GrasslandsBC

“The voice for grasslands in British Columbia” JULY/AUGUST 2000

G R A S S L A N D S C O N S E R V A T I O N C O U N C I L O F B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A N E W S L E T T E R

Working toward a provincialstrategy

GrasslandsBC2

Our challenge is evidentIt seems that everyone you talk to these days stresses the value and importance of what we do andwhat we represent as the Grasslands Conservation Council.

To the government, we are seen as a key liaison, to academics, we are liked for our stress on sci-ence and research, to ranchers, we are valued for our support for sustainable working grasslandsand to environmental/naturalists groups, we have a recognizable role in contributing to protectingkey species and sites.

So the challenge doesn’t seem to be our value or our necessity, the challenge is in transferring the excitement aboutwhat we are doing into certainty.

We are entering our fifth year of existence. The first three years were entirely voluntary as we slowly pieced theCouncil together. We have now received official Society status, applied to be a registered charity and have had a paidExecutive Director (Bruno Delesalle) in place for just over a year.

At our recent conference in Penticton, our Strategic Plan was outlined. This is our guide for the future, focused onfostering public understanding of BC’s grasslands, supporting sustainable ranching, ensuring the long-term health ofthe grasslands and conserving representative grassland ecosystems. This plan is ambitious yet realistic. To obtain acopy of this plan, please contact our office in Kamloops.

It would seem a shame to lose this energy, in spite of our obvious importance. Not to be doom and gloom, but Ican’t stress enough the unstableness of our financial situation. Unless significant financial support comes throughover the next few months the future of the GCC remains uncertain. We have made a number of grant applicationsand are confident that they will be received well, but until we know for sure it is an uncertain situation.

We need your support—send in your memberships, attend the grasslands symposiums, encourage others to joinand anyone you know who has access to wealth and loves the grasslands, have them get in touch with Bruno ormyself. Membership has two values: your membership fee supports core costs and many funders prefer to supportmember-based organizations.

I am proud to be the Chair of this organization. As I have stated many times the care and concern for grasslandshave been lost in the forest-dominated culture of BC. Yet it is these grasslands that harbour many of Canada’s rareand endangered species as well as a culture and history that we can’t afford to lose.

In closing I want to welcome our new Board members, thank the volunteers who helped with our recent successfulconference in Penticton and publicly thank Bruno Delesalle for the wonderful job he has done over the past fewmonths.—Bob Peart, Chair, Grasslands Conservation Council of BC

The GCC

Established in 1996, the GCC is astrategic alliance of organizationsand individuals, includinggovernment, range managementspecialists, ranchers, agrologists,grassland ecologists, FirstNations, environmental groups,recreationists and grasslandenthusiasts. This diverse groupshares a common commitment to education, conservation andstewardship of British Columbia’sgrasslands.

The GCC Mission is to:

• foster greater understanding andappreciation for the ecological,social, economic and culturalimportance of grasslandsthroughout BC;

• promote stewardship andsustainable managementpractices that will ensure thelong-term health of BC’sgrasslands;

• recommend changes to policyand legislation that supportcontinued ranching andsustainable range activities; and

• promote the conservation ofrepresentative grasslandecosystems, species at risk andtheir habitats.

GCC Board of DirectorsEXECUTIVE

Bob Peart, VancouverCHAIR

Jim White, KamloopsVICE CHAIR

Nichola Gerts , VictoriaSECRETARY

Dennis Lloyd, KamloopsTREASURER

BOARD

Agnes Jackson, KamloopsAlf Bawtree, CelistaBill Turner, VictoriaBob Scheer, KamloopsCindy Haddow, VictoriaDarrel Smith, InvermereDave Zehnder, InvermereDr. Michael Pitt, VancouverGary Tipper, CranbrookGreg Tegart, KelownaJohn Holmes, Gang RanchJudy Guichon, QuilchenaKatherine Gizikoff, MerrittKristi Iverson, Lac la HacheMaurice Hanson, KimberlyMike Kennedy, LillooetPhil Youwe, KamloopsTom Dickinson, Kamloops

COVER PHOTO: BOB NEEDHAM,MINISTRY OF FORESTS

Message from the Chair

More than 110 people participated in this year’sSustaining Healthy Grasslands Symposium, held June 9thand 10th in the Penticton area. The theme of theSymposium was “Long Term Strategies for GrasslandsConservation—Working Toward a Provincial Strategy”and the weekend consisted of a symposium at the PacificAgri-Food Centre in Summerland on the Friday and field tour of White Lake Ranch on the Saturday.

The Friday symposium featured many excellent pre-sentations from ranchers, conservation organizations,academics and scientists, government ministries andFirst Nations. Summaries of these presentations are fea-tured throughout this newsletter. As well, historian andformer MLA Bill Barlee gave an eloquent and fun pres-entation on the importance of grasslands and ranching.

Although the heaviest rain fall of the year stifledplanned discussion on the Saturday , the process of dis-

cussing the conservation ranch concept and how thisfits into a provincial strategy for grassland conservationwas initiated, but warrants further discussion.

The majority of participants at the symposium wouldagree that grasslands are important and that variousregions are taking significant steps in tackling importantissues, such as forest encroachment, weed control, subdi-vision of grasslands, and appropriate range managementpractices. However, a need remains to clarify the objec-tives for and the process by which an integrated provin-cial strategy would be developed. As this topic requiresfurther debate and definition, the GCC will pursue theprovincial grassland strategy with its partners over thenext few months.

Thank you to all the speakers, resource people, partici-pants, GCC Directors and volunteers for a great sympo-sium!

Summerland Symposium and tour of White Lake Ranch a success

3

The Grasslands Conservation Council…taking great strides forward!Looking back to the first Grasslands Conservation Council meeting at Big Bar Ranch in 1996, theGCC has come a long way. When I started my job as Executive Director for the GCC, I began byasking various key people and organizations whether we really needed another conservationorganization in BC. Are grasslands not already covered by some other organization? The responsereceived was consistent and clear: one, the GCC is long overdue; and two, the GCC has an impor-tant role to play in the conservation and stewardship of British Columbia’s grasslands.

During the past year, support for the GCC has only strengthened. I believe this will continue as our organizationestablishes its niche and proves to government and other environmental non-government organizations that wemean business. The GCC is clearly built of people who have genuine concerns for grasslands and tremendous energyto make the GCC a successful and action-oriented conservation organization.

The GCC held its annual Sustaining Healthy Grasslands Symposium in Summerland on June 9 and 10th. It was agreat success, albeit a little soggy! Over 110 participants took part in the two-day event and the response has beenpositive and very enthusiastic. The symposium was well attended by ranchers, environmental organizations, govern-ment, First Nations, and consultants from across the province.

As there were many interesting presentations and discussions at the symposium, this first issue of the new BC Grasslands newsletter features some of these presentations.

