Conservation Projects British Columbia South Okanagan-Similkameen Stewardship Program: Landowner Contact and Restoration for Priority Wildlife Habitat 2010-11
Goals and Objectives
- Increase the amount of habitat protected ‘in principle’ through written stewardship agreements (5 year term or longer) by 50 hectares per year.
- Increase the amount of habitat protected through long term securement (e.g. conservation covenants, sale or donation to conservation organisations) by 15 hectares per year.
- Facilitate the stewardship (i.e. maintenance or enhancement) of 75 hectares per year of known high quality habitat.
- Ensure that the terms of 14 existing stewardship agreements (covering 182 ha) and 4 existing conservation covenants (covering 18 ha) are being followed.
- Increase the amount and diversity of stewardship-related information available and disseminated to landowners.
- Continue to support community stewardship efforts and raise awareness of habitats and species at risk in six neighbourhoods.
- Maintain support for the South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program and collaborative conservation efforts.
Activities
This is a multi-year project, however, we are currently applying for funding for one year. Landowner contact and habitat restoration and ultimately securement are all ongoing as is relationship- and trust-building. Activities include the following:
Activities include:
* Ensure landowner contact database is current, accurate, and tracks habitat type and amount as well as species at risk occurrences.
* Cross-reference landowner contact database information with priority habitat mapping and information from recovery team chairs.
* Negotiate data-sharing agreements with Regional District of South Okanagan Similkameen to obtain landowner information for unknown parcels.
* Initiate or maintain contact with 75 landowners in high priority areas, and encourage them to consider a written stewardship agreement, particularly if enhancement activities (objective 3) are taking place.
* Using existing templates, negotiate written agreements to protect habitat for at least a 5 year term.
* Signed stewardship agreements will be recognized with signage, media reports, in program newsletters, and on TLC’s website, if appropriate and agreed to by the landowner.
* Promote long term securement options in information conveyed to landowners.
* Follow up with new inquiries regarding land securement, where those properties contain priority habitat.
* Coordinate with SOSCP’s Land Securement Team
* Complete TLC’s property acquisition review (decision support tool) for each property under consideration.
* For covenants: using existing templates, negotiate terms, complete baseline inventories, and facilitate land surveys, appraisals, and Ecogift process.
* For donations: facilitate transfer mechanism, surveys, appraisals, and Ecogift process.
* For acquisitions: facilitate transfer mechanism, surveys, appraisals, and fundraising process.
* Support research into mechanisms for providing incentives for landowners to enter into long term securement.
* Support broader TLC fundraising initiatives for land securement costs.
* Completed securement projects will be recognized with signage, media reports, in program newsletters, and on TLC’s website, if appropriate and agreed to by the landowner.
* To benefit at least 75 hectares of high quality habitat:
* Provide assistance with invasive plant management (manual pulling), invasive fish removal, and garbage removal.
* Prepare and implement planting and maintenance plans for restoration of degraded grassland or riparian areas
* Install fencing around sensitive areas (e.g. riparian or intact grasslands) to exclude livestock or trespass.
* Request that landowners benefiting from these activities sign a stewardship agreement.
* Complete monitoring visits as needed (e.g. seasonally for plantings, annually for fencing) and provide ongoing care instructions to the landowner when needed.
* If landowners are willing, the property is accessible, and a significant enhancement project is complete, design and install interpretive signage.
* Conduct at least one monitoring site visit per year per agreement / covenant and provide a follow-up report to the landowner. Address any violations.
* Renegotiate any agreements that are due to expire or no longer valid.
* Produce two stewardship newsletters per year, distributed by mail or e-mail to at least 275 landowners; highlight conservation options, new agreements, best management practices, natural history information; include updates from other stewardship initiatives by partners of SOSCP.
* Present six community stewardship events in neighbourhoods with a high concentration of quality habitat types. Include speakers and resource people. If appropriate, undertake a group habitat restoration project.
Specific Habitat Products/Results to be Supported by WHC’s Contributions
Number of landowners contacted (site visits) = 75
Number of habitat improvement/restoration projects completed = at least 10
Number of hectares improved = 75
Number of hectares secured through newly negotiated stewardship agreements (5 year min) = 50
Number of landowners engaged in discussions of long-term securement options = 5
Number of stewardship agreements monitored for compliance= 15
Number of conservation covenants monitored for compliance = 3
Benefits to Waterfowl, Wetlands-Associated Species, and/or Other Wildlife
Private land stewardship is an essential part of landscape-level planning for biodiversity conservation in the South Okanagan Similkameen. This project provides ongoing benefits to species at risk and other wildlife (encouraging landowners to protect habitat essential for the survival of waterfowl, wetland-associated species and other wildlife) as well as supporting an existing stewardship ethic amongst private landowners. Through the positive experience of neighbours we can also hope to see behavioural change in those who may not initially have a strong stewardship ethic. This project will benefit the following wetland-associated species: Long-billed curlew, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, orioles, kingbirds, marsh wrens, goldeneyes, buffleheads, mergansers, Great Basin Spadefoots, Tiger Salamanders, Rattlesnakes, and Painted Turtles.
Relevance to Habitat Planning, Decision Making and/or Management
The South Okanagan-Similkameen Stewardship Program will contact landowners (many of which are viticulturalists, orchardists, and guest houses) with high priority habitat and assist them with information about the wildlife using their habitat, and provide management recommendations for individual properties. In our experience, landowners who have had a positive experience with our stewardship group discuss this with neighbours and colleagues and encourage them to participate in our program in some way. This increases habitat conservation in local communities. We involve all levels of government in our project as appropriate and report to regional partnerships, recovery teams, and other stewardship groups in order to share our experiences.
Project Location
This project will target private landowners of wetland, riparian, grassland and rugged terrain landscapes in the South Okanagan and Lower Similkameen Valleys. The closest cities are Penticton, Okanagan Falls, Oliver, Osoyoos, Cawston, Keremeos, and Princeton. Because this project takes place on private land, migratory game bird hunting will not be permitted unless allowed by the landowner. This project will, however, contribute to habitat corridors used by migratory birds.