Ecological corridors for climate change

KOOTENAY CONNECT

Species at Risk Biodiversity

Climate refugia

Michael Proctor Marcy Mahr Kootenay Conservation Program

Juliet Craig Kootenay Conservation Program

IUCN Connectivity Conservation

Specialist Group

Hilty et al 2020

These Guidelines “recommend formal recognition of ecological corridors to develop conservation networks and thus ensure effective conservation of biological diversity.”

IUCN Connectivity Conservation

Specialist Group

Hilty et al 2020

Ecological connectivity : The movement of genes, individuals, species, materials, and processes between populations, communities, and ecosystems

Ecological corridor: A clearly defined geographical space, not necessarily recognized as a ‘protected area’, that is governed and managed over the long-term to conserve or restore effective ecological connectivity, with associated ecosystem services and cultural and spiritual values

Ecological corridors may support a variety of human activities that practice sustainable use including farming, forestry, grazing, hunting, fishing, and other resource extraction, as long as they are also managed for, and effectively achieve, the identified ecological connectivity objectives.

Ecological connectivity : The movement of genes, individuals, species, materials, and processes between populations, communities, and ecosystems

Ecological corridor: A clearly defined geographical space, not necessarily recognized as a ‘protected area’, that is governed and managed over the long-term to conserve or restore effective ecological connectivity, with associated ecosystem services and cultural and spiritual values

Ecological corridors may support a variety of human activities that practice sustainable use including farming, forestry, grazing, hunting, fishing, and other resource extraction, as long as they are also managed for, and effectively achieve, the identified ecological connectivity objectives.

CONNECTIVITY

ECOLOGICAL CORRIDORS

Proctor et al 2012

Fragmentation

3100 Genetic sampled bears

800 telemetry

bears

Mostly mortality associated with conflicts

What is causing the fragmentation?

Walls of Mortality Non hunt Mortality

risk Reported and Unreported

CAUSES: Front country

attractants

Back country poaching, ungulate

hunter conflicts

600 bears

600 bears

1000 bears Proctor et al 2012

Fragmentation

Proctor et al 2015

Connectivity GPS collared

bears Ecological modelling

Corridor prediction

Conservation management Need to manage WILDLIFE & HABITAT & PEOPLE

Luxor Cr 960 ac

Tipper 396 ac

Kidd Cr 87 ac

Frog Bear ~700 ac

Bane Cr 960 ac

MacArthur Lake CE 5000 ac

TNC multiple 18853 ac

Stimson CE 27000 ac

Direct purchased,

conservation easements, land trades

21,000 hectares, 210 km2

37 properties protected for

CONNECTIVITY

Anderson 71 ac

Nature Conservancy

Canada

Yellowstone to Yukon

Vital Ground

The Nature

Conservancy (US)

Nature Trust of

BC

Forest Legacy (US)

TNC multiple 18853 ac

Stimson CE 27000 ac

Anderson 113 ac

Bane Cr 960 ac

MacArthur Lake CE 5000 ac

TNC multiple 18853 ac

~$50,000,000

Non lethal management

Grizzly bear non-lethal management 2004 – 2017

Managed alive % success Females 18 15 83 Males 17 11 65 total adults 35 26 74

In conjunction with the BC Conservation Office Service

Table 4. Electric fences (50% cost share program) Creston Valley – Nelson area

# fences $ 88 73288

Electric fence program

Bear safety education

Huckleberry patch modeling

Huckleberry plants Huckleberry patches

ROC score = 0.86

Backcountry access management in critical foraging habitats

Motorized access controls around

important huckleberry patches

How’s it working?

Backcountry access management in critical foraging habitats

Motorized access controls around

important huckleberry patches

Grizzly bear human-caused mortality in South Selkirks

Pre 2006 Post 2006

Rockies South population (Fernie, Sparwood, Elkford)

Control area

No enhanced management

Increase in inter-

population movements

Telemetry monitoring

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Pre 2006

Post 2006

Evidence from inter-population assignments from genetic samples

411 bear 21 loci genotypes

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S Selkirks

Pre 2006

Post 2006

Evidence from inter-population assignments from genetic samples

411 bear 21 loci genotypes

Evidence from genetic-based pedigrees and family units

4 recent family groups between populations

Cumulative evidence, all

sources

Pre 2006

Cumulative evidence, all

sources

Post 2006

Proctor et al 2015

Connectivity

SCIENCE

Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area

BC Gov “A high proportion of Species at Risk are found on private lands in BC”

ECCC “Private lands provide important habitat for almost half of Species at Risk in BC”

