GrasslandsBC

“The voice for grasslands in British Columbia” DECEMBER 2001

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

Grasslands Under Siege —Subdivision and DevelopmentThe second of a three-part series

on threats to grasslands

GrasslandsBC2

My trusty dictionary defines connec-tion as “being joined, being part of alarger thing, the logical linking to-gether of ideas, affinity to a commonvision and a group associated togeth-er because of common interest.”

This is exactly what the GrasslandsConservation Council is all about and has been trying todo over the last few years—connect and bring togetherpeople who share a larger and common interest that isthe protection of BC’s grassland communities!

One of the most important lessons that I have learnedover the last few years has been the value of keepingworking ranches working. I didn’t thoroughly under-stand until recently how vital ranching can be for main-taining web-of-life connections and the vitality of therange. Not only can well-managed ranches be good for

nature, but they are also a force connecting the humancommunity to socio-economic richness.

Smaller “ranchettes” and land parcels may serve theneeds of a certain segment of society that is searchingfor rural flavour, peace and quiet, and a return to thewild. However, splitting the land into smaller parcels severs the connections that are necessary to maintain avariety of wildlife and habitat, and is a slow death tohealthy grasslands.

The GCC was established to bring together people who love grasslands and to facilitate conversations about protecting BC’s grasslands. We believe that keepingworking ranches working is essential if we are to accom-plish this goal.

In closing, I wish to once again acknowledge the hardwork of Bruno Delesalle who is indefatigable in his pursuit of leading the GCC.

The GCC

Established as a society in August1999, the GCC is a strategicalliance of organizations andindividuals, 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;

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

GCC Board of DirectorsEXECUTIVE

Bob Peart, VancouverCHAIR

Jim White, KamloopsVICE CHAIR

Nicola Walkden, VictoriaSECRETARY

Dennis Lloyd, KamloopsTREASURER

Cindy Haddow, VictoriaKristi Iverson, Lac la HacheDr. Michael Pitt, Vancouver

BOARD

Ian Barnett, KamloopsAlf Bawtree, CelistaTom Dickinson, KamloopsWendy Gardner, KamloopsKatherine Gizikoff, MerrittJudy Guichon, QuilchenaMaurice Hanson, KimberleyAgnes Jackson, KamloopsMike Kennedy, LillooetBob Scheer, KamloopsDarrell Smith, InvermereGreg Tegart, KelownaGary Tipper, CranbrookBill Turner, VictoriaPhil Youwe, KamloopsDave Zehnder, Invermere

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Bruno Delesalle, Kamloops

COVER PHOTO: Ernest LeupinCOVER INSET PHOTO: Murray Mitchell

Message from the ChairBy Bob Peart

The population of BC is rising, fast.The major urban centres of the province, mostly in the

Lower Mainland, are filling to overflowing, and peopleare fleeing these major metropolitan cities in droves forthe quiet solitude of their own little grassland lot wherethey can raise an acre of vegetables, maybe a few chickens, and one or two cows. Some of the major urban centres of the Interior like Vernon, Kamloops, 100 MileHouse and Kelowna, still small enough to maintain arural feel, yet big enough to have all the amenities, areexperiencing rapid population growth. Rapid populationgrowth, subdivision and development go hand in hand.New housing developments are escaping into the surrounding grassland hillsides like a newly introducedspecies of noxious weed that out-competes native vege-tation, spreads rapidly, and, once established, is very difficult to control.

The grasslands of BC occupy a mere 1.5% of theprovince’s land base. Unfortunately, most of these grass-land ecosystems are often located in valley bottoms, andthe gently rolling to flat morphology of the grasslandsmake them prime locations for housing developmentsand/or croplands.

The subdivision and development of BC’s grasslandsis a serious threat to the rich biodiversity of this province, our ranching heritage, and our environmental stability.

In this issue of BC Grasslands we look at subdivisionand development, part two of our Threats to Grasslandsseries. You will read about the environmental, socio-economic, and political aspects of subdivision anddevelopment; options for preventing subdivision and development; and the first installment of a series exploring the Land Reserve Commission’s role in conserving grasslands.

The Grasslands Conservation Council of BC considerssubdivision and development a major threat to the long-term sustainability of BC’s grasslands. Although there is no clear solution to this problem, it is clear that byopening up the channels of communication we can come up with proactive, innovative solutions that can ensure a future for one of BC’s most endangered ecosystems.

Threats to grasslands What to expect in this issue

Growing Expectations a Challenge for the GCC We have come a long way since August 1999 when the GCC was founded as a society. In August 2000, theGCC formalized a three-year Strategic Plan, and aftermuch hard work, we have delivered on an ambitiouswork plan and have recently completed some key projects.

On the communication, education and extension front, the GCC has anew BC Grasslands website, an attractive grassland display, and continuesto develop its BC Grasslands bi-annual publication, as well as organizingyearly Sustaining Healthy Grasslands symposiums. The Lac du BoisGrasslands will be home to three new grassland interpretive signsexplaining the geology, ecology and history of that area. All of theseefforts continue to build awareness of grasslands and provide tools toassist the GCC in collecting and disseminating grassland informationaround the province.

On the issue front, the GCC is addressing ATV licensing, weeds and theneed for a provincial strategy, and the growing concern over developmentof grasslands and the future role of the Agricultural Land Reserve.

On the mapping and inventory front, the GCC is making good progressin mapping BC’s grasslands and is well on its way in establishing the most comprehensive source of grassland information in the province.This in itself is a very significant endeavour.

There is no doubt that the GCC has made tremendous progress.Nevertheless, we have heard some distant rumblings that the GCC is nottaking an active enough role in “fighting” key issues around the province,such as future development of grasslands in Vernon, the subdivision of Stump Lake Ranch, highway development in Kamloops, orchard andother agricultural development in the Okanagan, ATV impacts and theneed for licensing, the weed invasion, and of course, forest encroachment.All of these issues are critically important and requests that the GCCactively address these issues in different regions are increasing. This presents a challenge.

Increased recognition that the GCC is a legitimate organization that cantackle various hot issues around the province reveals an important fact—we need a strong voice for grassland conservation in British Columbia.

However, the GCC is a young, small organization with a provincialmandate. It is not possible, at least at this stage in our development, toplay an active role in all development and conservation issues around theprovince. At this time the GCC is operating without core financialresources and without full-time staff. Over the past year and a half, theGCC has worked very hard to become a charitable organization, whichmeans that we cannot be a lobby group for local interests. The GCC man-date is to educate the public, industry and government about grasslandsand their ecological values, and to inform industry and government aboutgrassland issues. The GCC is also mandated to work proactively withindustry and government on the sustainable management of grasslands,grassland monitoring and research.

Addressing the Challenge

What we are doing to further develop the organization and to provide aneffective service to our membership is:� Planning, organizing and implementing a short- and long-term fund

raising strategy to assist the GCC in securing the financial resourcesrequired for GCC initiatives;

� Establishing regional committees that will represent the GCC andaddress grassland issues in those regions;

� Planning and developing a regionalized website that will better servelocal and regional information needs; and

� Initiating a longer-term strategic planning process.

What You Can Do

� Do you feel that there needs to be a stronger voice for grasslands inyour region? If so, help the GCC establish and organize a grasslandcommittee in your region.

� Do you have an issue you feel the GCC should be considering, or do youthink we should be doing a better job? If so, be proactive and contact aGCC Director or myself to discuss the issue or problem.

� Be prepared to volunteer your time and assist the GCC in delivering onits mandate! We need your help.

The GCC is in it for the long haul.Join this exciting and challenging process!

Message from the Executive DirectorBy Bruno Delesalle

In This Issue4 Subdivisions and Development

4 Suburbanization: The Bucolic Plague

6 Tightening Up the ALR

7 Stump Lake Ranch and the ALR

8 Keeping Working Ranches Working

9 Conservation Easements Preserve Natural Values

10 Ranching…an Endangered Industry?

10 Land Use Planning for Merritt

11 The Tiger Salamander

12 Thompson’s Paintbrush

13 Profile of a Grassland Aficionado: Alastair McLean

14 The Value of Preserving BC’s Grasslands

15 Uphill Growth Means the Downfall of Grasslands

16 South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation ProgramMoving Forward

17 Phase 1 of Laurie Guichon Memorial Grasslands Interpretive Site Project Complete

17 Lac du Bois Grasslands Park Interpretive Sign Project

18 Mapping BC’s Grasslands

4

The loss of large, intact areas of native grasslands torural development is an escalating problem throughoutBC, southwestern Alberta, and parts of the United States.The problem arises where there are grassland areas withlarge population centres nearby, good connecting high-ways, and a wealthy or newly mobile social class whowant the country living experience and are not restrictedto living full time in a big city. Combine this with aranching economy that is marginal in good times and amonetary rat-hole in bad times, plus greatly inflatedland values, and the pressure to sell off ranches to devel-opment is great.

