Our Mandate
The East and West Kootenays are stunningly beautiful and ecologically rich, yet also quite fragile. Hydropower, residential and road development, resource extraction and the spread of invasive species have all applied pressure to the natural functioning of the region’s ecosystems.
KCP is responding by helping our partners protect clean water, preserve important wildlife habitat, and steward the land to allow for healthy, functioning ecosystems. We focus on bringing organizations together for the greatest long-term return on investment. Our collaborative approach is strategic and can help us find win-win solutions to ecosystem conservation on private lands.
- We are a broad partnership of over 80 organizations from across the Kootenays.
- We support partners in conserving landscapes that sustain naturally functioning ecosystems.
- We envision vibrant communities that demonstrate the principles of environmental stewardship that can in turn support economic and social well-being.
- We help our partners to coordinate and facilitate conservation efforts on private land.
- We increase the capacity of our partners by improving access to financial and technical resources for project implementation.
- We also help to raise money locally, which is then leveraged for hundreds of millions of dollars. As a result, conservation in the Kootenays is a great investment.
Since 2002, our partners have worked to conserve over 240,000 hectares of land and have invested $170 million into conservation projects across the Kootenays. World-class conservation efforts include Darkwoods, The Flathead Agreement, Tembec Lands, Pine Butte Ranch, Wycliffe Wildlife Corridor, Lot 48, Hoodoo-Hofert, The Frog Bear Project and The Big Ranch.
People choose to live in the Kootenays for a reason, and the Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP) is our “Way of Life” Insurance.
KCP 2017-2022 Strategic Priorities
The foundation of the KCP partnership is a common approach to land conservation through coordinated securement, stewardship and capacity building.
KCP serves as an important regional network for conservation organizations. We will endeavour, where possible, to use the social capital of the partnership to achieve the vision of the KCP.
SECUREMENT
Increase the effectiveness, collaboration and coordination of private land securement.
STEWARDSHIP
Increase the effectiveness and coordination of stewardship activities taking place on private lands.
CAPACITY BUILDING
Build and provide technical, financial and internal capacity for KCP and partner organizations to undertake securement and stewardship activities.
NETWORK
Strengthen the network of conservation organizations through communications to achieve efficiencies, synergies and ultimately greater effectiveness.