In the last year, the GCC has:• Completed the GCC Strategic Plan 2000–2003 (Copies are now available from the GCC Office)• Received Society Status (in August 1999) and is waiting for its Charitable Tax Number• Achieved a significant increase in membership (800% increase over 1999)• Actively participated in development of the Laurie Guichon Memorial Grassland Interpretive Site, near Merritt

(ongoing)• Completed inventory, mapping and fencing for the Hamilton Commonage Demonstration Project (ongoing)• Secured funding for the Sustaining Healthy Grasslands Symposium 2000; BC Grasslands Mapping Project; and a

GCC Grassland Portable Display• Initiated the ATV Committee and created a background document requesting that government put in place a

system of licensing All-terrain Vehicles (ATVs) so people using their vehicles in closed areas or in a manner damaging to the environment can be held accountable. (Process is ongoing).The GCC has many exciting challenges ahead. First and foremost is the need to secure program funding for the

...continued (see Executive Director, page 11)

Message from the Executive Director

Though slightly dampened byrain, Saturday’s field tour ofWhite Lake Ranch broughttogether ranchers like WilsonClifton (below), conservationorganizations, government,scientists and academics to begindiscussions on the conservationranch’s role in the provincialgrassland conservation strategy. PHOTO LEFT: JANET SOUTHWELL

PHOTO BELOW: BRUNO DELESALLE

Do you have acomment? Something to say? A story to tell?BC Grasslands would loveto hear it! In future issues of this news-letter, this section will bereserved for Letters to theEditor, a forum for discussionon British Columbia grasslandissues. Letters should be wordprocessed, no longer than 300 words and preferably in an electronic file (MS Word).Deadline for submissions forthe next issue of BC Grasslandswill be November 30, 2000.Send your submissions to:

BC GrasslandsLetters to the Editor727 Dominion StreetKamloops, BC V2C 2X8

FAX

(250) 374-5721

E-MAIL

bruno_delesalle@telus.net

A sincere thank you to the

following funders for making

this symposium possible:

• Beef Cattle Industry Development

Fund

• The Real Estate Foundation of BC

• Ministry of Environment, Lands

& Parks

• The Nature Trust of British

Columbia

• Agriculture Canada – Pacific

Agri-Food Research Centre

• Ministry of Forests

• Beef in BC Magazine

• Southern Interior Forest

Extension and Research

Partnership

GrasslandsBC4

By Mike Pitt, University of British Columbia

North American grasslands have been severely alteredand reduced by agricultural production and livestockgrazing since European settlement. On the CanadianPrairies, as much as 99% of the original tall-grass prairiehas already been lost—primarily to the plow.

British Columbia’s native grasslands have also beenaltered substantially by the combined toll of humanactivities, including hydroelectric power, intensive agri-culture, off-road recreation, urbanization, livestock graz-ing, fire suppression, forest encroachment, and invasionby alien weeds. It is likely that no large, contiguous areasof unaltered grassland remained in British Columbiaafter 1930. As such,“ancient” grasslands represent amuch more endangered space in British Columbia thando “ancient” or old-growth forests.

British Columbian grasslands are unique to BC—species and habitats contrast sharply with the prairies.In the Cariboo, extensive bluebunch wheatgrass vegeta-tion occurs at its northern-most limit in North America.These grasslands are truly rare, containing a mixture ofnorthern and southern plant species. BC grasslands alsocontain more than 25% of the provincial wildlife speciesof concern, and support more threatened or endangeredspecies than any other habitat.

Relative to other regions in Canada, smaller propor-tions of BC grasslands have been converted to perma-nent agriculture. This means we still have the opportuni-ty to manage our grasslands as large, relatively intact,naturally functioning ecosystems. Specific managementneeds and goals, however, vary between the Okanagan,the Kootenays, the Thompson and the Cariboo.Successful conservation of our valuable grassland habi-tats, therefore, requires an integrated Provincial strategy.

The role of the ranching industry in long-term conservation of BC grasslands

Humans comprise a natural part of grassland ecosys-tems. To ignore this human presence is artificial andshortsighted. For example, at least 80% of BC grasslandsare privately owned. If ranching becomes uneconomical,or ceases to be an attractive lifestyle, then these private-ly-held ranches would face mounting pressures to sub-divide.

Without a healthy cattle industry, therefore, grasslandbiodiversity in British Columbia might actually decrease.Sprawling suburbs exert extreme pressure on grasslands.Mountain bikes, all-terrain vehicles, and increased recre-ational use would dramatically intensify the challenge ofmaintaining grassland habitats, particularly because the

general population tends to view grasslands as uselessdeserts.

Achieving ecologically and economicallysustainable ranching

In 1933, Aldo Leopold wrote,“most of what needs doingmust be done by the farmer himself. There is no conceiv-able way by which the general public can legislate crab-apples, or grape tangles, or plum thickets to grow onthese barren fence rows, road sides and slopes, nor willthe resolutions or prayers of the city change the depth ofnext winter’s snow nor cause cornshocks to be left in thefields to feed the birds. All the non-farming public cando is to provide information and build incentives onwhich farmers may act.”

Leopold’s call for cooperation still rings true in the21st century, as sustainable grassland management cer-tainly requires an holistic approach. The philosopherEric Hofer commented “we usually see only the thingswe are looking for.” All of us fall victim to seeing onlywhat we’re trained to see, or what we want to see.Naturalists see butterflies. Range managers see forage.Wildlife biologists see bighorn sheep. A truly holisticapproach, therefore, is possible only if all people and dis-ciplines work together.

The Grasslands Conservation Council of BC (GCC)was established in 1996 to provide such a strategic alli-ance of organizations and individuals. The Council envi-sions government, range management specialists, ranch-ers, agrologists, grassland ecologists, First Nations, envi-ronmental groups, recreationists and grassland enthusi-asts all working cooperatively towards a common goal.

British Columbia’s grasslands will continue to beinfluenced by human activities. Simply “preserving” afew small grasslands behind a fence will not likelyachieve our collective, long-term goals for sustainable,healthy grassland ecosystems. Good grazing manage-ment, therefore, provides a unifying theme for all thosewho love grasslands. The White Lake Field Tour, whichtook place on the Saturday, June 10, during theSustaining Healthy Grasslands Symposium, provided anexcellent opportunity for everyone to see and talk aboutthe kinds of grazing management essential to maintain-ing the historical, cultural, aesthetic, biological and eco-nomic values of British Columbia’s grasslands.

Why do we need a provincial strategy forGrassland Conservation?

“Relative to otherregions in Canada,smaller proportionsof BC grasslands havebeen converted topermanentagriculture. Thismeans we still havethe opportunity tomanage ourgrasslands as large,relatively intact,naturally functioningecosystems.”

“Ancient” grasslands represent a much more

endangered space in British Columbia than do

“ancient” or old-growth forests.

5

By Bruno Delesalle, Grasslands Conservation Council

The Hamilton Commonage, located 23 kilometres east ofMerritt, includes 6,475 hectares of rolling grassland. Thisexpansive landscape consists of a patchwork of grass, wet-lands, riparian areas, rocky outcrops, and forests that supporta diversity of wildlife habitat and grazing lands for livestock.

In 1998, a group of environmental organizations, gov-ernment agencies and Nicola Valley’s Guichon Ranchbegan working together with the Hamilton CommonageDemonstration Project to develop a management strate-gy that would maintain and enhance biological diversityon the Hamilton Commonage.

As more than 70% of BC’s grasslands are on privateland, working with ranchers, First Nations and the rangemanagement community to develop and implement eco-logically and economically sustainable range manage-ment practices is deemed critical to ensuring steward-ship of BC’s grasslands over the long-term.

The main goal of this project is to demonstrate theeconomic and ecological benefits of stewardship.

The objectives of this project are to:• revise the Guichon range use plan and develop a strat-

egy to conserve and enhance bio-diversity on theHamilton Commonage,

• establish a longer-term monitoring program on theHamilton Commonage,

• evaluate the Forest Practices Code and AssociatedGuidelines through this project (are they realistic andpractical?),

• identify inventory and research requirements, and• improve communication, knowledge, and working

relationships.