BC, however, has a unique problem in that only 1 to 2% of the province is grassland, and of that,70 to 80% is privately owned. BC’s grasslands are largelyin valleys near transportation routes and are relativelyclose to towns and cities. This combination simplymeans that all but a few larger pieces of Crown grasslandare vulnerable to subdivision.

What is the solution? What options and tools are avail-able? More regulation? What about purchases by conser-vation organizations? This tool is being used in areaswhere there is great urgency, however, large-scale ranchpurchases to conserve grasslands often come with theirown set of problems. Conservation covenants and thePurchase of Development Rights (PDRs) are otheroptions available to keep working ranches working andmaintain large areas of critical grassland ecosystems.

There are no easy solutions to the problem of subdivi-sion and development, but the wake-up call is all aroundus as we see ranches of various sizes being bought upand subdivided. It is clear that we must work together toproduce innovative solutions in order to ensure a futurefor BC’s grasslands and the people, plants, and animalsthat depend on these ecosystems.

Subdivisions and Development Grasslands are Feeling the Pressure

By Jim White, Rangelands Associates

Peter and Mary Jones’ dream had finally come true. Afteryears of slaving away at demanding—but high-pay-ing—jobs in Vancouver, they were about to move theirfamily to the country. Seven acres of prime Okanaganbench land now belonged to them, their access road was

finished, and construction of the spacious, rancher-stylehome was nearly complete. Plans were well afoot to fencea pasture for a horse, but the kids were demanding two,so they could ride together. Everyone was looking for-ward to having dogs and cats, something that had been

impossible in their Vancouverhome. No longer would theJoneses be surrounded byasphalt, and people. No moretraffic jams, highrises andsmog—back to nature!

The Jones family is of coursefictional, but they typify a very

SuburbanizationThe Bucolic Plague

By Don Gayton, M.Sc, P.Ag.

Subdivision and

development makes a

permanent change

in the landscape,

one that affects us

all and has many

environmental

and social impacts.

Subdivision and

development can:

• Displace or endanger

native plant and

animal species by

eliminating critical

habitat

• Promote the spread

of noxious weeds

• Increase soil erosion

• Reduce the amount

of range and forage

available to wildlife

and the ranching

industry

• Promote abusive

recreation by providing

better access to the

backcountry for ATV

users, mountain bikers,

etc.

…continued next page

The suburban dream is apowerful and growing force inBritish Columbia and through-out western North America. PHOTO BY ED HEENAN

GrasslandsBC

real phenomenon. The suburban dream is a powerfuland growing force in British Columbia and throughoutwestern North America as people slip the surly bonds ofcities like Vancouver, Calgary, Portland and Los Angeles.

Let’s look at the destinations of these urban refugees;what areas attract them? In BC, they choose areas likethe Okanagan, the Kamloops area, Cranbrook, GrandForks, and Invermere. Further afield, they go to theBitterroot Valley in Montana, or the high desert countryof central Oregon. Instinctively, these urban refugees aredrawn to dry, sunny, rural, interior valleys. Nearly allbuild their country dream homes (or “ranchettes,” inrealtor lexicon) on grasslands, savannas, and dry, openforests. For the already beleaguered grasslands of BC’sSouthern Interior, suburbanization is a new malaise,adding to the existing stresses of overgrazing, weeds,recreational use, and forest ingrowth. Not only does eachnew subdivision or ranchette eliminate another parcel ofnative vegetation, but it also creates a host of negativespinoff effects. New roads create more vehicular accessand more disturbance that weakens native plant com-munities and promotes the growth of weeds. Horses arepenned in ridiculously small pastures, leading to severeovergrazing and soil erosion. Uncontrolled dogs and catsbecome new predators on unsuspecting native fauna.Gardens and garbage bins create problem wildlife wherethere were none before.

I have probably attended a dozen meetings in the lastyear where people agonized over how to control subur-banization (also known as the “bucolic plague”) into thegrasslands, and no one has any answers. Development

forces are strong; there’s lots of money out there; it’s pri-vate land, etc. I am beginning to wonder if we areobsessing on the rural end of the suburbanization equa-tion, and ignoring the source end, the cities. What iswrong with our big cities that makes so many peoplewant to flee them as soon as they are able? For that mat-ter, what’s wrong with the small towns in our grasslandareas that make urban refugees want to live not in them,but outside them?

Ever since reading Jane Jacob’s seminal book, TheDeath and Life of Great American Cities, I have seen posi-tive parallels between the human ecology of cities andthe vegetation ecology of grasslands. Now, with theurban refugee phenomenon, I see negative parallels aswell. As the human ecology of big cities erodes, the vege-tation ecology of grasslands does too.

A thoughtful mayor once said to me,“maybe the bestthing you can do to preserve grasslands is to create somekind of density bonus that encourages people to buildwithin the city limits.” This is just one example of manycreative ways of addressing the city side of the urbanrefugee equation.

In addition to making people aware of the impacts ofsuburbanization, I think we grassland advocates need tobegin a dialogue with our urban cousins to find out whylife in their big city is so toxic, and what can be doneabout it. Life in BC is deeply polarized between urbanand rural, but in the end, we are a single society and theJoneses are indeed our cousins. If life is not healthy inour big cities, ultimately it won’t be healthy in the grass-lands either.

…from previous page

• Reduce connectivity

between habitats

• Impact the hydrologic

cycle by allowing

water to run down

asphalt and into

sewers instead of

being taken up by the

soil, filtered, and

returned to the cycle

as groundwater

• Threaten our tourism

industry by destroying

the beauty of natural

landscapes, one of the

qualities of BC that is

prized by tourists and

locals alike

• Threaten our ranching

industry, which is a

vital part of the

economy, history, and

culture of BC

Grassland cities are growing much faster than those in the rest of the province.

Provincial average

Armstrong

Kamloops

Ashcroft

Chase

Coldstream

Vernon

Lumby

Kelowna

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

Percent Increase in Population Estimate 1999–2000 in Selected Grassland CitiesSOURCE: BC STATISTICS

5

6

Tightening Up the ALRBy Kathy McCauley

The mandate of the LandReserve Commissionincludes protecting naturalgrasslands suitable forgrazing by cattle andwildlife by locking them up in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), the purpose of which is toprotect agricultural landand to encourage farming. PHOTO BY KATHLEEN

HAYWOOD-FARMER

Change is in the air at all levels of government right nowand there are going to be a lot of questions asked aboutwhether policies and agencies are achieving the level ofeffectiveness for which they were designed. The LandReserve Commission (LRC) and the Agricultural LandReserve (ALR) will not be exempt from this process.

The LRC was created in the early 1970s to ensure thatresource lands would always be available for BC’s work-ing farms and forests. The mandate of the LRC includesprotecting natural grasslands suitable for grazing by cat-tle and wildlife by locking them up in the AgriculturalLand Reserve (ALR), the purpose of which is to protectagricultural land and to encourage farming. Once in theALR, lands are dedicated for agricultural use only andtheoretically unavailable for urban development. TheALR contains 4.7 million hectares or 5% of the province,70% of which is privately owned.

Although the concept of protecting grasslands was ahard sell in the ’70s, public awareness of the issues hasgrown. Whether or not grasslands need protection is nolonger an issue, but rather, to what extent? BC’s grass-lands are home to more than 25% of the provincialwildlife species of concern and support more threatenedor endangered species than any other habitat. Theprovince has a higher proportion of grasslands intactand protected than any other region of Canada andmuch of North America. Urban development is still rela-tively slow in rural BC, putting us ahead in the conserva-tion game and giving us a priceless opportunity tomaintain that lead through strategic grassland manage-ment. The LRC and the ALR are our primary tools to dothat.

How effective the LRC has been in supporting thepreservation of grasslands depends on whom you ask.

“If the mandate of the LRCwas to merely slow down theloss of grasslands,” saysMaurice Hansen of the RockyMountain Trench NaturalResources Society,“then Isuppose it has done that. But

it has not halted urban development on grasslands alto-gether because there are loopholes in the legislation thatallow lands of particularly high recreational and urbandevelopment value to be removed from the ALR.”

In theory, the ALR protects grasslands from urbaniza-tion; however, in practice lands can be removed from theALR through application to the LRC. The LRC receivesseven hundred applications to remove land from theALR every year, 70% of which are accepted. Each appli-

cation is individually reviewed on its own merits sothere are no hard and fast criteria to determine whichare accepted or rejected. Consequently, there has beensome criticism in the past that decisions could be sub-ject to the political maneuvers of developers. Lands ofmarginal agricultural value, such as grasslands, are farmore likely to be released from the ALR than highly pro-ductive areas if there is pressure to release land forurban development. The problem may not be that thereare loopholes but that decisions to remove land from theALR may be based on subjective factors. The overall per-centage of land within the reserve has only remainedconstant because ALR boundaries over the years havebeen altered and extended, the most significant addi-tions coming from Crown land in the Prince George area.

