Awarded to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) to help create resilient ecosystems through the restoration of open forest structure in closed coniferous stands which will resist climate change, safeguard communities from catastrophic forest fire and create habitat for threatened species.
PROPONENT: Nature Conservancy of Canada
DESCRIPTION: With this project, NCC initiated control of high priority invasives in the Thunder Hill and Marion Creek Benchlands area. Knowledge and treatment of invasives prevent invasive plant spread during future landscape level ecosystem restoration operations. With the support of the Regional District East Kootenay, the Columbia Basin Trust and the Job Opportunities Work Crew, NCC completed the mechanical restoration necessary to implement a landscape level prescribed burn in conjunction with the Province of BC. Ecosystem restoration activities improved habitat for rare grassland species including Lewis’s woodpecker, badger and Hooker’s townsendia. It was also anticipated that ecosystem restoration activities would improve forage availability and quality for livestock. The mechanical restoration activities and slash abatement significantly reduced the risk of catastrophic forest fire within the Dutch-Findlay Range Unit. These activities complemented the Fairmont Official Community Plan’s intent to support regional ecosystem restoration initiatives and private landowner’s attempts to reduce the threat of fire on their property.
OBJECTIVE: The Dutch Findlay Private Conservation Land Open Forest Restoration Project was intended to enhance grassland and open forest ecosystems, to increase the area and quality of ecosystems that support rare elements such as badger and Lewis’s woodpecker.