Frog-Bear Natural Area

Nature Conservancy

Canada properties for connectivity in

blue

Endangered Leopard Frog

population Leopard Frog

Corridor

Endangered Leopard Frog

population Leopard Frog

Corridor

Creston Valley WMA

NCC Connectivity

lands

Endangered Leopard Frog

population Leopard Frog

Corridor

Creston Valley WMA

NCC Connectivity

lands

Kootenay region

Kootenay region

riparian habitat

Kootenay region Grizzly bear core & linkage & riparian habitat

Kootenay region Grizzly bear linkage

riparian hotspots in

red

Kootenay region Grizzly bear linkage

riparian hotspots in

red

Corridor

Kootenay region Grizzly bear linkage

riparian hotspots in

red

Riparian-wetland area have higher biodiversity

and species richness

Provide many ecosystem services

Hauer et al 2016 Klein et al 2009 Sabo et al 2005

Naiman et al 1993 Kinley & Newhouse 1997

A wide spectrum of species use wetlands, including many

for a portion of their ecological needs

• Semlitsch and Bodie 2003 Hauer et al 2016 Todd et al 2009 Cushman 2005

Bull 2006

To manage biodiversity effectively, a broad

landscape perspective is required

linking riparian-wetland

valley bottom with adjacent upland habitats

Naiman et al 1993 Harvey et al 2008

Hauer, F. R., H. Locke, V. J. Dietz. M. Hebblewhite, W. H. Lowe, C. C. Mulfield, C. R. Nelson, M. F. Proctor, and S. R. Rood. 2016. Gravel-bed river floodplains are the ecological nexus of glaciated mountain landscapes. Science Advances. Vol 2 http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/6/e1600026.full.pdf+html

“Although gravel-bed river floodplains play a disproportionately important role in sustaining native plant and animal biodiversity, they have also been disproportionately affected by human infrastructure and activities”

The gravel-bed river floodplain as the ecological nexus of regional biodiversity.

We are exploring establishing, recognizing, managing, functional,

quasi-protected/secured, zoned

CORRIDOR designations

A combination of private and public lands

• Not a park • Public lands could have

some official designation • Larger area could be a

looser designation that included private lands

PRIVATE LANDS

Both Regional District governments RDCK & RDEK

are interested, private land approaches are being developed

Development Permit Areas – permits required for designated Ecological Sensitve Areas (ESAs) to be consistent with

ecological corridor function

Official Community Plans (OCPs) a vehicle for community acceptance

PUBLIC LANDS

We need to create a designation that allows for connectivity function and allows human uses

May not require that much change in land uses, but some level of official designation would secure future “protection”

KOOTENAY CONNECT

Blends science and community-based approaches to large landscape conservation by identifying connectivity areas throughout the East and West Kootenays focused on wildlife corridors, biodiversity hotspots, and climate change refugia.

Funding $120,000 over 3 years Fish Wildlife Compensation Program

$2,000,000 over 4 years Environment & Climate Change Canada, Nature Fund

Helps Canada reach its targets for Conservation Protect areas Biodiversity Species at Risk Species of Interest Ecosystems Landscape connectivity Climate resilience Indigenous People collaboration

Environment & Climate Change Canada Canada Nature Fund

Community Nominated Priority Places

Species at Risk 8 Endangered 8 Threatened 12 Special Concern 27 BC Listed beyond Fed SaR

Bonanza

Creston Valley

Wycliffe

Columbia, Wetlands

66 subprojects including 12 Global subprojects

Wetland restoration

Hydrologic connectivity for healthy wetlands

Species at Risk habitat assessments & enhancements

Northern leopard frog, Western painted turtle, Lewis’s woodpecker, Wiliamson’s sapsucker, screech owls, badger, endangered plant communities, bats and more

Upland habitat connectivity – grizzly bears, western toads, ungulates,

Opportunities for public & private land conservation (NCC, NTBC)

Private land restoration

Beaver habitat function

Cottonwood ecosystems

Projects within Kootenay Connect ECCC grant

Partners

List of organizational partnersBC Ministry FLNRORD, Ecosystem Section

Creston Valley Wildlife Management Authority

Kootenay Conservation Program

Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners

Nature Conservancy Canada

The Nature Trust of BC

Slocan Lake Stewardship Society

East Kootenay Wildlife Association

Lake Windermere District Rod & Gun Club

Canal Flats Wilderness Club

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada

Transborder Grizzly Bear Project

List of Individuals Affiliation Irene Manley, MSc FLNRORD biologist

Merle Crombi, MSc FLNRORD biologist

Kersti Vaino, MSc FLNRORD biologist

Lea Randall , MSc Calgary Zoo biologist

Marc-Andre Beaucher, MSc CVWMA biologist

Juliet Craig, MSc Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP), biologist