Not only can lands be removed from the ALR, butsome of the most valuable grassland wildlife habitat wasnever included in the first place. A prime example is theSouth Okanagan where more than 275 rare species ofbirds and other unusual invertebrates live on less than1% of BC’s grasslands. Sixty-five percent of these ani-mals are not found anywhere else in Canada. Overall,more than 30% of BC’s threatened or endangered specieslive in the South Okanagan. Their habitat is now serious-ly threatened because the South Okanagan is undergoingthe most dramatic population increase in the entireprovince. Urban development that results in the reduc-tion and fragmentation of natural habitats furtherendangers these rare species. Most of this grassland hasnever been part of the ALR.

The ALR does contain most of the province’s ranch-lands that use a high percentage of BC’s grasslands forgrazing. Their care depends upon proper managementstrategies, including pasture rotation, riparian-areamanagement, and controlled recreational use. Ranchers’ability to adequately steward the land depends on theeconomic health of the industry. If ranching declines asan attractive, economically viable lifestyle, ranchers willbe under increasing pressure to break up their large landtracts through removal from the ALR and subsequentsubdivision, resulting in further loss of large intactgrassland habitats.

It’s obvious that if the LRC and the ALR did not exist,the preservation of grasslands would be haphazard, if atall, rather than part of an overall provincial strategy. Theargument can be made, however, that their effectivenesscould greatly increase if the rules about which lands areallowed out of the ALR were stricter, and if the LRC hadthe power to control all agricultural lands, includingmarginally productive grasslands.

GrasslandsBC

Some of the most valuable

grassland wildlife habitat was

never included in the first place

7

The Stump Lake Cattle Ranch, 30 minutes south of Kamloops in theNicola Valley, is comprised of almost 80,000 acres of diverse grasslandspeppered with pine stands, Douglas-fir forests, and wetlands. 65,000 acresare leased Crown land used for grazing and 14,585 acres comprise thedeeded land base.

Derek Trethewey, new owner of Stump Lake Cattle Company (SLCC)purchased the 150-year-old ranch in April 1998 for a hefty $10,500,000,providing a tired rancher with a handsome retirement fund. ButTrethewey was interested in more than sustaining the 1000-head cattleoperation. He wanted to develop.

Stump Lake Ranch was turned into a weekend getaway resort outfittedwith luxury accommodations in a restored century-old manor house, cot-tages, and even teepee replicas. The idea was to make the ranch morelucrative by combining tourism with ranching. Trethewey wanted tomaintain the ranching operation, and therefore it’s agricultural value, buthe also wanted to develop the three-mile frontage around Stump Lakeinto waterfront properties to retrieve some of the $10 million investment.

At the time of purchase, the deeded land base was comprised of 83legal titles, all within the Agricultural Land Reserve. Development, orsplitting up of the separate titles, is perfectly within the owner’s rights,but subdivision of the individual titles must gain approval from theAgricultural Land Commission (ALC).

The titles not necessary to the viability of ranching operations weresold outright, reducing the deeded land base to 79 titles. Of the remainingland, the developer applied to the ALC for permission to subdivide theStump Lake waterfront titles into 46 waterfront lots. In exchange, thedeveloper agreed to consolidate the remaining deeds under a single “nobuild covenant.” Those remaining deeded titles, and the grasslands theydemarcate, were to remain under a “no build covenant” with an option to

be “bundled” into 13 parcels. The agreement was signed in January 1999by the ranch owner, and good for five years.

“The commission came to a compromise with the landowner to permitsubdivision,” said Martin Collins, land use planner at the ALC.“It was bet-ter than breaking up the ranch,” Collins added.

Since January 1999, the developer hasn’t created the 13 larger proper-ties. Rather, Trethewey proposed increasing the number of bundles to 26.The sellable parcels would be sold to private interests but then leasedback for a 25-year term for ranching purposes. Future owners would beallowed to build on the parcels, but would have to agree to cattle grazingand haying on their property for the allotted 25 years.

But this initial offer wasn’t acceptable to the Agricultural LandCommission.“The commission wanted to get a response from the [SLCC]about what complaints people had. At the end of the day [the SLCC] rec-ognized their proposal wasn’t exactly the most agriculturally-friendly andperhaps there was a better one out there, so they asked for advice and cer-tainly we gave them some direction,” said Collins.

The new offer, and the one agreed to in principle by the AgriculturalLand Commission, will result in the consolidation of the 1300-hectaregrassland portion of the ranch into a single agricultural unit, and the 800-hectare home ranch into a single agricultural unit, and the selling offabout 18 of the 24 existing blocks that are peripheral to the grasslands.

The condition of acceptance of the proposal is that the parcels areleased back for 25 years and the leased lands continue to be used forgrazing to sustain ranching operations.

So what happened to the original no build covenant, good for fiveyears?

This raises the issue of the Agricultural Land Commission’s impotencyin matters of enforcement of land covenants.

“The problem with no build covenants, always, isthat you can try and sell a parcel with a no buildcovenant but may not be able to sell it. Secondly, it’svery difficult to enforce. Realistically, how do youenforce a no build covenant on a parcel? It’s possi-ble, but that has always been a problematic enforce-ment,” said Collins.

Since the signing of the Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MOU), only three years havepassed, so the ALC must have felt another two yearsof review was unnecessary.“At the end of the fiveyears we’ve got to renegotiate the deal. The memo-randum’s ended right?,” Collins said. Well not quite,but with the ALC at the mercy of the developer, anyagreement that sustains agriculture, even if not atthe original level, is a good deal. From the time ofpurchase through these negotiations, Tretheweycould have sold off parcels and buyers could havebuilt houses regardless of the MOU.

Unfortunately, nothing protects the land beyond …continued page 9

Stump Lake Ranch and the ALRBy Taylor Zeeg, UCC Journalism Student

Grasslands provide nutritious winter forage for many large ungulates, like this moose. PHOTO BY BRIAN WOLITSKI

Subdivision and development is a mounting concern tothe future of BC’s grasslands, but what is the impetusbehind this threat to our grasslands? There is a myriadof socio-economic factors at work, but the underlyingissues are:1. We have a newly mobile social class of retirees and

young professionals who, through advances in tech-nology, are no longer tied to their desks in Vancouveror wish to escape the ‘rat race’ of larger cities.

2. Ranchers, who have in the past managed large tractsof grasslands as viable industries, are now finding itincreasingly difficult to make a living in today’s economy.The result? There are a lot of people looking to buy

land in the Interior of the province, and a few rancherswho could supply this land. It is the age-old law of ‘sup-ply and demand,’ and ranchers are faced with toughdecisions between their own future and the future of theland they manage.

So what can we do to slow down or stop the deteriora-tion of our grasslands? Well, we must find a way to makeranching more profitable, and many ranchers through-out the country have begun finding innovative solutionsto this problem by diversifying their ranching operationsor by establishing conservation covenants, or easementsas they are called in Alberta, with local conservationorganizations.

Diversification is simply ‘to expand by increasing thevariety of things produced or of operation undertaken.’In the ranching industry, this can be as simple as addinga specialty breed of cattle to your herd, or as complex asoperating a year-round guest ranch or resort. Whateverroute taken, diversification can prove profitable and atthe same time help to maintain our grasslands as largetracts of intact land.

There are many examples of successful ranch diversi-fication throughout the province, each capitalizing ontheir own unique traits to expand their industries. TheQuilchena cattle company of the Nicola Valley, one of thelarger cattle companies of the province, provides aunique tourist experience by offering guests the oppor-

tunity to ‘peek in’ on cowboy life. Guests can stay in thehistoric Quilchena hotel and watch the cowboys at workemploying some of the latest and most innovative ranching techniques available. By combining ranchingand tourism, the Quilchena cattle company has not onlyhelped to ensure the sustainability of its ranching operations, but has provided the public with a uniqueopportunity to see what a rancher’s life is really like.

The Foster family of the Tatla Lake area, owners ofSand Creek Ranch/Waddington Challenge EnterprisesLtd., have taken a slightly different approach to diversifi-cation. In the early 1990s, the Fosters were worried aboutthe potential loss of alpine grazing lands and the sub-sequent loss of the viability of the range, so they decidedto venture into wilderness tourism and outdoor recre-ation by offering guided fishing and horse-pack trips,and ‘working ranch vacations’ where guests can take part in every day activities of the ranch. Although these trips have not amounted to huge financial gains for theFosters, they have helped maintain the economic viabili-ty of their ranch and, more importantly, have given theirsons an opportunity to return to the family ranchingindustry and maintain the ranch as a working ranch.

Mountain Meadow Ranch out of Jaffray, BC also has ahistory of ranching diversification. Purchased by theStreet family in 1981, Mountain Meadow ranch hasalways maintained a significant cattle operation, but theStreets also operated a successful woodlot up until 1996.They also farmed ostriches, but gave up on this venturewhen their children left the ranch. The Streets haveworked hard to diversify their ranching operations andmaintain the viability of the ranch, but the ranch hasbeen up for sale at various points in time. Without suc-cessful diversification, says Faye Street, this ranch is notviable and will be sold if a new plan for diversification isnot successful.

Diversification of ranches is not, however, a universalsolution. How you propose to diversify depends on theparticular situation of your ranch. However, there areother strategies available to keep working ranches work-ing, such as conservation covenants.

