Tue, 5 Apr 2022
Tags: Habitat Acquisition

Biodiversity and Bighorn Sheep saved through habitat purchase in South Okanagan

Hillside Grassland on Skaha Lakea (photo by Graham Osborne)

Today, The Nature Trust of British Columbia, one of the province’s leading non-profit land conservation organizations announced that 29.2 hectares (72 acres) of ecologically important land has been purchased for conservation in the South Okanagan.

The property expands The Nature Trust’s Skaha Lake Eastside conservation complex, south of Penticton. This new property is adjacent to the McTaggart-Cowan/nsək’łniw’t Wildlife Management Area and provides valuable habitat for several species at risk.

The Skaha Lake Eastside conservation complex adds important habitat for Bighorn Sheep for foraging, lambing, and escaping predators. Due to its ecologically rare and important ecosystems including grasslands, open forests, and rocky terrains, Bighorn Sheep can have all their needs met on this property and the surrounding area including birthing lambs in the spring.

Open and native grassland covers less than 1% of BC’s land base and provides habitat for more than 30% of BC’s species at risk. Grasslands support more threatened and endangered plants and animals than any other habitat type in the province. With the South Okanagan irreversibly losing native grasslands due to human development and cultivation, it is crucial we protect the undisturbed grasslands that remain.


Bighorn Sheep are a species of provincial concern in British Columbia. They depend on mixed habitat to survive including cliffs, grasslands, and escape terrain. Human pressures on their habitat have reduced their distribution in the Okanagan. Their grassland habitat has experienced degradation, fragmentation, and outright loss. Increased human activity has disrupted their movements, decreased population size, and increased their susceptibility to disease.

The mixture of diverse and sensitive ecosystems on the property will also protect habitat for a variety of species listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA), including, Pallid Bat (threatened) American Badger (endangered), Lewis’s Woodpecker (threatened), Western Screech Owl (threatened), Desert Nightsnake (endangered), Western Rattlesnake (threatened), and Great Basin Gophersnake (threatened).

Each species has a role to play in ensuring the persistence of biodiversity and a healthy ecosystem. Protected areas are the best way to ensure biodiversity can flourish undisturbed in perpetuity.


This project was made possible by the Government of Canada through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, part of Canada’s Nature Fund, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundation (including Midwest and Eastern Chapters), Wild Sheep Society of BC, and many other individual supporters.

“The Nature Trust of BC has been purchasing land for conservation in the south Okanagansince 1975. Protecting properties like Skaha Lake Eastside, with complex and sensitive ecosystems that support many at-risk species, is one of our top conservation priorities. When we save habitat for Bighorn Sheep, we also protect numerous other species at risk.
— Jasper Lament, CEO, The Nature Trust of BC

“By securing this latest piece of ecologically significant land, NTBC continues contributing to a growing assembly of conserved lands that provide important habitat for many wildlife species such as Bighorn sheep. Large landscapes with protected intact grasslands, forests and wetland habitats become more resilient to the impacts of climatic change and provide more connected linkages for wildlife. The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation is excited to partner with NTBC and the other funding partners on the Skaha Lake Eastside conservation complex to conserve these habitats for wildlife into the future.”
— Dan Buffett, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, CEO

“The twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss are two sides of the same coin, and we must tackle them together. By working with partners such as The Nature Trust of British Columbia, we are helping to protect the natural environment in British Columbia and across the country. Programs like the Canada Nature Fund’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program are helping us progress toward conserving a quarter of lands and oceans in Canada by 2025.”
— The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Mon, 4 Apr 2022

Now Accepting PCAF Grant Applications for 2022-23

A Northern Saw-whet Owl, banded through the Bird Migration and Community Education Project - Janna Chick

HCTF is now accepting applications for the Public Conservation Assistance Fund (PCAF). Applications must be submitted via the Survey Apply online system before 4:30pm (PST) on Friday, May 13, 2022.

Before beginning your application on the Survey Apply system, we strongly recommend that you complete your application on the Word worksheets posted on our website. Once completed you can copy-and-paste your answers into the online form. The worksheets also provide a useful overview of the questions and information requirements.