The Hamilton Commonage Demonstration Project isyielding results. The project team has:• identified several management priorities, including

increasing late successional stages in both grasslandand riparian systems, improving riparian condition,and establishing a long-term monitoring program;

• completed inventory and mapping of water availabili-ty and quality, infrastructure (roads, hydro lines, etc.),seral stage distribution, weeds and recreational use,while partially completing inventory and mapping ofwildlife species of concern, riparian areas and assess-ments, and aspen copses;

• collaborated with the Guichon Ranch to incorporatenewly acquired information into the grazing manage-ment plan for this year;

• established four new exclosures with electric fencingthat will begin addressing some of the biological andhabitat concerns around aspen copses and riparianareas; and

• established one new pasture with electric fencingaround Rush Lake that will be used for fall grazingonly.Most of the changes to date have focused on alter-

ations of the grazing management plan to improve for-age utilization, and some limited fencing of ecologicallysensitive areas. Watering developments are still beingconsidered for the future. Over the next two months, theGCC and its partners will develop an integrated monitor-ing strategy with the Ministry of Environment, Landsand Parks and the Ministry of Forests to monitorchanges in the commonage over time.

A field tour of the Hamilton Commonage Demonstra-tion Project is planned for September 16, 2000. A copy ofthe final report for the project will be available at thattime. For more information about the project call DennisLloyd, Ministry of Forests at (250) 828-4129, e-mail:dennis.lloyd@gems1.gov.bc.ca or call Bruno Delesalle at(250) 374-5721, e-mail: bruno_delesalle@telus.net

Hamilton Commonage: collaboration on the range yields results

Using electric fences aroundsmall ponds and aspencopses will assist theGuichon Ranch in achievingits objective for improvedriparian and aspen habitatcondition. PHOTO: DENNIS LLOYD

“We wanted to collaborate

with the Guichon Ranch to

create a long-term vision

for the Hamilton

Commonage grasslands

and to improve how the

land is managed by

applying various land

management tools and

practices…working

towards a win-win for

wildlife and ranching.”

—Dennis Lloyd,

Ministry of Forests

The Hamilton CommonageDemonstration Project was made possible through the cooperative efforts and contributions of :

• Vancouver Foundation• EcoAction 2000• Guichon Ranch• Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society• The Land Conservancy of British Columbia• Ministry of Forests• Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks

GrasslandsBC6

By G.G.E. Scudder, Department of Zoology, University

of British Columbia

The South Okanagan is an important area for grasslandconservation in British Columbia. Low elevation areassouth of the Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park andSummerland provide vital habitat for some 20 species ofplants and animals currently listed as nationally endan-gered, threatened or vulnerable. One third of the provin-cially Red-listed and half of the provincially Blue-listedvertebrates occur in this area, along with some 35% ofthe provincially listed endangered vascular plants.

The South Okanagan is a rarity—a richness andendemic species hot spot for invertebrates in Canada.Over 275 rare species of insects and other invertebrateshave been recorded to date, with more than 65% of theseoccurring nowhere else in Canada. Sixteen endemicinvertebrates also occur in the South Okanagan.

According to research, many rare species around theworld now exist only at the periphery of their formerrange. Likewise, in the South Okanagan a high percent-age of the plant and animal species at risk constituteperipheral or marginal populations at the northern edge

of their geographic range. These species have uniquegenetic constitutions, making them well adapted to deal-ing with stress and change—important traits for sur-vival in a changing world.

The habitats of many of these rare species, as well asmany other components of the native biota in the SouthOkanagan, are now at risk, mainly due to habitat lossand invasion by alien species.

Wetlands and riparian habitats have been nearly oblit-erated, with only 15% remaining. Likewise, the grasslandshrub steppe habitat has suffered dramatically fromhuman settlement. Over the past century, more than 60%of the antelope-brush (Purshia tridentata) ecosystem hasbeen destroyed and converted to vineyards, orchards,croplands or urban residential and industrial areas. Andmuch of what is left has been disturbed and invaded byalien species, such as cheatgrass, Dalmation toadflax andknapweeds. Just 9% of remaining antelope-brush is rela-tively undisturbed.

Very little antelope-brush habitat is found within thecurrently protected areas. What habitat has been set

The ecological significance of the South Okanagan

Antelope-brush is primehabitat for vineyard growingin the South Okanagan. Morethan 60% of the antelope-brush ecosystem has beenlost to agriculture, and urbanand industrial development.PHOTO: KEVIN DUNN

Ensuring accurate andconsistent information aboutBC’s Grasslands is essential for effective planning,management, decision-making and the conservationof grasslands in BC.

Launching the BC Grasslands Mapping ProjectBy Bruno Delesalle, Grasslands Conservation Council

Over the past year, it has become increasingly evident that providing a clear provincial picture onthe abundance, distribution and status of British Columbia’s grasslands is an essential step forthe GCC and its partners.

The BC Grasslands Mapping Project plans to bring together existing information from aroundthe province to build a provincial grassland geographical information system (GIS) and associat-ed maps. This will ensure both government and non-government organizations have accurateand consistent information about BC’s grasslands. The mapping project will answer the followingquestions:• How many hectares of native grasslands remain in British Columbia? How many hectares have

been lost to cultivation, urbanization, and forest encroachment?• What types of grasslands occur in BC and where do they occur?• What is the land status of BC’s grasslands? (How much is privately owned, Crown Land, First

Nations Land, within the ALR, within municipal boundaries, federal lands, etc.)• What are the current and potential threats to grasslands?• Which endangered species are associated with BC’s grasslands and where are they located?

This project will produce a useful product and tools for government, non-government organizations and individuals involved in grassland education,communications, research, monitoring, conservation and stewardship. Thisgrassland information is essential to resource management, planning anddecision-making processes around the province and will benefit the sustain-ability of grasslands and their wildlife.

For additional information on the BC Grasslands Mapping Project, pleasecontact Bruno Delesalle at (250)374-5721 or e-mail: bruno_delesalle@telus.net

B R I T I S HC O L U M B I A

Burns Lake

PrinceGeorge

Williams Lake

Fort St. John

GrasslandEcosystems

Kamloops

Cranbrook

VictoriaOsoyoos

The GCC would like to thank the following funding partners for their support of the BC GrasslandsMapping Project:

• Habitat Conservation Trust Fund• Vancouver Foundation• BC Parks• BC Environment

...continued (see South Okanagan, page 14)

7

By Elin Kelsey

Like many of those who travel to the SouthOkanagan each year, I come from the otherside of the tollbooth. Wilderness for mecomes in the guise of dramatic seashoreestuaries and the endless accordion pleatsof rugged coastal mountains. The cool,clear lakes and the rolling shrublands ofBC’s interior beckon each summer, butalways as a destination for rest and relax-ation; a warm sunny holiday filled with winetastings and pick-your-own fruit forays.

I never thought to look for wilderness inthe South Okanagan because I neverexpected to find it there. So when I wasinvited by the Nature Trust of BC to attenda weekend conservation workshop in theSouth Okanagan last year, I was a littleskeptical. What conservation prioritieswould I discover in this arid landscape?

However, when The Nature Trust’sExecutive Vice-President, Ron Erickson,called to say that we would be meeting atthe local chapter of the Cattleman’sAssociation, my skepticism shifted. Now I was downright intrigued.

Less than year later, I can hardly believethat there was a time when I could not seethe ecological richness of the SouthOkanagan. A time when I did not knowthat the hot, dry, shrub grasslands huggingthe highway through the South Okanaganand Lower Similkameen valleys are one ofCanada’s most endangered ecosystems. Atime when I thought that the interests ofranchers and the interests of conservation-ists were worlds apart.

My discovery of the South Okanaganwilderness began as I sat on a bus rum-bling through the area beside LloydThomas, a second-generation rancher ofBC’s interior, and took a look at the land-scape through his eyes. The discoverywidened when he, another South Okanaganrancher, Wilson Clifton, and I joined con-servation planner Gary Runka at a uniqueranching and conservation planning work-shop hosted by the US Nature Conservancyin southern Arizona early last summer.