Conservation covenants involve partnerships betweenlandowners and recognized conservation organizationssuch as The Land Conservancy of BC. The landownerenters into a legally binding contract with the conserva-tion organization that limits the kinds of developmentthat can occur on all or part of the land held by theowner. These limitations are transferred to subsequent

Keeping Working Ranches WorkingStrategiesBy Shane Vincenzi

GrasslandsBC8

Diversification can prove profitable

and at the same time help to maintain our

grasslands as large tracts of intact land

owners for the entire length of the contract. In return,by selling off the ability of the land to be used for otherpurposes, the landowner can no longer be taxed on a‘best use’ basis, but rather on the current use and pro-ductivity of the land. By entering into this kind of con-servation agreement, the landowner benefits financiallythrough reduced taxes, and grasslands benefit byremaining as large, intact ecosystems.

Strategies like diversification and conservationcovenants all work to make ranching more profitable forthe rancher while maintaining working grasslands.Innovative solutions like these are the key to ensuring afuture for BC’s grasslands and our ranching heritage,because if we can maintain the land as working land,then we can sustain the grasslands into the future.

Conservation EasementsPreserve Natural ValuesBy Ron Montgomery, courtesy of the Nature Conservancy of Canada,Alberta Region

Tucked up against the Livingstone Range of the Rocky Mountains in

southwestern Alberta lies the 4000 acre Elk Horn Stock Ranch.

Purchased by George Washington Pharis in 1918, the Elk Horn has been

a family ranch operation for over 80 years. George’s grandson Hilton

and his wife Alta, own the ranch jointly with their son Nolan and his

wife Leona.

Hilton’s father and grandfather instilled a conservation ethic in him at

an early age. The property is a healthy and productive example of an

Alberta foothills ranch. Hilton and Alta see it as their responsibility to

keep their land in the best condition possible so that future generations

and neighbours will benefit from their stewardship. Hilton captures his

concern for people and the land when he says, “three creeks head on

this ranch. We are responsible for ensuring that the condition of the

water leaving this ranch is as good as when it enters the ranch.”

It was their conservation ethic that inspired the Pharises to place a

conservation easement on their land holdings—in fact the first

conservation easement ever registered in Alberta. Hilton and Alta have

two major reasons for placing a conservation easement on the ranch.

They were concerned with the potential loss of both the ranching and

conservation heritage. Alta says, “it was an attempt to hold the ranch

together as an operating unit”, and Hilton adds, “we thought it was an

effective way to put the brakes on subdivision.” Both agree that they

thought an easement was a way to have the ranch continue to support

wildlife and good water quality. The easement will also ensure that the

range stays healthy—“a way of keeping the grass growing.”

9

Stump Lake Ranch from page 7

25 years except a wobbly ALC. After the 25 years, whenthe leases begin to expire, the ranch may once again besusceptible to development. One of the commission’soriginal criticisms was why offer a lease-back for only 25years and not in perpetuity? The answer is for the bene-fit of the owner. Potential buyers, despite being “rancher-friendly,” may want to sell their property one day or evensubdivide it themselves. Long-term leases would limitthe speculative value of the property, and make them aharder sell.

“Most people who acquire land want to leave it totheir kids,” said Trethewey.“Who knows what’s going tohappen in 25 years, never mind 50.”

This is the solution for Stump Lake ranch andalthough each situation is unique, Stump Lake is indica-tive of a larger, systemic problem facing all ranchlandsin BC. Developers are circling, hoping to buy wholeranches, development rights included, just to turnaround and split them up—a golf course here, a trophyhouse there. It may not seem significant, but the landsuffers. The case of Stump Lake is an example of howpowerless the Agricultural Land Commission really is,yet fortunately, for the time being, it still demands an airof formal respect from developers in this province.

Hopefully, the respect will continue in perpetuity, evenif the leases don’t, so the grassland interior won’t oneday be regarded as the “Upper Mainland.”

10GrasslandsBC

Is ranching an endangered industry in BC? No.In fact, BC’s ranching industry has grown in the Peace region by 37%, the Okanagan by 4%,and provincially by 19%! But the industry is definitely facing some new challenges fromincreasing land prices, limited forage availabili-ty, environmental legislation, and aboriginalland claims.

The high price of private land, continuedpressure on Crown land, and the increased difficulty in meeting regulatory requirementsmeans that the investment per cow is far greaterin the south than in the north. Anecdotal information suggests that some impacts areirreversible. Take the Coquihalla Highway as anexample. Land prices in the Coquihalla corridorhave risen considerably over the past few yearsresulting in subdivision of ranch lands fordevelopment. In fact, real estate values are sohigh in the Coquihalla corridor that ranchingand running cows on these rangelands is nolonger economically viable.

Ranching operations in the Okanagan andKootenay regions of the province are under considerable stress and could face permanent

decline due to increasing recreational use coupled with high demand for urban and non-agricultural land. Many ranchers are faced withtough decisions. Do I relocate my operation ordo I leave the industry altogether?

Land values and growing pressure on Crownland are only part of the problem. The availabil-ity of forage on Crown range is also a limitingfactor. It appears that Crown range is more orless at capacity in some areas of the province.The ranching industry may be ‘capped’ in theseareas, meaning that there is no forage capacityfor future growth of the industry as it relates tograzing on Crown range. This is particularlytrue of the open range or grassland regions ofthe province.

Environmental legislation is another impor-tant issue. It is interesting that new environ-mental legislation does not appear to have had a major impact on the industry as a whole, butrather, in certain areas it has impacted individ-ual ranchers. There is a general perception inthe ranching industry that environmental legislation is imposing strict restrictions andthese restrictions are almost certainly influenc-ing decisions to invest in the beef industry and influencing ranchers to leave the industry.

Finally, aboriginal land claims will have animpact on the ranching industry. Although theaboriginal land claim process has not affectedexisting ranching operations or existing agree-ments, the uncertainty around the land claimissue has resulted in considerable apprehensionamongst potentially affected ranchers. Landclaims will no doubt affect investment in theranching industry and possibly individualranching operations in the future.

The ranching industry is facing some impor-tant challenges, from land values, increasingpressures on Crown range, environmental legis-lation, aboriginal land claims, and the regionaldifferences in the industry from the north to thesouth. However, at the end of the day, the ranch-ing industry must look ahead and recognize theneed to change and proactively work on thesedifficult issues.

By addressing these issues, we will be able toencourage new ranchers to join the industry, aswell as allow for inter-generational transfers ofranching operations.

Keeping our ranching industry healthy andviable is the key to our future.

Ranching…an Endangered Industry? By Agnes Jackson, BC Cattlemen’s Association

Land Use Planning for Merritt By Lloyd Manchester, Parks and Wilderness Caucus Coordinator, BC Environmental Network

The recent announcement of the provincial gov-ernment on land use process in this provinceleaves some doubt as to the type of process thatwill occur in the Merritt region. In 1996, theRegional Protected Areas Team identifiednumerous Areas of Interest (AOI) for futureparks. Some of these include upgrading theCascades Recreation Area, and extensions toKentucky-Alleyne Park and Monck Park. Somepotential grassland AOIs includes Boss-Davisand the Hamilton mid-elevation grassland.However, several of these AOIs have had por-tions of their areas removed from the AOI list asa result of not having proper land use processesin place.

The provincial government recently

announced that there would be significantchanges to land use processes in BritishColumbia. In particular they stated,“Theprovincial government has approved a strategicshift in land use planning that provides greatergovernment leadership and improved certaintyfor resource communities.” The governmentalso promised to make new land use processesmore streamlined with more meaningful inputand involvement from First Nations and the pri-vate sector.

The government also stated that,“science-based environmental and resource managementin land use planning will ensure sustainability,accountability and responsibility. New land useplanning will follow tighter timelines with more

focus, and will pivot on consultation rather thanconsensus through planning tables. This plan-ning will promote a thriving private sectoreconomy, including a leading-edge forestry sec-tor globally recognized for its productivity andenvironmental stewardship.”

What does this all mean for Merritt? Merrittwill become one of six sub-regional planningareas. This sub-regional plan is scheduled forcompletion by 2004. The Merritt plan will bemore of a landscape level planning process thatwill be somewhat different than the LandResource Management Process (LRMP) thatwas supposed to detail broad objectives over theland base. The recently negotiated Okanagan-

…continued page 17

In the grassland soils of the Okanagan valleylives one of the largest terrestrial salamandersin the world—the tiger salamander orAmbystoma tigrinum. Tiger salamanders canreach a total length of 40 cm and are a varietyof colours, ranging from dark blotches, spots, orstripes on a light background to light blotches,spots, or stripes on a dark background. Despitethis variation, it is difficult to mistake the tigersalamander for any other salamander species inBC.

