves the public interest as the independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices in British Columbia.
Natural Legacies (securement) Toolkit
Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia
In 2014, the Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia embarked on an ambitious project known as the BC Conservation Toolkit. This project was designed to gather information of conservation in a simple, easy-to-use format for landowners, land trusts, professionals and municipalities.
Susan Bond Memorial Library
Rocky Mountain Trench Ecosystem Restoration Program
Thompson Rivers University has compiled 20 years of data from 11 intensive monitoring plots into a report. This ecosystem restoration monitoring data is critical to the Ecosystem Restoration program; as a new discipline it has to check its projects to make sure the goals of an improved healthier ecosystem are met. Monitoring also gives the program a chance to fine tune and improve its operations. The RMTERP monitoring protocols are based on draft plans from the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program and this strategy was standardized specifically for the Rocky Mountain Trench ER program in 2002.
TECHNICAL
A Field Guide to Ecosystem Classification and Identification
B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
This field guide (MacKillop et al. 2021) covers the Boundary-Eastern Okanagan-Shuswap-Southern Arrow areas and includes ecosystem classifications for forested and non-forested units.
Field Guide to Site Classification & Identification for Southeast BC
BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations (MFLNRO)
This field guide presents site classification and identification information for ecosystems of the south-central Columbia Mountains in southeast British Columbia.
Guidelines for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation During Road Building and Management Activities in British Columbia
Riparian Health Assessment
Cows and Fish
Wondering how to measure the health of your riparian area? This 4-page fact sheet will give you some ideas on why you may want to look at the health of your riparian area, and how you can use the information to make management decisions.
MISCELLANEOUS
Cumulative Effects Framework
BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations (MFLNRO)
The province is implementing a cumulative effects framework, a management approach that close attention to a number of environmental, social and economic factors, including biodiversity, riparian conditions, water and air quality, fish and wildlife impacts, cultural and heritage concerns, community needs and economic development opportunities.
Planning 101
State of the Basin
Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute
The State of the Basin is an RDI initiative to monitor and report on information relating to well-being in the Columbia Basin-Boundary region. Understanding our region’s environmental vitality involves research focused on themes that include Biodiversity, Land (including food), Air (including climate), and Water.