Please visit our PCAF FAQ to find useful tips and guidance for the new Survey Apply system. To access application resources and the link to apply, visit our PCAF Apply webpage.

Questions? Please contact Lisa Wielinga for further details.

Thu, 24 Mar 2022

Project Profile: Yellow Flag Iris, Enabling Stewardship and Habitat Conservation through Technology Transfer

Yellow Flag Iris on the Waterfront

Scanning the edge of wetlands, streams, lake shorelines, and shallow ponds you may notice a plant with dark green sword-like leaves and beautiful yellow flowers. But underneath the spring blooms and rich foliage Yellow Flag Iris forms an extensive thick mat of interconnected roots (rhizomes) which damage wildlife habitat, reduce water flow, and crowd out native vegetation. The plant is also poisonous to livestock if ingested and causes skin irritation in humans. It can be found in the lower mainland of BC and Vancouver Island, extending to the Southern Interior of BC through to North Thompson, Shuswap, Central Cariboo, into Similkameen Valley and Christina Lake as well as in the West Kootenays.

First introduced to North America in the 1800’s as an ornamental plant, like many invasive species this noxious weed reproduces quickly through seed dispersal, in addition to fragmentation of its horizontal root system. Seed pods can remain afloat for extended periods and may spread long distances through watercourses. The plant may take many years to (3-5) to produce the signature yellow flowers, so identification by leaves is important.

So how can this aggressive invasive species be managed? In 2020, HCTF began funding a project to provide education and training on the treatment and eradication of Yellow Flag Iris. Dr. Catherine Tarasoff of Agrowest Consulting has found that successful treatment of Yellow Flag Iris can be achieved with benthic barriers (aquatic barriers) and deep water cutting; however, land managers and stewards need to be properly trained in this method or Yellow Flag Iris will persist. Dr. Tarasoff set out to do just that; train stewards through the delivery of hands-on workshops across the province to put the tools in the hands of those closest to the problem.

Those that attended the workshops learned all about the plants’ ecology, to better understand the effectiveness of treatment. Yellow Flag Iris have large carbohydrate-rich rhizomes allowing them to feed off energy stores, even in less than ideal conditions. When Yellow Flag Iris is growing in an upland terrestrial site, it uses aerobic respiration in the presence of oxygen to generate energy; however, in saturated aquatic habitats (where it is mostly found in BC), anaerobic respiration is utilized, and the byproduct is toxic gases released from the leaves. When the leaves are clipped and removed and the patch is covered in a benthic barrier, the plant continues to use up food resources from its rhizomes and expels toxic gases which cannot escape. Under the covering, the gases emitted from the plant bounce around like free radicals further destroying the plant and speeding up the process of eradication.

Despite challenges with COVID-19, the team has trained 174 participants through 19 workshops in the southern portion of the province. These participants went on to train several more staff and/or volunteers and treated approximately 3,900 m sq of Yellow Flag Iris! The team also made a short series of educational videos to help reinforce the information learned in the workshops.

Short Instructional Video Gallery

Dr. Tarasoff has found through trial and error, it is recommended to treat smaller areas thoroughly, rather than tackling large areas less intensively. With proper application of the benthic barrier, enough time (at least a full year), and proper monitoring of rhizomes, treatment success is very high, and native plants will begin to colonize the treated area from dormant bulbs, rhizomes, and tubers.

The team plans to continue delivery of their workshops across the province to train more local land managers and stewards on this method for management of yellow flag iris so they too, in turn, can educate and train others. This is a great example of how local expertise can be shared province-wide to create stewards with the knowledge and tools to tackle this invasive species and improve habitat for fish and wildlife in their own backyards.

Other funding partners include Wildlife Habitat Canada.

Tue, 22 Feb 2022

Now Accepting Habitat Acquisition Grant Applications

Ryan River Misty Morning by Fernando Lessa

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) is now accepting applications for the Habitat Acquisition Grant. Applications must be submitted through HCTF’s online application system by 4:30pm on April 15, 2022 (PST).