The tiger salamander is part of a group of‘mole’ salamanders, aptly named because theirmostly subterranean lifestyle is spent occupyingabandoned mammal dens or burrows that they have excavated themselves. Tiger salaman-ders are extremely hardy, so it is not surprisingthat these stout-bodied amphibians can befound in a variety of habitats including grass-land, aspen parkland, boreal forest, and evensub-alpine areas. However, despite this apparentadaptability, in British Columbia, the TigerSalamander is found only in the grasslands ofthe South Okanagan, usually not far from water.

Adult tiger salamanders are very elusive,spending most of the year underground toescape desiccation until spring rains signal thestart of the breeding season and the beginningof a mass migration to breeding ponds and wet-lands, where they can breed in water as cold as10 degrees celsius. Tiger salamanders have a

complex courtship ritual consisting of shoving,nose nudging, tail nudging, and bodily undula-tions. During the height of breeding season theymay mate as many as 37 times in one night!

The tiger salamander is widespread throughmost of the United States but has limited distri-bution in Canada, and very limited distributionin BC, where it is a provincially ‘Red-listed’species. Subdivision, development and inappro-priate grazing practices are the biggest threat tothe continued survival of this species in BC.Cows can compact the soil around ponds, mak-ing burrowing difficult, and can trample sala-mander eggs that have been deposited on ripar-ian vegetation. Cows also create small depres-sions that trap larvae in small pools that dryout faster than the main body of water. Urbanand rural development often requires filling inmany of the small lakes and ponds required forbreeding, and puts higher demands on availablewater, effectively lowering the water table andcausing some ponds to dry out before theirtime.

There is, however, still the opportunity toensure the survival of this species into thefuture. Better urban and rural planning, theconservation of large tracts of managed land,and good cattle management will protect tigersalamander habitat, as well as the habitat ofmany other plants and animals that depend onthe grasslands for survival.

The Tiger SalamanderAmbystoma tigrinum

By Shane Vincenzi

The Tiger Salamandertypically inhabitsgrasslands and wetlandsin the Southern Interior. PHOTOS BY WALT KLENNER

Blue-listed or Red-listed,what is thedifference?Blue-listed species are designated

as sensitive or vulnerable and “at

risk,” but not yet endangered or

threatened. Populations of these

species may not be in decline, but

their habitat or other requirements

are such that they are vulnerable

to further disturbance. Species

that are generally suspected of

being vulnerable, but for which

information is too limited to allow

designation in another category,

are included in this category.

Red-listed species are designated as

endangered or threatened, or are

being considered for such status

because they run the risk of

extirpation or extinction.

11

GrasslandsBC12

As fall comes to a close, it’s hard not turn one’s focus tothe thoughts of spring and flowers emerging in ourgrasslands. It is often these thoughts that carry flowerlovers through the winter months. One species thatalways comes to mind as a definite sign of spring is theoften overlooked Thompson’s paintbrush or Castillejathompsonii. Generally when people think of paintbrushthey envision alpine meadows covered in conspicuousscarlet blooms. Thompson’s paintbrush differs byexhibiting delicate early spring blooms composed ofnumerous subtle, creamy, yellowish-green flowers.Having an inconspicuous color like this makes it anoften-overlooked species by humans but it is by nomeans any less spectacular than its scarlet cousins.

The lower grasslands of the Kamloops and Okanaganregions are generally extremely dry with very rich soils.This is the very habitat where you will find Thompson’spaintbrush. The limiting factor for plant growth in theseareas is simply water. Some of the plants that eke outtheir survival in this type of environment have devel-oped strategies to assist them in reducing water loss andincreasing water access when it does rain. Bluebunchwheatgrass, for instance, has a characteristic funnelshape that aids in directing moisture to its roots. Grassesare also extremely efficient at extracting moisture fromthe fine textured soils in this type of habitat. Someplants like ponderosa pine and even big sage haveincredibly long taproots to aid in accessing deep soilmoisture. Thompson’s paintbrush has its own uniquestrategy: let the other plants do the work for you!

This little paintbrush lives in conjunction with bigsage and is known as a semi-parasitic species. Big sagedoes the work of extracting soil moisture andThompson’s paintbrush taps into this wonderfulresource of moisture by connecting its roots to those ofbig sage. This little trick is one of the reasons thatThompson’s paintbrush is extremely difficult to trans-plant.

Like many perennial grassland herbs, Thompson’spaintbrush has fuzzy, linear-lobed leaves that aid inreducing moisture loss. Why on earth would a plant thatdoesn’t have to go too much effort to obtain moisture inits dry environment even bother to reduce losses due toevapotranspiration? I suppose you could say that it isthis little plant’s way of not “overstaying its welcome”with its host. After all, if the host dies, the paintbrush’sdays of carefree water access would be over and evensagebrush can only obtain so much water in this dryenvironment.

Ironically, even though this plant acts almost like a“parasite” or an “infection” on big sage plants, FirstNations people have used this species to prevent infec-tion in humans for centuries. Flowers from Thompson’spaintbrush were collected in the early spring, dried, andground into a powder. This powder was then applied tocuts, scrapes, and scratches in order to reduce the possi-bility of infection. If a cut was already infected, this plantwas said to have the capability to draw out the infection.

Thompson’s paintbrush not only has an ethnic impor-tance to it but numerous early spring pollinators andnectar seekers rely on it as a source of energy. When thisspecies blooms, each bloom is composed of numerousindividual flowers snuggled within greenish bracts.Older, more established plants can have several bloom-ing branches attached to a single woody base. Keepingthis information in mind you can imagine the quantityof pollen and nectar produced by each plant. It may be alow producer compared to some species of higher

…continued page 14

Thompson’s PaintbrushA Unique Sign of Spring

By Peggy Jo-Broad, The University College of the Cariboo

Thompson’s PaintbrushPHOTO BY KAREN MCLAREN

ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE BRAND

13

Alastair McLean was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in1921. While still a young boy, Alastair and his familymoved away from Scotland, eventually settling in PointGrey, Vancouver. It was here that he learned the land-scaping and gardening trade from his father and beganthe practice of resource sustainability. Indeed, sustain-able natural resource use truly exemplifies AlastairMcLean’s philosophy.

In 1944, Alastair McLean graduated from theUniversity of British Columbia with a Bachelor’s Degreein Agriculture, where he studied under fellow sustain-ability advocate Dr. Vernon C. Brink. Alastair’s academiccareer then took him to Utah State University where he earned his Master’s degree, and to Washington StateUniversity where he earned a Ph.D. in plant ecology.Alastair began his professional career in 1944 as a student assistant with the Canada Department ofAgriculture in Swift Current Saskatchewan, and fouryears later moved to the Kamloops Research Stationwhere he stayed until his retirement in 1986. It was from the Kamloops research station that Alastair madehis most valuable contributions to the field of sustain-able range management.

In the early years of his career, Alastair addressed theproblem of rangeland depletion from season long graz-ing of the same location. Range depletion was quite evi-dent from Mexico to Williams Lake, especially aroundwatering holes and at lower elevations. Alastair conduct-ed on-the-ground plot research proving that carbohy-drate reserves in native grasses were depleted early inthe growing season. He also conducted research onPinegrass ranges in open pine and fir forest that showedsimilar results, but with a more dramatic drop in thenutritional quality of the forage. If grazing pressure wasnot removed well before the mid summer drought, plantre-growth would not recur that year and many nativegrasses would face serious decline in a few short years.His grazing recommendations culminated in a ‘whitepaper’ to the BC government.

Besides being an accomplished and innovativeresearch scientist, Alastair McLean was a dedicated con-servationist, ambassador, and philanthropist. Alastairmade valuable contributions as a member of the Societyfor Range Management, and ultimately becamePresident of the Pacific Northwest section. He was one ofthe first directors of the Nature Conservancy of BCwhere he served under General Bert Hoffmeister who setup the Second Century Fund to accept donations and

bequests to purchase ecologically significant areas of BC.These areas were then held in perpetuity as reserves,sometimes in association with another sustainable oper-ation such as a ranch, keeping them free from govern-ment influence or private sale. Alastair was also particu-larly involved in establishing the South OkanaganReserve that represents the northern extension of theSonoran Desert. He was always quick to share his knowl-edge with others, and because of this he representedCanada at the 12th Botanical Conference in Leningrad(1975), at the Environment Canada mission to Greece(1978), and participated in missions to China in 1982and 1983. Alastair was also closely tied to the communi-ty of Kamloops, where he was a charter member of theKamloops North Rotary, helped establish the McQueenLake Environmental Education Centre, and was a longtime member of the St. Andrew’s and Caledonian Societyof Kamloops.

Alastair retired in 1986 but continued his interest inrange management and ecology. He was a son, father,husband, grandfather, and mentor to countless aspiringstudents, who was always willing to share his wide rangeof knowledge. In 1999, Alastair passed away peacefullyafter a protracted illness, but his contribution to rangemanagement lives on through many papers and publica-tions, and through the people who were lucky enough tohave spoken with him.

