Tue, 28 Jun 2022

HCTF Visits the Tweedsmuir Caribou Ranges

Pic 3_Selfie from Chelaslie Rd
Members of the Project Team and HCTF Staff member.

In June 2022, HCTF’s Wildlife Program Coordinator Sophia Cuthbert travelled to the habitat of the Tweedsmuir caribou herd ranges in northern BC, approximately 60 km south of Burns Lake, 230 km west of Prince George. The Tweedsmuir caribou herds are within the traditional territory of the Cheslatta Carrier Nation, where their peoples lived for centuries along the shores of Cheslatta and Murray Lakes. Sophia met up with a project team comprised of Cheslatta Carrier Nation members and biologists from the Province of BC to see first-hand the cumulative impacts of logging, disease, and fire on the forest ecosystem, as well as several efforts undertaken to restore some of these areas.

Fire Guard Undergoing Functional Restoration Treatment

Through the Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF), HCTF funds the restoration of linear disturbances, such as logging roads, access roads and fire guards, to minimize access routes that can be used by humans, and predators of caribou like wolves, into caribou habitat. This is achieved by functional restoration of the linear corridors; in this case, trees are felled, and coarse woody debris is distributed over the area, and large berms and ditches are constructed to limit vehicle and snowmobile access, as well as limit the line-of-sight for predators. During functional restoration projects, the road surfaces are also ripped, or loosened, and mounding and contouring is done to assist in vegetation reestablishment. Next, the linear disturbances are replanted with local plant species to help initiate natural vegetation growth which will eventually slow predator access and blend the feature into the surrounding landscape.

Example of Berms and Mounding for Functional Restoration of Linear Disturbance

The June site visit follows a 1-day workshop hosted by HCTF for the caribou habitat restoration community supported by the Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF), in which restoration biologists and practitioners came together to share learnings and techniques on the relatively new practice of linear disturbance restoration. It became clear from the workshop that strategies that work well for one area of BC may not work in another location. The variation of habitat type presents its own unique challenges, and techniques and best practices are constantly evolving. Speaking on site with project manager and biologist Anne-Marie Roberts, Ministry of Land, Water, and Resource Stewardship, she explained that project managers need to be able to pivot and adapt to a changing landscape. They face challenges accessing certain areas, dealing with the elements, and logistics of site selection and long-term monitoring. Anne-Marie recognized the importance of working alongside Cheslatta Carrier Nation as a pivotal in advancing this work. Working together has also been extremely important for the ongoing success of the project, and for Cheslatta Carrier Nation in managing their lands and improving habitat for the species that live there.

The CHRF program continues to fund caribou habitat restoration projects across the province, with the next intake of proposals opening in September, 2022. The deadline for 2023-24 funding proposals is November 4th, 2022. Please refer to our CHRF webpage for more details.

Funding for this work is made possible by contributions from the Province of BC and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Wed, 15 Jun 2022

Project Profile: Health and Behaviour of BC’s Southern Most Stone’s Sheep

Stone Sheep Capture (photo by Daniel Mclaren of Northern Conservation)

Stone’s sheep, one of four wild sheep species in North America, can range dramatically in size and in colouring, from white to chocolate brown and black, so these sheep perfectly blend into the habitat around them. But for all we know of their beauty and range, little is known about their health and behaviour.

The mountainous areas of northern British Columbia support approximately three-quarters of the global population of Stone’s sheep, and recent genetic data confirmed that BC is home to all genetically pure populations. Also called Thinhorn sheep, which includes the subspecies Dall’s, the Dunlevy and Schooler Stone’s sheep are the southernmost extent of their range. Therefore, conservation of this subspecies is of great concern given their habitat and genetic uniqueness.

In 2020, HCTF began funding a project to study Stone’s sheep in the Dunlevy and Schooler ranges, and the project is now entering its third year. Project team lead Robin Routledge of Wild Sheep Society (WSS) believes that as BC supports the global population of this species, it is important to understand Stone’s sheep and work to protect and enhance the habitat in which they live.

Capture Team and Helicopter (photo by Daniel Mclaren of Northern Conservation)

Recently, some concerns had been raised about potential impacts from domestic livestock and local elk herds on Dunlevy and Schooler herds, and the ecological and health conditions of the herds have not been monitored since 2005. The Dunlevy herd range is directly adjacent to ongoing anthropogenic disturbance including development and recreation. One key concern is the potential transmission of pathogens from domestic breeds to wild sheep, particularly Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae or “MOVI”; an infectious parasite that results in a deadly form of pneumonia.

The WSS of BC teamed up with Wildlife Infometrics Inc. to reinitiate a monitoring program of these herds and compare new health data to that collected in previous years (1999-2005). The hope is that this information will guide herd management and inform habitat planning and enhancement projects for First Nations and stakeholders.

In 2020, the team, along with local First Nations, started the capture and collaring of several individuals within the Dunlevy herd, and a small number of individuals in the Schooler herd. This was the first successful deployment of collars in the Schooler herd, for a total of 6 active collars in 2020, and an additional 10 collared animals in 2021 among both herds. The collars will help the team gather data on home ranges, and understand key habitat features the sheep are utilizing, to eventually inform habitat enhancement plans. Collars were distributed between ewes and rams (dependent on age, suitability, and access); an important aspect for well-rounded data as ewes tend to stay closer to a core area, moving seasonally and during lambing, while rams tend to forage outside core areas over greater distances.