Today—thanks to an unusual partner-ship between the Nature Trust of BritishColumbia, the Nature Conservancy, govern-ment agencies and local ranchers like Lloydand Wilson—the South Okanagan wilder-ness and cattle ranching operations thathave helped to sustain it are a part of aNorth American endeavor to protect ranchconservation.

It is only now, as I appreciate the rare andfragile beauty of the South Okanagan, that Irealize the scope of attention scientists, con-servationists and ranchers have devoted tothis region over the years. Decades of re-search reveal just how unique the area is forwildlife. More than 30% of BC’s threatenedor endangered species live in the SouthOkanagan. Two-thirds of the province’s 448bird species are dependent on the region forpart or all of their life cycle. The SouthOkanagan is home to the richest diversity ofreptiles in British Columbia. And an aston-ishing 23 species of invertebrates are foundhere and nowhere else on earth.

A personal voyage of wilderness discovery on a South Okanagan ranch

White Lake Ranch is an example ofthe conservation ranch conceptwhich conserves large areas ofrangeland while continuing tosupport a sustainable relationshipbetween grazers and grasses.PHOTO: THE NATURE TRUST

ConservingCanada’s desert countryThe South Okanagan-Similkameen area is a uniqueand beautiful habitat, home to 23 species of plantsand animals currently listed as nationally threat-ened, endangered, or vulnerable as well as one thirdof all provincially Red-listed species. In addition, theSouth Okanagan-Similkameen watersheds act as acorridor for species migrations between the drygrasslands of the interior of the province and thedesert areas of the western United States. Since thelast ice age, the Okanagan-Similkameen corridor hasbeen the principle portal of entry for dry-adaptedplants and animals colonizing interior BritishColumbia.

However, the South Okanagan-Similkameen areais rapidly being urbanized. The resulting reductionand fragmentation of natural habitats is leading to acrisis in this environmentally pivotal area.

To meet this rising environmental crisis, nineconservation organizations and government agen-cies have joined to form the South Okanagan-Similkameen (SOS) Conservation Program. TheProgram aims to maintain the rich biodiversity ofthe area, including species at risk, and a viable eco-logical corridor between the deserts to the southand the grasslands to the north. With this prospec-tus, the Program partners invite the participation ofall organizations and individuals interested in therealization of these aims.

The SOS Conservation Program will expand com-munity involvement, promote ecologically sustain-able land use, enhance stewardship on private andCrown land, and negotiate acquisition of key habi-tats. As well, the Program will seek strong communi-ty support and involvement to help find a balancebetween wildlife requirements and human needsand aspirations.

Four key habitats have been proposed for SOSConservation Program activities including wetlandand riparian; grassland/shrub-steppe; coniferousforests; and rugged terrain. As progress indicators,area criteria have also been proposed for Crown landconservation, private land acquisition, and steward-ship.

Based on the Executive Summary, South Okanagan-Similkameen Conservation Program—A Prospectus.

...continued (see Personal Voyage, page 15)

GrasslandsBC8

By Kristi Iverson, Consulting Ecologist

The Management Plan for the Churn CreekProtected Area has now been approved andmany aspects of it are being implemented thissummer.

The Churn Creek Protected Area spans 36,747 hectares and is located on the west sideof the Fraser River, directly south of the GangRanch. The area has significant representationof lower, middle and upper grasslands in addi-tion to extensive Douglas-fir and lodgepole pineforests.

John and Joyce Holmes have operated ChurnCreek Protected Area as a working ranch for BC Parks since 1998 and have just secured a 10-year tenure for running the ranch and hayfields. Churn Creek will continue to contain aworking ranch with an allocation of 3850Animal Unit Months of grazing and several irri-gated alfalfa hayfields, while the Range Sectionof the Ministry of Forests will manage the graz-ing.

The Management Plan includes a detailed

assessment of all ecosystems associated withthe grasslands. Although seral stage assess-ments showed that Churn Creek grasslands fallshort of Forest Practices Code guidelines, manyareas of late seral and climax grasslands arerepresented, particularly in the lower and mid-dle grasslands. Upper grasslands are predomi-

nantly mid-seral. This is partly a result of his-torical cattle grazing for the entire grazing sea-son on a large area that was formerly fencedprivate land.

Within the upper grasslands, there has beensignificant encroachment of Douglas-fir and

lodgepole pine trees. Part of the strategy toaddress the encroachment issue includes thedevelopment of a detailed fire managementplan. Detailed strategies have been developedfor each range unit to ensure the continuedrestoration of the grasslands. The plan alsoincludes a monitoring strategy to ensure planobjectives are being met.

Riparian areas are key features for bothwildlife and cattle within the grassland environ-ment. To improve the condition of some signifi-cant riparian areas, Grazing Enhancement Fundfunds were obtained for fence post installationaround several ponds and lakes that had beenaffected by cattle. Electric fencing will be usedto keep cattle out of these wetlands duringtimes when cattle are in the area.

Within the Churn Creek Protected Area, thereare three distinct herds of California bighornsheep, two of which are migratory. There arealso about 2,000 to 3,000 mule deer that winterin or near the Protected Area. Additionally,many rare and endangered species, includingLewis’s woodpecker, flammulated owl,Townsend’s big-eared bat and the westernsmall-eared myotis are known to occur withinthe Protected Area while many other endan-gered species are known or suspected to use thearea. Critical habitat maps have been developedfor all rare and endangered vertebrates (exclud-ing fish).

Access within the Protected Area includes anintensive use zone around the main road andsome roads through forested areas wheremotorized recreation is permitted. Over 82% ofthe Protected Area will be managed as a non-motorized, natural environment zone. ATVs arenot permitted within the Protected Area andsnowmobiles are limited to two routes alongexisting roads. Additionally, three benchmarkareas have been designated. These benchmarkswill have no grazing and only minimal use bythe public, having been chosen to represent awide range of grassland ecosystems with veryminimal affect on the ranching operation.Permitted recreational activities include fishing,hunting, horseback riding and hiking. ChurnCreek has a limited capacity for increased visi-tation and as such, information and promotion-al strategies will be minimal.

Implementation of the Churn Creek ProtectedArea Management Plan will be a positive steptowards ensuring continued improvement ofthe health of the grasslands and protection ofrare and endangered species.

The Churn Creek Protected Area Management Plan is approved

One of the three benchmark areas within the Churn Creek Protected Area, this area will be offlimits to grazing and available to the public for fishing, hunting, horseback riding and hikingonly. PHOTO: CHRIS HAMILTON

“Implementation of the Churn CreekProtected Area Management Plan willbe a positive step towards ensuringcontinued improvement of the healthof the grasslands and protection ofrare and endangered species.”

9

In our current forestry-domi-nated society, increasing for-est lands should have been apositive thing. But thesegrowing forested areas areoccurring at the expense of amuch smaller and muchrarer area—our grasslands.

The need to address in-growth, or increased treedensities in forest standsadjacent to grasslands, is very

important. Forest encroachment has significantlyreduced the area of open grasslands and open rangewithin the Cariboo-Chilcotin over the last 100 years.

Across the Cariboo-Chilcotin region, an estimated20,000 hectares or more (11%) of open grasslands havebeen encroached by forest since the early 1960s. Andprobably a much larger area of open grassland was lostto forests between the late 1800s and 1960s. The preven-tion of grassland wildfires following European settle-ment has been a principal cause of forest encroachment.

The loss of grassland area due to forest encroachmenthas profound implications for livestock grazing and bio-diversity. Cattle herd size, or Animal Unit Months(a.u.m.), allocations set in the 1960s cannot be main-tained at current levels for much longer. The diminishinggrassland area results in reduced forage production andan inability to meet Forest Practices Code range man-agement guidelines, which have cattle increasingly con-centrated onto smaller grassland areas.

