From land trusts to government agencies, ranchers to stewardship groups, all of our partners are involved in private land stewardship, directly or indirectly. Because of this, we not only convene a Stewardship Committee in both the East and West Kootenay, we also develop innovative approaches to increase the effectiveness of private land stewardship.
To better serve the unique ecosystems and communities across the Kootenays, KCP introduced the concept of Conservation Neighbourhoods, areas that are connected by an ecological and social thread. This new model catalyzed a series of Conservation Action Forums which have identified local conservation priorities, and enabled us to build a framework for Stewardship Solutions, an online directory of land stewardship information.
We know the power of a network, especially when it comes to making connections across the landscape. This is why one of our recent stewardship initiatives — Kootenay Connect — is working with partners to restore and conserve habitats that support biodiversity and ecological corridors across the Kootenays
SHARING KNOWLEDGE, BUILDING FINANCIAL TOOLS
Our partners are committed to the conservation and stewardship of private land, and we are committed to supporting their activities.
One of the ways we do this is by creating opportunities for partners to share technical knowledge and skills with one another, through field tours and gatherings, webinars and online workshops. Whether it’s sharing best management practices, restoration techniques, or approaches to climate adaptation – we seek topics that respond to the evolving needs of our partnership and find ways to connect expertise.
Beyond knowledge, a limiting factor for many projects is the cost. With this in mind, in partnership with the Regional District of East Kootenay KCP made history by establishing the first Local Conservation Fund in Canada’s history. Launched in 2010, the Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund provides funding to local conservation projects and has since become a model for other regions. In 2014 KCP and the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) created the RDCK Local Conservation Fund.
Learn more about our webinars, gatherings and Local Conservation Funds. >>TBD where to link to, whether a future ‘capacity’ landing page or one of individual pages