Profile of a Grassland Aficionado

Alastair McLean (1921–1999)By Albert Van Ryswyk

Alastair McLeanPHOTO COURTESY OF LOUISE

MCLEAN

GrasslandsBC14

In discussing the grasslands of BC, Mike Pitt pointed outthat they “contain more than 25% of the provincialwildlife species of concern, and support more threatenedor endangered species than any other habitat.” In a simi-lar vein, G.G.E. Scudder noted that “one third of theprovincially Red-listed and half of the provincially Blue-listed vertebrates” occur in the grasslands of the SouthOkanagan.

The potential development of BC’s grasslands raisesan important question for economists: is it possible tomeasure the ‘intrinsic value’ of the ecological diversitythat would be lost as a consequence of development?Unfortunately, the answer—at least currently—is no!However, economics can measure the value that the peo-ple of BC would place on preserving the grasslands usinga technique referred to as contingent valuation analysis.

In economics thevalue that an individ-ual assigns to a par-ticular unit of a goodor service is given bythe maximum amountthat they would be

willing to pay for that unit. When goods and services areexchanged in markets, it is relatively straightforward toestimate the total value of a particular quantity oncemarket data have been collected and analyzed.

However, many goods and services are of value topeople but are not exchanged in markets. For instance,clean air, the maintenance of biodiversity, and the pre-vention of the extinction of species are very important tomany people, yet they do not have a market price. Inorder to deal with valuation problems of this type, con-tingent valuation analysis is used.

The contingent valuation method is a survey tech-nique in which information is collected through the useof mail questionnaires, telephone interviews, or face-to-face interviews. Potential respondents are given reason-

ably detailed information on the issue of concern, andare then asked how much they would be willing to pay toprevent the loss of critical wildlife habitat, for instance.Of course, the responses will be meaningful only if therespondents know precisely what it is that they are beingasked to value. The questionnaire must therefore be verycarefully designed. In particular, pre-testing the ques-tionnaire is vital to ensure that the interpretation of thequestions by the respondents and that by the researchersis the same.

In recent years, contingent valuation studies have beenused to estimate: (1) the amount that households in BCwould be willing to pay in order to increase the amountof designated wilderness area in the province; (2) theamount that households in New England would be will-ing to pay to prevent the extinction of bald eagles intheir state; (3) the amount that households in Californiawould be willing to pay to increase the number of greywhales in nearby waters; and (4) the amounts thathouseholds in Australia would be willing to pay to pre-vent logging of old growth forest.

The values reported in contingent valuation studiescan be significant. For instance, the protection of north-ern spotted owl habitat in California, Oregon andWashington has been an important issue in the U.S. for anumber of years. A contingent valuation study by Rubin,Helfand and Loomis reported that households in thesethree states would be willing to pay $327 million peryear to protect the owls, even though this protectionwould result in significant job losses. For the entire U.S.the total willingness to pay was estimated at $1,154 mil-lion per year.

A final point and reminder: it is important toacknowledge that while the contingent valuation methodwould allow us to estimate the amount that the people ofBC would be willing to pay to prevent the developmentof the grasslands, their intrinsic ecological value wouldnot be estimated.

The Value of Preserving BC’s GrasslandsBy Robert Androkovich, Department of Economics, The University College of the Cariboo

elevations, but who can afford to be picky when higherelevation species are still below snow and haven’t evenemerged? For some time now Thompson’s paintbrushhas been considered a Yellow-listed species, but whenyou encounter it you might ask why as it is often seen inabundance. These pockets of abundance are, sadly, fewand far between. For the most part this is due to the factthat much of the habitat where this species resides has

been lost to urban sprawl or other disturbances such asrecreational activities. Preserving and respecting ourgrasslands will ensure that flowers such as the remark-able Thompson’s paintbrush are here for future genera-tions to enjoy.

So take a stroll next spring in the lower grasslandsand look for this unique little treasure, maybe it won’tappear as inconspicuous as you once thought!

Thompson’s Paintbrushfrom page 12

Is it possible to measure the ‘intrinsic value’ ofthe ecological diversity that would

be lost as a consequence of development?

15

The picturesque North Okanagan city of Vernon is asmall town on the verge of rapid growth. With the excep-tion of land held by the Agricultural Land Reserve(ALR), urban development has already consumed mostof the valley bottom, and, since the population of Vernonis expected to double in the next 30 to 40 years, urbangrowth will be moving up onto the hillsides of thisgrassland valley.

In some places, urban development has alreadyreplaced grasslands, and has impacted adjacent areas. Inthe process of building streets and houses, access tograssland hillsides has been indirectly provided for off-highway vehicle recreational use. Much of the open spaceremaining in those neighborhoods is now scarred withtracks and has become infested with weeds, and habitatvalues and visual qualities have suffered.

The Grasslands of the North Okanagan belong to aunique biogeoclimatic zone. This ecosystem is protectedonly in the Kalamalka Provincial Park as the Cosen’s Baygrasslands, an area now dissected by a public road andthreatened by increasing levels of uncontrolled recre-ation use.

The Bella Vista–Goose Lake range that extends fromwest of Swan Lake into the north end of Okanagan Lakeis thought to be among the best quality grasslands withthe highest conservation values. The Bella Vista range isabout 4,500 hectares in size and supports a variety ofhabitat types including open grasslands, shrub steppe,aspen copses, shrubby ravines, rocky outcrops and talusslopes, dry forest and ponds. A 1993 Natural Areasinventory identified the Bella Vista range as a site that ismost likely to support rare vertebrates including manysmall and large mammal, rodent, reptile, amphibian and

bird species. The south facing slopes of this range are thedriest, hottest grasslands of the North Okanagan andsupport some rare plant species and communities, someof which are important to Okanagan First Nations.

The east half of the range is mostly private land, andthe west half is part of the Okanagan Indian Reserve.The City of Vernon Official Community Plan (OCP) des-ignates the east half for urban growth with rural agricul-ture on steeper slopes. Development, and correspondingopen space planning, will occur in a series of smallneighborhood plan areas—a situation that does notconsider the needs of ecosystem conservation and neg-lects the need for habitat connectivity. A recent proposalshowed development on all but the steepest of slopesand a 15 metre buffer around a seasonal pond and alonga watercourse. In another area of the Bella Vista, a pro-posal for a large golf course and residential developmentare forthcoming.

While there are millions of dollars spent on conserva-tion and stewardship in the South Okanagan, and theCentral Okanagan enjoys the political support and finan-cial resources to address habitat conservation issues,important conservation opportunities are being missedin the North Okanagan. There is no environmental staffin local government and there is minimal presence fromnon-government conservation organizations.

There is a need for holistic conservation efforts in theOkanagan Valley. Because of global warming, the NorthOkanagan may eventually be the home for many south-ern species. But by then, we may only be able to offer thegardens around strata developments or spaces betweengolf greens.

Uphill Growth Means the Downfall of GrasslandsBy Debbie Clarke, Allan Brooks Nature Centre

View across the Vernon valleyfrom the lower slopes of theBella Vista Range. PHOTO BY DEBBIE CLARKE

Development, andcorresponding openspace planning, willoccur in a series ofsmall neighborhoodplan areas—asituation that does notconsider the needs ofecosystem conservationand neglects the needfor habitat connectivity.

GrasslandsBC16

The SOSCP program is an alliancebetween non-government and governmentorganizations that work together for theconservation of South Okanagan andSimilkameen ecosystems. The SOSCPPartnership has just completed its first fullyear and it has been a resounding success,we are growing in leaps and bounds! SinceApril we have welcomed 29 new partnersincluding the BC Lake Stewardship Societyand the Ministry of Sustainable ResourceManagement. In addition, a new outreachcoordinator was hired to plan and coordi-

nate the future activities of the outreach team.Currently, we have six teams implementing the

Outreach, Ecologically Sustainable Land-use,Stewardship, Land Securement, Traditional EcologicalKnowledge and Science strategies developed in ourstrategic plan. With significant funding from the HSP ofEnvironment Canada, and in-kind contributions of thepartners, we have made some excellent headway in theconservation of endangered ecosystems. One- and five-year work programs have been developed and projects

such as landowner contact, fencing of sensitive areas,weed control, and species awareness campaigns are nowunder way.

The SOSCP believes in community involvement, andhas hired over 40 youth through the provincial E-Teamprogram this past spring and summer. These youthhelped the SOSCP to successfully manage lands, achievestewardship and outreach goals, and obtain valuable scientific data, while at the same time learn some valu-able skills.

The SOSCP is working toward future goals thatinclude the development and implementation of anaquatics program, new land acquisitions of critical habitats, and enhancing outreach activities that increasepublic awareness of conservation values in the area.The program will also seek to ensure its sustainabilitythrough the work of a new committee on governanceoptions. The winter season will be a busy time as theSOSCP organizes and secures funding for next year’snumerous projects.

For more information on the program, please see ourwebsite at www.soscp.org or contact Robert Hawes,program manager at (250) 490-8225.