Each year, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation provides approximately $500,000 in Land Acquisition grants to help fund acquisition projects that secure and manage conservation properties in British Columbia. One such project was the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Ryan River Conservation Area. This 87 hectare (214 acres) property in the Pemberton Valley was secured in 2020 and protects an ecologically important river system. The recent flooding activity across the province has demonstrated the importance of maintaining naturalized riverbanks that improve ecological resilience in these vital habitats. By conserving wetlands and forest vegetation along a 2 kilometer stretch of the Ryan River this conservation effort will help to maintain the stability of the riverbank while providing vital food and habitat for both fish and wildlife species. For proponents interested to apply for a Habitat Acquisition grant, please refer to HCTF’s updated Priority statement.

For 2022, HCTF will prioritize acquisition applications that seek to increase conservation outcomes for fish, wildlife, and their habitats, provide access for a variety of uses such as hunting, fishing, and non-motorized recreation and fit one or more of the following criteria:

  • Contribute to the conservation of wetland or grassland habitats.
  • Increase connectivity to adjacent protected lands or important habitats to further build complexes of intact habitat.
  • Contribute to the conservation of habitats near urban settings to increase opportunities to connect people to nature.
  • Demonstrate resiliency to climate change and/or address stressors linked to climate change impacts.

Apply Here

Please visit our FAQ Page to find useful tips and guidance for the online Survey Apply system. Please note that HCTF cannot accept applications submitted by email.

For questions related to the Habitat Acquisition Grant, please contact Barb von Sacken at bvonsacken@hctf.ca or 250-940-3013.

 

Fri, 11 Feb 2022
Tags: CESI / Indigenous led

Better together: How collaboration has furthered conservation efforts along Lower Otter Creek

Restoration of Lower Otter Creek will secure important habitat for species like Arctic Grayling

The Lower Otter Creek Wetland Restoration Project showcases the strength of working together to achieve conservation goals across the province. From Leadership to funding, partnerships have been key to the project’s success.

The Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN) has led the project in close association with the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation (EMLI), the community of Atlin, and consultants. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (MOE) provided funding through the Conservation Economic Stimulus Initiative for ecosystem and conservation initiatives. The placer mining industry also provided funding, exemplifying the power of partnerships across public, private, local, and provincial scales.

Thanks to hard work and collaboration, project proponents have successfully restored a historically altered creek and enhanced habitat around Lower Otter Creek and Surprise Lake—remote wetland areas roughly 20 km from Atlin, BC.

A joint effort

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) is responsible for the management and administration of a $700,000 grant provided by the MOE through the province’s Conservation Economic Stimulus Initiative (CESI)—an initiative designed to create conservation jobs for people who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

The project has also received additional funding and in-kind support from the placer mining industry, TRTFN, the provincial government, consultants, and the local community—a testament to the notion that all players truly have a “seat at the table”.

Jackie Caldwell, project lead and Mining Officer for TRTFN, has seen the power of partnerships first-hand and believes the project offers an opportunity to promote future collaboration within the community.

“It’s been really great to see that kind of collaboration coming together. I’m hoping that the project will showcase to the entire Atlin community, that if we put our minds together, we can achieve great things.”

About the project

The project began in 2017 and aims to restore a historically altered creek, stabilize the shoreline and improve water quality—all of which will benefit local wildlife, including Arctic grayling populations who have experienced notable declines over the past decade.

Several other species will also benefit from the project including bears, moose, and in the future, caribou. The area is currently a barrier for caribou migration, but project leads are hopeful that the new vegetation will expand the historic migration corridor that has been heavily fragmented by industrial development across northern BC.

“The goal of the project is essentially to take a non-productive portion of the stream and make it productive for wildlife use again,” explains Caldwell.

By diverting Lower Otter Creek into a more gently sloped path, the project has successfully turned a fast-flowing creek into a slow, meandering one. This change has allowed sediment from upstream mining activities and unstable slopes to settle out before entering Surprise Lake, improving both water quality and shoreline stability, and creating an environment conducive to vegetation growth.

To date, the engineering and construction work has been completed and additional plantings are scheduled for the spring of 2022.