March Mahr, MSc Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP), biologist

Derek Petersen, MSc Parks Canada, KCP

Suzanne Bailey, PhD Universtiy Prof, retired, weltands biologist, CWSP

Richard Hoar Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners (CWSP)

Richard Klafki, MSc Nature Conservancy Canada, biologist

Chris Bosman Nature Trust BC

Sheri MacPherson REDK Regional planner

Chris Belanger REDK Regional planner

Michell Bates RDEK Regional planner

Dana Hawkins RDCK Planner

Gerry Wilke RDEK Elected Regional Director

Marlene Machmer , MSc Independent biologist

Jakob Deluisse, MSc Independent biologist

Rachel Darvill, MSc Independent biologist

Greg Utzig, PhD Independent biologist

Ryan Durand, MSc Independent biologist

Alan Thomson, MSc Independent biologist

Doris Hausleitner, MSc Independent biologist

Tyson Ehlers Independent biologist

Randy Harris Independent biologist

Cori Lausen, PhD WCS biologist

Dave Zehnder Farmland Advantage

Yvonne Patterson Okanagan Nations Alliance

Ian Adams, MSc Ktunaxa Nation, biologist

Norm Allard Ktunaxa Lower Kootenay Band

Wendy King Slocan Lake Stewardship Society

Sally Hammond Slocan Lake Stewardship Society

Ann Meindinger Slocan Lake Stewardship Society

Michael Proctor, PhD Transborder Grizzly Bear Project, biologist

Focal area COSEWIC

Endangered Threatened Special

ConcernListed Red Blue Yellow

Creston Valley 3 5 11 34 9 17 6

Columbia Wetlands 5 7 7 20 8 19 9

Wycliffe Corridor 6 6 4 43 8 14 5

Bonanza 1 5 7 15 2 13 4

Totals 15 23 29 112 27 63 24

SARA listed BC listed

AreaSARA

listed

COSEWIC

listed

BC

listed

Important

Habitats

Important

Features

Important

ProcessesThreats

Creston Valley 19 34 32 12 16 11 51

Columbia Wetlands 19 20 36 12 18 11 29

Wycliffe Corridor 16 43 27 10 17 9 38

Bonanza 13 15 19 10 15 10 45

Workshops Biologists, gov & Ind Regional planners First Nations Stewardship groups Elected officials & more

Identified Ecological values Threats Opportunities Tools Champions Plans

Columbia Wetlands

Columbia Wetlands

Columbia River Wetlands

b) a)

NCC Connectivity Property

Private land protections in important wetlands hotspots

Wycliffe

Wycliffe Corridor

Wycliffe Corridor

b) a)

Cumulative impacts

Private land regulation ESAs, DPAs,

Lewis’s woodpecker & Williamson’s sapsucker habitat restoration

Bonanza

Bonanza Corridor

a) b)

Wetland connectivity restoration Beaver activity assessment

Creston Valley

Creston Valley

Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area

Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area

Climate resilience planning Greg Utzig Mgt to reduce catastrophic fire, ID & protect cool wet sites (OG), enhance intra-hydrologic connectivity, (hold water in the valley longer) & more

Kootenay connect subproject – intra-wetland hydrological connectivity to open up vegetation choked NLF inter-seasonal routes / corridors

2019, vegetation choked wetland channel

2020, reopened water channels

2019, vegetation choked wetland

2020, hydrologic connectivity

>13 NLF egg massess counted this year in restored area – some used for reintroduction at Brisco site in Columbia Wetlands

2020 NLF egg masses

What can regional and provincial governments do?

Is it time for a paradigm shift in landscape scale land management in BC?

• New policy/landuse designation

• Create Ecological/Wildlife Corridor designation

• Requires cross-jurisdictional conversations

• Identify & designate corridors

• Protect, enhance & restore habitats

• Requires cross-jurisdictional conversations

Provincial government Regional government SAR Local Government Working Group Municipal government Kootenay Connect Kootenay Conservation Program (>80 partner groups) Farmland Advantage Stakeholder groups Stewardship groups Indigenous communities Independent biologists

Supporters Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program

Canada Nature Fund

Environment & Climate Change Canada

Kootenay Conservation Program

Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation

Nature Conservancy of Canada

Nature Trust of BC

Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area

Wilburforce Foundation

Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation AND MORE