South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program (SOSCP) Moving ForwardBy Janelle Parchomchuk

The SOSCP E-Team at WhiteLake, pumped up after aday of hard work. LEFT TO

RIGHT, BACK ROW: SaraSchopff, Jeremy Cassidy,Charlene Pierre, JustinTerbaskett, Melanie Pavao.FRONT: Janelle Parchomchuk PHOTO BY KEVIN DUNN

Pacific Northwest Weed Conference Update…Non-native invasive plants are a serious threatto BC’s biodiversity and economic well-being.Weeds are invading grassland, riparian, wet-land, forest and other ecological systems, signif-icantly impacting forage resources and the agri-cultural industry. The continued spread ofweeds will have serious socio-economic impli-cations for our communities, our industries andultimately our entire province.

Historically, weeds have been regarded as anagricultural issue. However, over the pastdecade, we have come to realize that invasiveplants do not recognize our jurisdictionalboundaries, and that all land managers mustjoin forces and work together to control andmanage these plants. Effective control of inva-sive plants will require an integrated approachbased on innovative solutions and strong part-nerships between government, non-governmentorganizations, industry and communities.

The Pacific Northwest Weed Conference(PNWC) will bring together government agen-cies, land managers, scientists, politicians, envi-ronmental organizations and the interestedpublic to review the social, ecological and eco-nomic impacts of weeds; and review manage-ment issues, operational control methods, andnew innovations in weed control. The specificobjectives of the conference are to:• Improve communication among all resource

agencies and users• Garner support and initiate participation

from user groups, government agencies, com-munities and the public

• Encourage and facilitate discussion about theneed for a provincial Weed ManagementStrategyThe organizing committee has made progress

over the past few months in developing a con-ference agenda and a list of potential speakers.

Important Notice

The Pacific Northwest Weed Conference

has been tentatively postponed to a later

date due to government restructuring.

Planning for the conference is on hold

until January 2002, at which time the

organizing committee will assess the

impact of government re-structuring and

determine the government’s mandate and

future priorities concerning weed control.

A new date for the conference will be

decided at that time if one is required.

The conference was originally planned for

October 2 and 3, 2002, in Kamloops, BC.

Please note that this delay is only a re-

scheduling of the conference, the need for

a conference is not in question, it is more

a question of timing.

Guichon Grand Opening PHOTO COURTESY MERRITT HERALD

Lac du Bois Grasslands ParkInterpretive Sign ProjectBy Frances Vyse

Phase 1 of Laurie GuichonMemorial GrasslandsInterpretive Site ProjectCompleteBy Elizabeth Salomon-de-Friedberg

17

The Lac du Bois Grasslands Park is one of the largest grassland areas inthe country. Located near the city of Kamloops, this grassland park hasbeen used since the 1820s for livestock grazing, and, more recently, forextensive recreational use including ATV use, mountain biking, and hik-ing. All of these activities have taken their toll on the grasslands. The con-dition of the grasslands has steadily improved since the 1970s with bettermanagement of both cattle and recreationists. However, the area is stillfar from pristine, and to raise awareness amongst users the Lac du BoisGrasslands Interpretive Site has been created.

The site will consist of three highly visual interpretive panels currentlybeing developed by the GCC that portray the history, diversity, and use ofthe Lac du Bois Grasslands.“History” reaches back to the origins of thelandscape as a result of glacial erosion and deposition. The use of the areaby First Nations, Hudson’s Bay Company, gold miners and early ranchesset the scene for more modern ranching use, research and recreation.

The incredible diversity of the natural world of the Lac du BoisGrasslands is explained with stunning photographs and a Lac du BoisGrassland cross section. Proactive stewardship messages and a park mapstress the need for responsible use and protection of the unique featuresfound in the grasslands.

The panels will be installed on a newly created pullout on Lac du Boisroad at the eastern access to the Lac du Bois Grasslands area. The loca-tion is both highly visible and easy to access; it is hoped that the closeproximity to houses will make it less vulnerable to vandalism.

A sign unveiling is planned for May 2002. A notice will be sent outto GCC members, GCC partners and the local media when an exactdate has been set.

For further information on this project please contact Frances Vyse atvyse@telus.net or Bruno Delesalle at gcc@bcgrasslands.org

The Lac du Bois Grasslands Park Interpretive Sign Project is funded by:BC Ministry of Forests, BC Parks, Cattle Horn Fund, Chasm Sawmills,City of Kamloops, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Friends of the EnvironmentFoundation, The Grazing Enhancement Fund, and the KamloopsNaturalists Club.

Shuswap LRMP went much farther than other LRMPs in the province.The Okanagan plan developed objectives that are operationally based,which is similar to this new landscape level planning process the govern-ment is proposing for Merritt. The Okanagan plan also recommendedthat Brent Mountain be protected when the Merritt process is convened.

Involvement in the Merritt process will be challenging. There will be anegotiation around the creation of new protected areas as well as theextent of biodiversity to preserve. We can only hope that all parties willnegotiate this process in good faith.

Land Use Planning for Merrittfrom page 10

A ribbon cutting ceremony marked the official grand opening of theLaurie Guichon Memorial Grasslands Interpretive Site on August 26,2001. The day marked the completion of Phase 1 of the grassland inter-pretive site project undertaken by the Nicola Watershed CommunityRound Table (NWCRT) in 1997.

Approximately 130 people from the Nicola Valley and beyond joinedmembers of the Project Committee in celebrating the realization of adream that took four years of planning, fund raising and many, manyhours of volunteer time.

With Phase 1 of the project complete, the NWCRT has now turned itsattention to addressing a number of outstanding matters. Gearing up forconstruction of Phase 1 meant that other goals of the Round Table had tobe put on hold temporarily. Planning for Phase 2 of the grasslands inter-pretive site project is already under way but it will be some time beforethe Project Committee will be ready for the construction portion. Timingwill depend on when the financial target can be reached, as constructionof Phase 2 cannot proceed until sufficient money has been raised.

Phase 2 of the Laurie Guichon Memorial Grasslands Interpretive Sitewill consist of a wetlands interpretive trail that will include educationalstops along its length. The trail will start just below the parking lot andfollow a path through the aspen trees and around the northern edge ofthe pond located at the entrance to the site. The trail will traverse a creek,necessitating the building of a bridge. A platform and viewing area willbe built at the end of the trail, and will provide an ideal location for view-ing waterfowl and make the wetlands interpretive trail a very populartrail.

For information about this project, please call Elizabeth Salomon-de-Friedberg at (250) 378-4087. Donations are always welcome and can bemade to the Laurie Guichon Memorial Grasslands Interpretive SiteProject care of NWCRT, Box 400, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8.

LEFT: The alpine

grasslands of the

Spatzizi Plateau,

dominated by Altai

fescue, represent one

of the many unique

and diverse grassland

communities in

Northern BC.

For more information

on the BC Grasslands

Mapping Project

please contact Ryan

Holmes, GIS Analyst,

at (250) 371-6207 or

email: ryan.holmes@

bcgrasslands.org

The BC Grasslands

Mapping Project is

funded by:

• BC Ministry of Forests

• BC Ministry of

Sustainable Resource

Management

• BC Ministry of Water,

Land and Air

Protection

• BC Parks

• Habitat Conservation

Trust Fund

• Terrestrial Ecosystem

Restoration Program

• Vancouver Foundation

GrasslandsBC

The BC Grasslands Mapping Project has come a long wayfrom the initial project design and ‘grasslands definition’phase that began over a year and a half ago. With assis-tance from range representatives, agrologists, ecologists,and other key experts around the province, accuratemaps have been completed for approximately 80% of theprovince’s grasslands. This initial phase of the projecthas built a solid foundation for the continued mappingand inventory of BC’s grasslands.

Work continues on the delineation of grasslandecosystems at the 1:20 000 scale, representing the mostsignificant Geographic Information System (GIS) layerin the database. Current mapping is focused onNortheastern BC, where meetings in Prince George willrefine the mapping methods through a comprehensive

verification procedure. A similarmapping process was recently initiat-ed for the Rocky Mountain Trenchand it is anticipated that both of theseprocesses will be completed by April2002. The mapping of Garry Oak andother coastal grassland communitieswill begin early in the next fiscal year.

The incorporation of additionallayers, such as land tenure, the historical distribution of grasslands,and species-at-risk locations will alsobe incorporated into the GIS next year.

The BC Grasslands MappingProject is producing an invaluable tool for land andresource managers, industry, and non-governmentalorganizations. Numerous government agencies and othergroups, including First Nations, are seeing the value ofthe BC Grasslands Mapping Project and how its productscan assist them in reaching their resource and landmanagement goals. The future of the BC GrasslandsMapping Project looks very positive as the momentumand impetus for completing the project builds.The BC Grasslands database and associated maps willprovide the most comprehensive source of grasslandsinformation found in BC, including grasslands (up to 10%Crown closure) and their associated ecological features,such as wetlands, riparian areas, cottonwood and aspenstands, rocky outcrops and talus slopes, and clay banks.

Mapping BC’s GrasslandsProducing and making available consistent baseline information on the abundance,distribution, and status of grasslands around the province.By Ryan Holmes

The GCC has worked with Charities Canada to re-wordour constitution to fulfill the guidelines established byCharities Canada. On December 6, the GCC membershipvoted unanimously on the proposed changes to the GCCConstitution. Upon approval from the BC Ministry ofFinance–Corporate and Personal Property Registries, theGCC will receive its registered charity status. This is afundamental step in the development of the GCC, as itwill allow us to apply for funding from major founda-tions across Canada and the U.S.