The Cariboo-Chilcotin grasslands are a major part ofthe biodiversity of British Columbia. Although theyoccupy less than 2% of the Cariboo-Chilcotin area, theysupport approximately 30% of the provincial species ofconcern. Forest encroachment of grasslands is resultingin the loss of critical habitat area as well as a loss ofhabitat quality due to increasing concentrations of live-stock grazing on remaining grassland and riparianareas.

The Cariboo-Chilcotin Grassland Strategy WorkingGroup has been preparing a regional grassland strategy,which would serve as a strategic framework for grass-land conservation in the Cariboo-Chilcotin. This strategyfocuses on establishing and maintaining a benchmarkgrassland area and controlling forest encroachment intothis area.

From a selection of eight options for a grasslandbenchmark area, the Cariboo-Chilcotin GrasslandStrategy Working Group has recommended the area of

“open range” shown on initial Ministry of Forests inven-tory maps (completed between 1963 and 1975 for mostgrassland portions of the region) be used as a bench-mark area.

Open range is an inventory mapping classificationthat does not include grasslands too small to map butdoes include scattered trees and stands of trees too smallto map within a larger grassland area. Tree cover guide-lines for the benchmark area are based on a goal ofrestoring this area to a condition that characterized itprior to European settlement. Most large old trees andsnags would be retained while most smaller trees andregeneration would be removed. Removal of young,recently established trees is a priority.

Implementation of the recommended benchmark willprovide an open grassland area sufficient for meetinglivestock a.u.m. targets set in the Cariboo-ChilcotinLand Use Plan (CCLUP), as long as tree densities andforage production in forests adjacent to the grasslandsare also restored to earlier levels. It is unlikely that botha.u.m. targets and range management guidelines in theForest Practices Code can be met without reducing thesetree densities.

The recommended benchmark is significantly smallerthan the area of grassland on the pre-European settle-ment landscape. As a result, there may be increased risksto biodiversity and endangered species habitats com-pared to the earlier landscape. However, these riskswould be significantly higher if no effort were made tocontrol forest encroachment. If encroachment were leftto continue at its present rate, grasslands in the Cariboo-Chilcotin would cover only about 63% of their currentarea 120 years from now. This would have an unaccept-able impact on biodiversity due to loss of habitat andincreased grazing pressures on the remaining grasslandsand wetlands.

Other recommendations presented by the theCariboo-Chilcotin Grassland Strategy Working Groupinclude designating the Ministry of Forests as the leadagency for implementing grassland restoration on thebenchmark area; incorporating the recommended grass-land benchmark area into the current landscape unitplanning processes in each forest district; and initiatingtreatments to control recent forest encroachment on priority sites as soon as possible.

Based on the Executive Summary of the Interim Reporton Grassland Encroachment and In-growth, submittedby Peter Fofonoff, Ministry of Agriculture and Food,Williams Lake.

What’s happening with the Cariboo-Chilcotin Grasslands Strategy?

Forest encroachment ongrassland in Churn CreekProtection AreaPHOTO: PETER FOFONOFF

“Forest encroachment of grasslands isresulting in the loss of critical habitat areaas well as a loss ofhabitat quality.”

GrasslandsBC10

By Nichola Gerts, The Land Conservancy of BC

As environmentalists we still raise a few eye-brows when we talk about our love of ranchesand beef production in British Columbia. Weare conservationists—and as such devote muchof our time to the protection of wildlands andconcerns for ‘species-at-risk.’

Four years ago, The Land Conservancy (TLC)of BC began to focus attention on grassland sys-tems in British Columbia. Classically under-rep-resented in protected status and lacking profile,we chose to investigate how a land trust couldwork to protect the future of grassland systems.

Our focus has shifted from looking at thesmall picture of pristine protection to the largelandscape view of grasslands in BC. As 70% ofour grasslands are privately owned, far less canbe done by our government to achieve theprovincial goal of setting aside 12% of eachecosystem to protection. High costs inhibit thepurchase of lands from private ownership.

The solution to addressing this problem lieswith land trusts. Through our work we havehappily become involved with the ranchingcommunity, working on the premise that largeworking ranches preserve grassland systemsand help our province support nearly a third ofour endangered species. Saving ranching is syn-onymous in a sense with saving our remaininggrasslands.

Conservation/preservation of ranches presentsits own challenges, not unlike the protection ofwild lands, but with several economic twists.

Highest and best use is the method used toevaluate the price of a particular property.When we look at ranches we are faced with thevalue of the property for development, not agri-culture. And while the Agricultural LandReserve (ALR) does help to maintain someagricultural values, it still allows for large prop-erties to be broken up into individual parcels,which in turn can be sold and lost to cattle pro-duction.

Most ranch land in BC is in the ALR. How-ever, even lands within the ALR have a specula-tive value since many are comprised of a largenumber of parcels which can each be sold indi-vidually. Once sold, these are usually taken outof production and can become a source of

weeds and disruptive influences to wildlife andranching communities. The Land Commissionreceives many requests for removal from theALR and enough of these requests are success-ful to further fuel the speculative market. Agri-cultural lands, particularly those in the path ofdevelopment, always sell for more than theiragricultural production alone would justify.

Because of this speculative sale potential,most ranch properties have significant capitalgains. It is very difficult to save for retirement orensure that the property is passed on throughthe family—particularly if the heirs do notwant to continue the family tradition.

But there is something that can be done.Land trusts are able to use estate planning,

along with conservation agreements and theirrespective economic benefits, to help secure pri-vate properties. These avenues are frequentlyused in the United States, and legislation hasrecently passed in British Columbia and Albertawhich allow land trusts to follow a similar suit.

A conservation covenant allows a propertyowner the right to remove certain privilegesfrom their property and in doing so they canoften change the property value. Conservationcovenants are a voluntary agreement between alandowner and a land trust which can be donat-ed for a tax receipt or sold to provide funds,taking away unwanted speculative value whileretaining full ownership of the ranch as a ranch.

In the US a number of agencies have wellfunded Purchase of Development Rights pro-grams. In Montana, for example, the US Fishand Wildlife Service has a budget of $2 millionper year for these purchases. Currently, there isno such program in British Columbia. We areactively seeking avenues to raise monies thatwould support the purchase of developmentrights. This would allow the rancher to retaintitle and maintain a ranching operation, whileremoving the developable potential from theland.

Here in Canada, it would often be advanta-geous for a rancher to sell some developmentrights and donate others so that the tax receiptfrom the donation can be used to offset the cap-ital gain on the sale of rights, i.e., sell $500,000and donate $500,000. These decisions would be

part of a carefully designed strategy of estateplanning.

Whether purchased or donated, the value of acovenant is determined by placing a value onthe rights it restricts. For example if currentregulations allow fifty homesites on a particularranch and if each of these sites is worth $30,000a covenant which reduced the number of home-sites by ten would have a value of $300,000.

However, for those with small cash income, atax receipt is worth little in offsetting farmincome and many development rights havealready been removed by the ALR. Onceremoved, these lands cannot be donated or soldfor any value, setting agricultural propertiesapart from other private holdings in theprovince.

While the conservation community is activelyseeking avenues to support activities like thepurchase of development rights, there are otheractivities that are equally important to main-taining ranches. Incentives through tax reformsare one suggestion, while greater recognition ata provincial and federal level for the contribu-tion that agriculturists are making to conserva-tion and the protection of species, and mainte-nance of open space is another. As a communitywe can begin lobbying for effective changes. Wealso encourage people to take estate planningseriously, incorporating future goals into ranchplanning.