But the team decided to try a novel approach to capture and collaring, and used a method called “drive netting”. To the project team’s knowledge, this project is the only time the drive netting method has been used in BC since it was last used in the previous study on these same sheep (Wood et al. 2010). Essentially the team identified where the sheep congregate and then deployed approximately 100 – 150 meters of net about 6 feet high. Ten or more people stationed around the area spread out hanging the net in place while a helicopter cautiously moved the herd towards it. The sheep are caught in the net and that’s when the team can capture them for processing (health samples and collars). The team has found great success with this method, and it seems to cause less stress for the animal as the overall disturbance or impact time is shorter than with other more traditional methods.

Drive Netting (photo by Daniel Mclaren of Northern Conservation)

At the time of capture, the team collected health samples, and laboratory results indicated that all sheep captured in 2020 were negative for five viral and bacterial pathogens commonly carried by domestic ruminants, including MOVI. One ewe captured in 2021 tested positive for parainfluenza virus-3. When this virus was found previously in Dall’s sheep, it was not associated with the death of the animal, but it can lead to mortality in Bighorn sheep. More research is required to assess the effects of this virus on Stone’s sheep as data is limited.

Then the team stumbled upon something in their 2021 spring ground surveys that worried them: two ewes in the Dunlevy range had died during lambing season due to complications associated with giving birth; something that is considered very rare among Thinhorn sheep. The team is still waiting on results to determine the cause of this.

In 2020 and 2021 lamb surveys were conducted in summer, winter, and spring utilizing both ground telemetry and aerial telemetry methods to obtain better overall confirmation of lambs, but also to compare the two methods. It was found that ground telemetry methods were the least disruptive and provided the best information for lamb at heel. Aside from the rare occurrences mentioned above, lamb numbers are looking strong for the Dunlevy herd. As for the Schooler herd, it was hard to draw conclusions with such limited data, but one lamb was observed there.

Given that this type of data has not been collected in approximately 15 years, some unexpected results also arose to shed further light on the health conditions of the herds. Fecal samples indicated that the Williston sheep (part of the Dunlevy herd) had a significantly higher stress level than other herds measured in the Cassiar and Dome areas. This may be due to range overlap of the Williston sheep with elk herds, and the associated tick load and potential resource competition (something that has been found in previous studies). More research is required to assess the effects of range overlap with other wildlife herds such as elk, and overall stress levels of the wild sheep herds.

Horn Measurement (photo by Daniel Mclaren of Northern Conservation)

Population estimates indicated that while the Dunlevy herd was within normal population levels, the Schooler herd may have undergone significant declines. Only 8 individuals at one time have been observed. The team hopes that with four collared individuals in the Schooler herd, and more planned, as well as upcoming population surveys, more can be learned about their range possibly leading to additional groups of sheep being located.

Lastly, the team looked at a condition known as “lumpy jaw”, which is prevalent in North American wild sheep and is most common in Stone’s sheep. It is caused by the consumption of sharp forage items, especially needles, which become lodged in the gums. This often leads to bacterial infection and inflammation of the mouth resulting in bony proliferations; however, studies indicate that lumpy jaw does not seem to have any serious effects on the life expectancy or overall health of the sheep. Given that there is limited information on the effects of lumpy jaw on wild sheep, in all future mortality investigations the team will be collecting and examining mandibles for deformities and abnormal tooth wear that may be indicators of lumpy jaw.

Crews are keen to return to the field for surveys this spring to continue to gather data from Stone’s sheep herds to better understand this rare species, and in turn, better manage the herds and their habitat for generations to come.

The Stone Sheep Capture Team (photo by Daniel Mclaren of Northern Conservation)

We are thankful for the First Nations Support from Saulteau First Nation, Moberly Lake First Nation, Mcleod Lake Indian Band and Halfway River First Nations.

Funding Partners for this project include the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Wild Sheep Society of BC, Wild Sheep Foundation, Northeastern B.C. Wildlife Fund, North Peace Rod and Gun Club, and MFLRORD services.

Mon, 6 Jun 2022
Tags: Caribou / chrf

World Caribou Day

June 6th is World Caribou Day! (photo by Jean-Simon Begin)

Today marks the first annual World Caribou Day! Alongside the Caribou Conservation Breeding Foundation, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation is celebrating this iconic Canadian species. Take the opportunity to learn about the threats facing caribou and the conservation works going on in British Columbia and across the world to protect the species for generations to come.