Participation where it’s least expected

Due to a long history of placer mining in the region, the damage is considered a legacy disturbance, meaning there is no sole party that can be held responsible.

“It was a great starting point because it offered a project that we could all work on together,” says Caldwell.

Some of her favourite memories have involved collaboration with the community and she specifically recalls a time when an Atlin local volunteered to collect bear scat after posting the request on Facebook.

“One way to revegetate is to utilize natural seeds from the area like soapberry, crowberry, and Saskatoon berry,” explains Caldwell. However, to ensure successful germination, the seeds need to pass through the digestive tract of an animal.

Thanks to the support of an eager community member, Caldwell was able to collect more scat and has since distributed the native seeds throughout the site. “This was a great way to bring different people into the picture.”

Honouring Khustìyxh

By bringing multiple stakeholders together, the Lower Otter Creek Wetland Restoration Project has not only highlighted the power of partnerships, but it has also honoured the Tlingit ‘way of life’— khustìyxh.

“Khustìyxh is the concept that we’re not here to take from the land. The Tlingit are here to make sure the land prospers for future generations and everything we do should come back to that concept,” explains Caldwell.

The project has taken a historically disturbed area and given it new life, allowing future generations to both enjoy and live off the land.

 

The Conservation Economic Stimulus Initiative is funded by B.C.’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy which has allocated $10 million in funding for ecosystem and species conservation. As part of B.C.’s Economic Recovery Plan, this program will support B.C.’s economic recovery by investing in ecosystem and species restoration projects across the province. These projects will employ British Columbians, with a focus on demographics such as young adults, women, and Indigenous People who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, by funding “shovel ready” conservation projects that will also help to protect and improve B.C.’s diverse ecosystems, wildlife, and freshwater fish species.

Wed, 12 Jan 2022
Tags: Caribou

Grants Approved for 14 Caribou Habitat Restoration Projects

Supported by funding from the B.C. government and the federal government, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation approved 14 grants for new and ongoing projects to help restore caribou habitat in British Columbia.

The 2021 grants were allocated through the foundation’s Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund and total more than $1.65 million (see details in attached backgrounder).

In 2018, the B.C. government committed $8.5 million to support the foundation’s work. In 2021, the Government of Canada contributed a total of $5 million over five years for projects that will benefit the Central Group of Southern Mountain Caribou. Five of the approved projects from 2021 will be co-funded by the B.C. government and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Activities, such as urbanization, forestry, mining, oil and gas, and roadbuilding work, have altered caribou habitat. Activities that help restore caribou habitat include:

  • planting trees to restore areas to a pre-disturbed state; and
  • blocking former roads and other linear features such as seismic lines (such as corridors cleared of vegetation to assist oil and gas exploration) to reduce predator access.

One of the 14 funded projects is being conducted within a newly protected area under the Intergovernmental Partnership Agreement for the Conservation of the Central Group of Southern Mountain Caribou. The Mount Rochfort project is led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society in co-operation with Wildlife Infometrics and Canadian Forest Products Ltd.

With the support of a $192,617 grant provided by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, habitat is being restored along a 156-kilometre stretch of road in the Klinse-za caribou-herd area, adding about 7,865 hectares of habitat and contributing to a total of 26,322 hectares of connected caribou range.

Since 2018, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation has provided 32 grants worth approximately $3.9 million for 23 projects led by First Nations, government, industry and not-for-profit societies.

The Province’s support of this grant program is part of an ongoing and multi-faceted approach to caribou recovery in British Columbia. Its recovery program aims to restore this iconic Canadian species to a sustainable population.

 

Boreal Caribou from the air

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation provided the following 14 grants worth $1,655,124 through the Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund:

Adams Groundhog Road Rehabilitation and Reforestation Project (Project 3-422)

  • grant of $199,500 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • led by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
  • Thompson-Okanagan region (about 100 kilometres northeast of Kamloops)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Groundhog caribou herd by restoring habitat on an estimated 50-100 kilometres of road over multiple years to reduce predator movement and access to caribou habitat.