The Land Conservancy has just completed aCanadian version of a publication by theSonoran Institute—Preserving Working Ranchesin the Canadian West—and will be offering freecopies through our office. It is a great way ofbecoming informed about what types of proj-ects are working in maintaining ranches, andexplains options and ‘tools’ for estate planning.For a copy, contact Nichola at The LandConservancy BC, 5793 Old West Saanich Road,Victoria, BC V8X 3X3 or call (250) 385-9246.

Preserving working ranchesA look at land trusts and conservation covenants

“Supporting the purchase of develop-ment rights would allow the rancher toretain land title and maintain aranching operation while removing thedevelopable potential from the land.”

11

By Elizabeth Salomon-

de-Friedberg, Nicola

Watershed Community

Round Table

The Laurie Guichon*Memorial GrasslandsInterpretive Site is aproject of the NicolaWatershed CommunityRound Table(NWCRT). The pur-pose of this initiative is to educate the resi-dents of the Nicolawatershed about the

interior grasslands and to demonstrate the importanceof grasslands and their integral role in the social andeconomic fabric of the area.

With the death of Laurie Guichon in July 1999 and thecreation of the Laurie Guichon Memorial Fund, theNWCRT renewed its commitment to the project and setabout finding a site. After an extensive review andassessment of possible locations, a site was selected anda preliminary site plan developed. The home of theGrasslands Interpretive Site will be the western end ofthe Lundbom Commonage.

The entrance to the site will be directly off the eastside of Highway 5A at Lundbom Road, approximately 11 kilometres past Merritt city limits. Highway 5A con-nects to Highway 97C from the Okanagan (Kelowna andarea); and, in the opposite direction, to Highway 5 (theCoquihalla) from the Lower Mainland. Lundbom Road

leads from the highway to the Lundbom Commonage,which is used for grazing and as a popular summerrecreation area. The features of this location includerolling hills of grasses, a small forested area to the north,clumps of trees and other vegetation in depressionsfound around the site, and a wetland area just to thenorth of the entrance.

The preliminary site plan was developed, keeping inmind a long-term vision for this site and assuming thatthe interpretive facility will receive moderate to high lev-els of use over time. The plan recommends a four-phasedevelopment. Phase 1 includes the construction of aparking lot, pit toilets, the design and construction of themain kiosk, and the trail from the parking lot to themain kiosk. The Grasslands Interpretive Site Committeeplans the completion of Phase One in 2000.

Over the past couple of months, the site plan has beenstaked out on the ground with markers; a preliminarydesign for the main kiosk has been adopted; andresearch has been undertaken with respect to costs ofbuilding the main kiosk and the pit toilets. As well, theCommittee is putting the finishing touches to the budgetfor Phase One. A number of other activities are alsounderway including the development of sign text, final-izing the liability insurance, and getting the necessaryapprovals before construction can begin.

*Laurie Guichon was an integral member of the NicolaWatershed Community Round Table from its beginningand it is to honor his memory and his work to promote theprinciples of the Round Table that this site will bear hisname.

Laurie Guichon Memorial Grasslands Interpretive Site

Members of NicolaWatershed CommunityRound Table and GrasslandsConservation Council surveypotential trails and signageopportunities on theLundbom Commonage.PHOTO: BRUNO DELESALLE

next three years. To this end, the GCC will continue to develop proposals and forge new partnership and alliances thatwill enable the Council to:• Address an urgent need for broad education and increased awareness about the ecological, social, economic and

cultural importance of grasslands in British Columbia, while continuing to address priority issues such as ATVlicensing, weed control and the loss of grassland to fragmentation and development.

• Carry on working with partners to establish a provincial grasslands Geographical Information System.• Encourage and facilitate communication and the flow of information amongst organizations, individuals, and the

different regions of the province (via web site, newsletter, and others).• Continue to build the capacity of the GCC through fundraising, increasing our membership base, and developing

a strong volunteer base.I welcome the new Board of Directors and look forward to working with this great group of people to deliver the

GCC Program Plan. Together we will tackle the many challenges ahead, as we move the GCC from a fledgling organi-zation to one that has a clear long-term vision with the capacity to coordinate, support and implement grasslandconservation and stewardship around the province.—Bruno Delesalle, Grasslands Conservation Council

Executive Director (from page 3)

GrasslandsBC12

by Helen Davis, Artemis Wildlife

Where do badgers occur in theThompson and Okanaganregions? How many of them arethere? How do badgers eke out anexistence in grasslands? Canbadgers and people coexist?

These are just a few questionsbeing posed by members of theThompson Okanagan BadgerProject. The project, being run byHelen Davis and CorinnaHoodicoff of Artemis Wildlife

Consultants, aims to learn more about badgers, their lifehistory, and where they occur in our region.

What we do know about badgers in our region is fairlylimited. Badgers are one of the rarest carnivores in theprovince and are currently a Red-listed (threatened)species. Population numbers are very low, believed to bebetween 300 and 1000 in total for the province. Badgershistorically occurred in the Thompson and Okanaganvalleys, Boundary region, and East Kootenays in areas ofbunchgrass and open forests of ponderosa pine andDouglas-fir, but just how many still call these areashome is unknown.

The badger project will first update the current distri-bution map for the species so that managers can deter-mine where to focus conservation efforts. In the firstyear of the project, over 150 badger sightings were col-lected throughout the region, ranging from Grand Forksto Barriere.

Next, a research study is underway to shed some lighton the biology of badgers at the northern edge of theirrange in North America. The research team will befocusing much of their efforts on following a few badg-ers fitted with radio transmitters. By following these ani-mals researchers hope to determine birth and deathrates, causes of death, habitats used by badgers, and the

distribution and density of remaining badger popula-tions. During the summer of 1999, five male badgerswere captured and five untagged badgers were killed onroads or highways in the Kamloops area last year. Inearly May, a female badger was killed on the highwayjust south of Barriere and an autopsy revealed she hadkits at the time.

Badgers are very distinctive looking, known mostly fortheir black and white facial markings. Badgers are one ofthe largest members of the weasel family, weighing from6 to 14 kilograms, about the size of a medium-sized dog.They are stout, shaggy animals, with a short tail.Probably the most distinctive feature about badgers isthat the face has a white stripe along the midline of thehead from the nose to the base of the neck. The rest ofthe body can be silver-gray to yellow-brown with someblack and buff mixed in. Badgers eat marmots, whichthey are often mistaken for, and ground squirrels.

Burrows and hair are good indicators of the presenceof badgers in an area. Badger burrows, with their largeplumes of excavated soil at the entrance, are often theonly sign that badgers are present because badgers areactive mostly at night.

These burrows are important to other animals thatuse them after badgers abandon them, especially to theendangered burrowing owl. Badger burrows haveentrances 20 to 30 centimetres in diameter and oftenhave badger hairs caught on vegetation or in the soil atthe entrance. Deep, wide claw marks in the side of bur-rows are also indicators of it being dug by badgers.

Have you seen a badger? We need your help. If you seeor have seen any badgers or badger burrows (even in thepast 10 years), please call the toll-free badger hotline (1-888-223-4376), e-mail the study atbadgers@artemiswildlife.com, or visit the BadgerWebsite at www.artemiswildlife.com (follow the“Badgers in BC” link.)

Thompson Okanagan badger study seeks further input

Badgers are very distinctivelooking, known mostly fortheir black and white facialmarkings. Badgers are one of the largest members ofthe weasel family, weighingfrom 6 to 14 kilograms. PHOTO PROVIDED BY HELEN DAVIS

13

By Don Gayton, Southern Interior Forest

Extension and Research Partnership

Can prescribed burning rejuvenate grasslands?Is needle-and-thread grass a climax species?Can we favor native bunchgrasses by delayinglivestock turnout? What is the impact of the lat-est biocontrol insect for knapweed?