A few facts about Caribou! Caribou and Reindeer are two names for the same species and occupy arctic, sub-arctic, boreal, and sub-boral ecosystems across North America and Eurasia respectively. These groups are further separated into subspecies, with woodland caribou, Peary caribou, Porcupine caribou, and barren-ground caribou comprising the species spread across northern Canada. Caribou are the only species of deer in which both the male and female have antlers and they use these antlers to brush away snow as they search for food and to defend themselves. The species is supremely well adapted to cold climates, with a double-layered coat of fur, a hairy nose to minimize heat loss, large hooves that let them walk softly atop snow (like snowshoes), and which make clicking noises with each step which helps the herd stick together even when visibility is poor due to blizzards or thick fog. Caribou are herbivores and rely on grasses, leaves, mushrooms, and flowering plants in the summer, while during the winter their diet consists of lichen, small shrubs, and sedges. Caribou eat 9 to 18 lbs. of vegetation a day and herds may migrate over 1,000 kilometres in search of food and habitat. Barren-ground caribou have the longest migration of any land mammal on earth!

Caribou Info (by Caribou Conservation Breeding Program)

Caribou populations are declining globally and have sustained a 40% overall decline over the last 10-30 years. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUNC) lists the species as vulnerable on its Red List of Threatened Species. Within Canada, the conservation status is assessed for each caribou population, with many listed as threatened or endangered. Although caribou abundance naturally fluctuates, those natural cycles are being impacted by human-induced factors. Resource development, hydroelectric development, fire suppression, urban sprawl, and agriculture have fragmented and altered much of caribou habitat. While highways, roads, and cut lines further disrupt migration routes and create corridors that allow predators, such as wolves, to infiltrate caribou habitats more easily, increasing their vulnerability to predation. Climate change resulting in rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns and changes in wildfire ecology impact both caribou habitat quality and availability. Climate impacts also shift the distribution and viability of infectious pathogens and place caribou populations at risk of contracting novel diseases.

Project #5-346 – North Thompson Caribou Recovery Access Management Project

The Habitat Conservation Trust (HCTF) is supporting the restoration and conservation of British Columbia’s caribou populations through the Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF). The CHRF grant was set up for the purpose of restoring high-value habitat for caribou in British Columbia using functional and ecological restoration methods. To address factors such as urbanization, forestry, oil and gas, mining, and roadbuilding work, which altered caribou habitat, the CHRF funds projects that plant trees to restore areas to a pre-disturbed state, block former roads and other linear features such as seismic lines (corridors cleared of vegetation to assist oil and gas exploration) to reduce predator access and restore food sources such as lichen within protected caribou habitats.

Project #7-530 – Discussing road rehabilitation plans (photo by Kari Stuart-Smith)

Funding for the CHRF is provided by the British Columbian and federal governments with $8.5 million committed by the province in 2018 and an additional $5 million from the federal government pledged in 2021. Through the CHRF, HCTF is currently supporting 14 caribou habitat restoration projects across the province including the Mount Rochfort project, 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, habitat is being restored along a 156 km 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. A full list of current CHRF-funded projects occurring across BC is available on the HCTF webpage.

Another project funded through the Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund and led by Tsay Keh Dene Nation-owned Chu Cho Environmental is the Chase Caribou Road Restoration Program. See the following videos detailing the habitat restoration project benefiting the Chase Caribou Range.

Tue, 10 May 2022

BC Annual Bat Count Seeks Bat Roosts and Volunteers

Four species of bats that are commonly found in buildings in BC (photo by Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project)

Bat Count helps monitor endangered wildlife

Spring is here, with rain, flowers, insects, and – bats! Our BC bats are now returning to summer roost sites. One of our more familiar species in buildings and bat boxes is the Little Brown Myotis. Like all BC bats, the Little Brown Myotis is an essential part of our ecology, consuming many insect pests each night. Unfortunately, the Little Brown Myotis is now endangered in Canada. In fact, bats in BC suffer from many threats, and almost half of our 15 species are ‘at-risk’.

A simple way to support bats is to participate in the BC Annual Bat Count this June. The BC Community Bat Program is requesting colony reports and volunteer assistance for this citizen-science initiative that encourages residents to count bats at local roost sites.

Volunteers counting bats ( photo by Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project)

The BC Annual Bat Count is easy, fun, and safe, not to mention vital for monitoring bat populations. “The counts are a wonderful way for people to get outside, learn about bats, and be involved in collecting important scientific information,” says biologist Mandy Kellner, coordinator of the BC Community Bat Program. Volunteers wait outside a known roost site, such as a bat-box, barn, or attic, and count bats as they fly out at twilight. A guano sample can also be sent in to identify the species of bat at the roost site. Find more information at https://bcbats.ca/get-involved/counting-bats/.

The count data helps biologists understand bat distribution and monitor for impacts of the devastating bat disease called white-nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome is an introduced fungal disease, fatal for bats but not for other animals or humans. Not yet identified in BC, the disease continues to spread in Washington State, less than 100 km from our border. Results from the Bat Count may help prioritize areas in BC for research into treatment options and recovery actions.

Map of bat count sites across BC. (photo by BC Community Bat Project)

Funded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, the Habitat Stewardship Program, and many local funders, and with the support of the BC Conservation Foundation and the Province of BC, the BC Community Bat Program provides information for people dealing with bat issues on their property or who have questions about how to attract bats. To find out more about bat counts or white-nose syndrome, to report a dead bat, or to get advice on managing bats in buildings, visit www.bcbats.ca or call 1-855-9BC-BATS.

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.