Upper Bigmouth Creek (Project 4-621)

  • grant of $28,431 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • led by Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakers of the Land) LLP
  • Kootenay region (about 140 kilometres north of Revelstoke)
  • This project has restored habitat on about five kilometres of linear features in the Columbia North herd area. This year’s grant is primarily for monitoring the completed restoration work.

Mica Creek (Project 4-622)

  • grant of $288,681 approved for 2021-22 (new project)
  • led by Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakers of the Land) LLP
  • Kootenay region (about 140 kilometres north of Revelstoke)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Columbia North caribou herd through the restoration of habitat on two resource road networks.

Tweedsmuir Caribou Winter Range – Chelaslie Road Restoration (Project 6-283)

  • grant of $70,671 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • led by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
  • Skeena region (about 60 kilometres south of Burns Lake)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Tweedsmuir-Entiako caribou herd by restoring habitat on up to 78 kilometres of road.

Whitesail (Project 6-306)

  • grant of $87,174 approved for 2021-22 (new project)
  • led by Canadian Forest Products Ltd.
  • Skeena region (about 122 kilometres south of Smithers)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Tweedsmuir-Entiako caribou herd by restoring about 73 kilometres of road.

Amoco Road (Project 7-528)

  • grant of $23,315 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • co-funded by the B.C. government and Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society
  • Northeast region (56 kilometres west of Chetwynd)
  • This project has restored habitat on 15 kilometres of road in the Klinse-Za caribou herd area. This year’s grant is primarily for monitoring the completed restoration work.

Kotcho Lake Restoration Area (Project 7-529)

  • grant of $175,780 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • led by the Fort Nelson First Nation Lands Office
  • Northeast region (about 80 kilometres northeast of Fort Nelson)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Snake-Sahtahneh boreal caribou herd by restoring habitat on 45 kilometres of seismic lines.

Otter (Project 7-530)

  • grant of $6,120 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • led by Canadian Forest Products Ltd.
  • Northeast Region (about 86 kilometres northeast of Prince George)
  • This project restored habitat on a 7.5-kilometre road that was fragmenting high-value habitat for the Hart Ranges caribou herd. This year’s grant is primarily for monitoring the completed restoration work.

Tumuch (Project 7-534)

  • grant of $8,720 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • led by Canadian Forest Products Ltd.
  • Northeast Region (about 95 kilometres southeast of Prince George)
  • This project restored habitat on 12.4 kilometres of road to create a connected area of almost 70,000 hectares of high-value habitat for the North Cariboo herd. This year’s grant is primarily for monitoring the completed restoration work.

Peck Creek-Upper Carbon (Project 7-543)

  • grant of $53,452 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • co-funded by the B.C. government and Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society
  • Northeast Region (about 54 kilometres west of Chetwynd)
  • This project has restored 1,287 hectares of habitat in the Klinse-Za caribou-herd area. This year’s grant is primarily for monitoring the completed restoration work.

Callazon-Clearwater Valley: 4000 and 3800 Roads (Project 7-554)

  • grant of $122,984 approved for 2021-22 (new project)
  • co-funded by the B.C. government and Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society
  • Northeast Region (about 45 kilometres northeast of Mackenzie)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Klinse-Za caribou herd by restoring habitat on about 16 kilometres of road.

Goldway Road (Project 7-555)

  • grant of $72,959 approved for 2021-22 (new project)
  • led by Chu Cho Environmental
  • Northeast Region (about 170 kilometres northwest of Mackenzie)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Chase caribou herd by restoring habitat on up to 16 kilometres of road.

Mount Rochfort (Project 7-557)

  • grant of $192,617 approved for 2021-22 (new project)
  • co-funded by the B.C. government and Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society
  • Northeast Region (about 65 kilometres west of Moberly Lake)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Klinse-Za and Scott East caribou herds by restoring habitat on about 150 kilometres of road.

East Babcock Restoration Area (Project 7-558)

  • grant of $324,720 approved for 2021-22 (new project)
  • co-funded by the B.C. government and Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • led by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
  • Northeast Region (about 20 kilometres southeast of Tumbler Ridge)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Quintette and Narraway caribou herds by restoring habitat on approximately 87 kilometres of roads and seismic lines.

For more information see the Province of British Columbia’s official Information Bulletin here.