Long term ecological monitoring of BritishColumbia grasslands, which provides theanswers to questions like these, is a goal fewwould argue with. But if that is true, then why is grassland monitoring such a low priority?Before we delve into that question, let’s stepback for a minute, to look at the romance ofgrassland monitoring.

Why romance? Because grassland monitor-ing, besides being an eminently practical activi-ty, is fascinating in its own right. Some of thepeople who have taken this ecosystem on toassimilate its rhythms, learn its processes, andunderstand this one tiny orbit in the greatwhirring orrery of the universe, are real heroes.

I have had the opportunity to stand in Nine-Mile Prairie, outside of Lincoln, Nebraska, arolling piece of tallgrass that could have beenthe inspiration for Andrew Wyeth’s paintingChristina’s World. What it did inspire was thepioneering work of J.E. Weaver, a foundingfather of grassland ecology, who used Nine-Mileas a laboratory for his ideas on succession. Ihave also stood amongst the sagebrush andIdaho fescue of Marcellus Prairie, in centralWashington, where Rexford Daubenmire per-fected his now-famous vegetation measurementtechnique.

Closer to home, I have paid homage to theHamilton Commonage Exclosure, erected in1938, and the Milroy Exclosure nearSkookumchuk, built in 1949. As I contemplatethese long-term grassland monitoring sites, andthe people behind them, I see a kind of altru-ism, a concern about the future. I also see asense of confidence, in both our society and our

governments, that the monitoring transects welaid down in 1930, or 1938, or 1949 or 1998, willbe maintained and preserved. Confidence thatwe can keep the data, perpetuate the integrity ofinstallations and treatments, maintain the line-age of experimental design, and last but notleast, remember to send someone back outthere to remeasure our work and harvest thefruits of our monitoring labor.

It is a fact of life that ecological processestake longer than careers, longer than lifetimes.It is also a fact that our governmental institu-tions operate on timelines of fiscal years andelections, and that we ourselves have becomeconditioned to megahertz-fuelled, nanosecondinformation response times. This disparity oftimelines may be one reason that grasslandmonitoring has such high consensus, but suchlow priority.

The fate of the FRBC-funded Range Refer-ence Areas (RRA) Program is a case in point.

RRAs are permanent, fenced installationswith detailed long-term vegetation monitoringplots, designed to define rangeland communi-ties and successional patterns, and track theimpacts of disturbances such as livestock graz-ing, wildlife, weeds, fire and forest ingrowth.RRA Program staff established and monitoredsome 260 exclosures, plus upgrading andremeasuring another hundred existing exclo-sures.

The range and distribution of the RRAs aretruly impressive, from the Sikanni Chief areanorthwest of Fort St. John, to the JunctionRange south of Riske Creek, to the spectacularNicola Grasslands near Merritt, and to the ponderosa pine savannas of Grasmere.

Funding for the RRA Program was recentlycancelled, and the staff moved to other jobs.Many are questioning how the province canoperate without a functional grassland ecologi-cal monitoring program.

The resurrection of a BC grassland monitor-ing program will be a measure of our success asland managers and conservationists. It will alsodemonstrate an understanding of the timeframes of ecology, which moves to its ownclock, not ours.

Don Gayton, M.Sc., P.Ag., is an ecosystem man-agement specialist with the Southern InteriorForest Extension and Research Partnership,based in Nelson.

Grassland monitoring in BC deserves a higher priority

The GCC will facilitate the development of along-term monitoring strategy for theHamilton Commonage this fall with thecooperation of the Guichon Ranch; other localranchers; Ministry of Forests; Ministry ofEnvironment, Lands and Parks; and biologistsand agrologists currently implementingmonitoring programs on the Commonage. Left, Astrid van Woudenberg and Dona Falatat work on vegetation surveys in the newexclosures built in 1995 and 1996. PHOTO: BRUNO DELESALLE, COURTESY OF DUCKS UNLIMITED

“The resurrection of a BC grasslandmonitoring program would be ameasure of our success as landmanagers and conservationists.”

14

Grasslands stewardship in theEast Kootenays growing withhelp of TLC

By Nichola Gerts, The Land Conservancy

Through working with ranchers in the East Kootenay, itbecame apparent to The Land Conservancy (TLC) thatsmaller acreage/ranchette owner involvement would bethe key to effective conservation measures.

This inspired TLC to launch the East KootenayGrassland Stewardship Program which would sustain orenhance natural values of privately held grasslands inthe East Kootenay Rocky Mountain Trench, through botha landowner contact program and raising communityawareness of stewardship and conservation options.Landowner participation is voluntary and the focus is onextending tools to private landowners in order to helpmaintain or enhance the condition of the property.

TLC’s contact team conducts a visit with the landown-er, walking through the property and discussing grass-land ecology, weeds, in-growth and encroachment,wildlife, and any restoration or management concernswhich may apply. Following the visit, the landownerreceives a package with further information about thetopics discussed, a collection of identified and mountedplants collected on site, suggestions for stewardship, anda map showing major features of the property.

Community response during the first year wasencouraging and landowners contacted for a re-visithave been very enthusiastic and receptive to our on-going support and encouragement in their stewardshipefforts.

The Allan Brooks Nature Centreopen this summer

By Debbie Clarke, Allan Brooks Nature Centre

Situated on a knoll overlooking a spectacular panoramicview of the North Okanagan, the Allan Brooks NatureCentre opened its doors on July first.

The Centre hopes to play an important role in theinterpretation and restoration of North Okanagan grass-land ecosystems and native plant landscaping. The goalof the Centre is “to promote the enjoyment, understand-ing, and stewardship of the North Okanagan’s uniqueand diverse natural environment.”

Located five minutes from downtown Vernon, at thenorth end of the Commonage Rangelands—a stunningridge of rolling hills which runs between Kalamalka andOkanagan Lakes—the Allan Brooks Nature Centre cov-ers approximately 3.6 hectares and includes two build-ings that were previously home to an EnvironmentCanada weather station.

The Commonage consists of grassland habitat withseveral small ponds (containing rare, threatened, andfragile habitat types), and is a regionally important areafor birds supporting a provincially significant year-round raptor concentration as well as numerous provin-cially listed plant and wildlife species.

The Nature Centre is named after Allan Brooks (1869–1946), a talented and well-recognized bird painterand wildlife artist who lived in the Okanagan Landingarea of Vernon in the early 1900s.

Displays featured at the Nature Centre include a diora-ma of representative North Okanagan ecosystems;hands-on interactive displays and activities; an interpre-tive trail; a series of displays, kiosks and changingexhibits focusing on grasslands in the North Okanagan;as well as a dedication to Mr. Brooks.

This Newsletter

BC Grasslands is a bi-annualpublication of the GrasslandsConservation Council of BritishColumbia (GCC). BC Grasslands isintended to serve as a platformfor informing readers about GCCactivities and other grasslandprograms across BC and Canada,as well as providing a forum ongrassland ecology, rangemanagement, grasslandconservation and stewardship.

BC Grasslands and the GCCwelcome submissions of letters,articles, story ideas, artwork andphotographs for each issue.Articles should be no longer than600 words (300 words for lettersto the editor) and submitted aselectronic files (preferably MS Word 95 or newer).

BC Grasslands reserves theright to edit submissions forclarity and length. However, everyeffort will be made to work withcontributors to ensure contentremains unchanged. Deadline forthe next issue of BC Grasslands isNovember 30, 2000.

Contributions, comments andinquiries can be made to:BC Grasslands,Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia727 Dominion StreetKamloops, BC V2C 2X8tel / fax: (250) 374-5721e-mail: bruno_delesalle@telus.net

Newsletter ProductionBruno DelesallePUBLISHER/WRITER

Niki Paillé EDITOR/WRITER

Randy Morris PRELIMINARY ARTICLE COORDINATION

aside is too small, too fragmented, too isolated and toovulnerable for successful conservation of the species thatinhabit these areas. None of the protected areas are sur-rounded by effective buffer zones either, and all are sub-ject to continued disturbance of some kind.

Grassland and grassland shrub steppe conservation inthe South Okanagan is an urgent priority. More landsneed to be earmarked for endangered species protection.Landscape linkages need to be established to connectcore conservation areas and provide movement corri-dors. Elevational landscape connections are also neededto permit altitudinal movement of plants and animalswith climate change. These actions will all be necessary

for future maintenance of the crucial ecological corridorlinking the central interior grasslands of BritishColumbia with the inter-montane grasslands to thesouth in the western United States.

As most of the remaining natural valley-bottom habi-tat of the South Okanagan is privately held or on FirstNations lands (with the Crown Lands primarily at thehigher elevations), a successful conservation plan in thisarea of the province will involve many stakeholders. Aninnovative program and strategy, along with consider-able cooperative effort will be needed to guarantee bothconservation and sustainable land use in the valley andsurrounding terrain.

South Okanagan (from page 6)

15

But what of the link between ranchers and conservationists? To read the anti-cattle propaganda circulating thesouth-western United States, you could easily conclude that putting cattle on native grasslands is the quickest way to destroy a biologically diverse area.

Yet careful analysis by both grassland ecologists and cattle ranchers confirm that properly controlled grazing actually enhances grassland biodiversity. The secret is having large tracts of land where cattle grazing can occur on a rotational basis, and sensitive areas can be protected from heavy use.

It is the common goal of conserving large areas of rangeland, and supporting a sustainable relationship betweengrazers and grasses, that has become the mandate of the South Okanagan Range Land Conservation Program.

There is no end to the creative ways that ranchers and conservationists are joining together to sustain rangelandhabitat.

And getting started now is critical. The South Okanagan grasslands comprise less than 1% of BC, yet they existwithin a region that is currently experiencing the fastest population increase in the province. The exponential rate ofurban development in the South Okanagan is destroying critical natural habitat, and causing multi-generation familyranches to subdivide into suburban ranchettes or urban subdivisions.

The Nature Trust of British Columbia and its partners are now hard at work establishing the funds and co-opera-tive arrangements necessary to achieve the South Okanagan Range Land Conservation Program and, in doing so,to re-establish and conserve the sweeping rangelands that define the Canadian west.

Reproduced from The Nature Trust of BC newsletter, The Nature Legacy, #14, Winter 1999-2000.

Personal Voyage (from page 7)

Sharp-tails in declineOver the past 20 years, the Thompson-Nicola,Okanagan and Kootenay regions have seen a dra-matic decline in breeding populations of Columbiansharp-tailed grouse. This has resulted in increasingconcern about the loss of their habitat whichincludes grasslands, aspen forests, shrubby thicketsand riparian areas.

Look for the Columbian Sharp-tailed Grousebrochure to be released by the Ministry ofEnvironment, Lands and Parks in September. Thebrochure introduces the reader to the sharp-tailedgrouse and presents an overview of their habitatrequirements throughout the year. The brochurefeatures the beautiful wildlife photography of RoyChester, Kamloops, BC.

“Analysis by bothgrassland ecologistsand cattle ranchersconfirms that properlycontrolled grazingactually enhancesgrassland biodiversity.”

Sharp-TailedGrouse

COLUMBIAN

Sharp-TailedGrouse

Thank You

The Grasslands Conservation Council ofBritish Columbia would like to thank thefollowing funding organizations and donorsfor their generous support:

• Brian Barrett• Beef Cattle Industry Development Fund• Cattle Horn Fund• Douglas Lake Ranch• Endswell Foundation• Federation of BC Naturalists Foundation• GG Runka Land Sense Ltd.• Habitat Conservation Trust Fund• Ministry of Environment, Lands & Parks• Ministry of Forests• Real Estate Foundation of BC• Bill Stewart• Trans Mountain Pipe Line Ltd.• Vancouver Foundation

Special Thanks

The GCC would like to extend a specialthank you to Ducks Unlimited for donatingtheir Interior Wetlands Program databasewhich has served as the basis for theGrasslands Conservation Council contactdatabase.

A special thanks to the GCC volunteers,especially Janet Southwell, Niki Paillé andSusan Weilandt for all their hard work.

“Working together for the conservation of BC’s grasslands”

Yes! I would like to join the GCC in the conservation of

BC Grasslands, Canada’s most endangered ecosystem.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING BC’S GRASSLANDS

NAME (PLEASE PRINT) HOME PHONE

ADDRESS WORK PHONE

POSTAL CODE E-MAIL FAX

MEMBERSHIP: Individual: ❑ $20 Corporate: ❑ $250 Sponsor: ❑ up to $500 ❑ over $500 $ __________

PAYMENT ENCLOSED: ❑ Cheque ❑ Money Order

Mail to: Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia, 727 Dominion Street, Kamloops, BC V2C 2X8Phone/Fax: (250) 374-5721 • E-mail: gcc@telus.net

GCC annual memberships are valid for the calendar year

ACT NOW

The

Grasslands

Conservation

Council

needs your

help!

Grasslands are unique, vital and life-sustaining ecosystems that

provide shelter, food and protection to a wide variety of plants,

animals and insects. Over 76% of BC’s native grasslands have been

lost and more than 30% of the animal species on BC’s threatened

or endangered list are closely associated with grasslands.

Our next issue

Keep a look out for our next issue of BCGrasslands, coming in late 2000 or early in2001. The theme of this issue will be “Threats tograsslands in British Columbia.” Issues to beexplored include: losing large ranches to subdi-vision—what does this mean for the future ofBC’s grasslands?; what tools are needed for con-servation and stewardship?; the ATV issue andneed for licensing; and weeds and their impacton grasslands.

Anyone interested in contributing to thiscoming issue with an article, photos or artworkcan contact the GCC office.

Heads up!

We’re moving to a new office this fall. The GCCis currently exploring opportunities to shareoffice space with a local business, organizationor government agency. It is an important stepfor the GCC. We will keep you informed.

The GCC is looking for volunteers to help withour various projects and upcoming events. Forinformation, or to offer your expertise, pleasecall us at (250) 374-5721 or e-mail:bruno_delesalle@telus.net

Coming events

Raffle

This fall, the GCC will be holding a fundraisingraffle for a beautiful BC Grasslands wildlifeprint by Kamloops photographer, Roy Chester.The draw is set for November 18 and ticketswill be available from the GCC office and theBoard of Directors. For more information, con-tact Niki or Bruno at (250) 374-5721.

Field Tour

A Field Tour is planned for the HamiltonCommonage Demonstration Project, onSeptember 16, 2000. Anyone interested in join-ing this tour should contact Bruno Delesalle at(250)374-5721,e-mail:bruno_delesalle@telus.net

Directors Meeting

A reminder that the Fall GCC Directors Meetingwill be held Monday, October 16, 2000.

Banquet

Coming in November! The 1st Annual GCCFundraising Banquet. Dates, location and guestspeakers are still to be announced. Informationon this, and other GCC items and events will beincluded in the next GCC Member Updatemailout.

GCC Message BoardIf you have an event or message you would like to add to the BC Grasslands GCC Message Board,contact our office at (250) 374-5721. Deadline for submissions is November 30, 2000.