The Ratified GCC Mission: To educate and increase thepublic’s understanding for the grassland environment byoffering seminars, workshops, conferences and meetings;by collecting and disseminating information ongrasslands, grassland conservation and management;and by providing education and stewardship programs.To organize and participate in environmental projectsdesigned to:a) maintain and restore grassland flora and fauna;b) preserve, protect and restore grassland biodiversity;c) improve the management of grasslands.

Charities Update The GCC has almost achieved its goal of becoming a registered charity.

18

In the next issue of BC Grasslands…

All Terrain VehiclesPart Three of the Threats to Grasslands Series

The next issue of BC Grasslands will explore All Terrain

Vehicles (ATVs) and their impact on grasslands. We will

present various perspectives and explore some tools and

options, such as licensing legislation and designated ATV

use areas, that present possible solutions that benefit both

grasslands and recreationists.

The GCC is seeking submissions for this issue.

Please send your submissions to:

BC Grasslands

954 A Laval Crescent, Kamloops, BC V2C 5P5

Tel: 250 374-5787

Fax: 250 374-6287

E-mail: gcc@bcgrasslands.org

“By their very nature, ATVs arecapable of going over almost anykind of terrain. Open, dry forests,wetlands, alpine areas andgrasslands are all areas that offerthe kind of experience ATV usersare looking for. Unfortunately,many of these fragile ecosystemsare being severely degraded byATV users, particularly thoseclose to settlements.”—ATV background document

This Newsletter

ISSN 1496-7839©Grasslands Conservation Council of

British Columbia

BC Grasslands is a bi-annualpublication of the GrasslandsConservation Council of BritishColumbia (GCC). BC Grasslands isintended to serve as a platform for 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 letters to the editor) and submitted aselectronic files (preferably MS Word 95 or newer).

BC Grasslands reserves theright to edit submissions for clarity and length. However, everyeffort will be made to work withcontributors to ensure contentremains unchanged. Deadline forsubmissions for the next issue ofBC Grasslands is April 30, 2002.

Contributions, comments andinquiries can be made to:BC Grasslands,Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia954A Laval CrescentKamloops, BC V2C 5P5Tel: (250) 374-5787 Fax: (250) 374-6287 Email: gcc@bcgrasslands.org

Newsletter ProductionBruno DelesallePUBLISHER/WRITER

Shane VincenziEDITOR/WRITER

Funding

Funding for BC Grasslands hasbeen made possible through thegenerous support of the followingorganizations:

December 2001 IssueBeef Cattle Industry Development

FundDucks Unlimited CanadaHabitat Conservation Trust Fund The Real Estate Foundation

April 2001 IssueBC Hydro Ducks Unlimited CanadaGrazing Enhancement

Fund–CaribooMinistry of Forests Thompson Nicola Noxious Weed

Management Committee

Thank you to the BC Cattlemen’sAssociation for assisting the GCCwith the distribution of thisnewsletter.

Grasslands Display Complete!After months of revising, rewriting, and editing, thegrasslands display is ready for your next conference,family fun day, symposium, or any other event. The display is a highly visual and very engaging eight-paneldisplay that is entirely portable. We have unveiled thedisplay at a few events already, and it has been wellreceived. If you would like the GCC and our display to take part in your next event, please call the office toarrange a booking.

Grasslands Now on the WebThe BC Grasslands website will be the most comprehen-sive source for grasslands-related information in BC.Phase I of the BC Grasslands website includes informa-tion about the GCC and its projects. Upcoming Phase IIand Phase III will include an Understanding Grasslandssection that will allow users to learn about flora, fauna,and ecological processes that occur in grasslands, and aWhere are BC’s Grasslands? section that will allow usersto highlight sections of BC that contain grasslands andaccess additional information about that area. Theupcoming phases of the website will be very interactiveand feature some attractive photos and illustrations.

GCC Communication and ExtensionPlan in the WorksThe GCC is in the process of developing a comprehensivecommunications, education and extension plan that willhelp us achieve our goal of raising awareness and under-standing of BC’s grasslands and grassland-relatedecosystems. Included in this communication plan is aproposed project that, once funding is secured, will pro-duce a series of educational grassland Public ServiceAnnouncements to broadcast on television stations allover BC.

ATV Committee Rolling AheadThe Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)have published Alternatives for Regulation ofAll-Terrain Vehicles in BC, and copies are available for a small fee by contacting their Vancouver office at 604-685-7445. The ATV committee is continuing discussions with the Ministry of Sustainable ResourceManagement regarding licensing of ATVs.

For more information about these projects,please contact the GCC at (250)374-5787 ore-mail: gcc@bcgrasslands.org

GCC Updates

19

Yes! I would like to join the GCC in the conservation of BC Grasslands, Canada’s most endangered ecosystem.

NAME (PLEASE PRINT) DATE

ORGANIZATION TITLE WORK PHONE

ADDRESS HOME PHONE

POSTAL CODE E-MAIL FAX

MEMBERSHIP: Individual:❑ $20 Corporations/Institutions:❑ $250 Donor (up to $500):❑ $ __________

Donor (over $500): ❑ $ __________PAYMENT ENCLOSED: ❑ Cheque ❑ Money Order

Mail to: Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia, 954A Laval Crescent, Kamloops, BC V2C 5P5Phone: (250) 374-5787 • Fax: (250) 374-6287 • E-mail: gcc@bcgrasslands.orgGCC annual memberships are valid for the calendar year

ACT NOW

The

Grasslands

Conservation

Council

needs your

help!

We need volunteers!The GCC is in need of some hardworking peo-ple to assist with database maintenance andother GCC business. If you are interested orknow of someone who is interested in givingtheir time to a worthy cause, please call BrunoDelesalle at the GCC office.

GCC Welcomes Two New Board MembersThe GCC welcomes Ian Barnett and WendyGardner, both of Kamloops, to the GCC Board ofDirectors. Ian is the Director of RegionalOperations for the Kamloops office of DucksUnlimited Canada, and Wendy is a professor ofrange ecology and management at The Univer-sity College of the Cariboo. Both were inaugu-rated into the Board at the Directors’ meetingon June 23, 2001, and have since taken a veryactive role in the Council and its activities.

Sustaining Healthy GrasslandsSymposium 2002—Plan to Attend!Next year’s symposium has been tentativelyscheduled for June 21 and 22 in the EastKootenays. The symposium will focus onthreatened or endangered species of the grasslands, and discussion will focus on theincorporation of biodiversity objectives intorange management and planning.

Directors NeededWould you like to play a more active role in theGCC by becoming a member of our Board ofDirectors? Then let us know! The GCC is in theearly stages of succession planning to findappropriate replacements for outgoingDirectors.

Fund Raising for 2002 Under WayThe GCC has employed the services ofMorningstar Enterprises to assist us in develop-ing and implementing a fund raising strategyfor next year. A four-page colour brochure isready to be sent out to corporations and busi-nesses across the province as part of a fundraising campaign. The fund raising campaign isplanned for the New Year. If you know of a busi-ness that may be interested in donating to, orjoining, the GCC, please contact Bruno Delesalleat (250) 374-5787.

The GCC is Growing2001 membership has grown by more than 90%over year-2000 membership. It is obvious thatthere is a need for the GCC, and more and morepeople are interested in who we are and our rolein the conservation and stewardship of BC’sgrasslands.

GCC Message BoardIf you have an event or message you would like to add to BC Grasslands GCC Message Board, contactour office at (250) 374-5787. Submission deadline for the next issue is April 30, 2002.

Thank You

The GCC would like to thank the following fun-ders and donors for their generous support:Funders

BC Hydro, BC Parks, Beef Cattle IndustryDevelopment Fund, Canadian Parks and WildernessSociety, Cattle Horn Fund, Chasm Sawmills, City ofKamloops, Dow Agro Science, Ducks UnlimitedCanada, Friends of the Environment Foundation,Grazing Enhancement Fund–Kamloops, HabitatConservation Trust Fund, Kamloops NaturalistsClub, Ministry of Forests, Ministry of SustainableResource Management, Ministry of Water, Land andAir Protection, Mountain Equipment Co-op,North Okanagan Regional District, Unifeed,The Real Estate Foundation, Terrestrial EcosystemRestoration Program, Thompson Nicola NoxiousWeed Management Committee, VancouverFoundation

Sponsors

Dr. Bert Brink, Genoa Environmental Consulting,Gerard Guichon Ranch Ltd., GG Runka Land Sense,In-Tech Computers, St. George’s Ranch, WilliamStewart

Special ThanksThe GCC Would Like to extend a special thank youto Ducks Unlimited Canada for its generous assis-tance in providing affordable office space and giv-ing the GCC an opportunity to continue its growthand development in a proactive and professionalmanner.

A warm thanks to the volunteers who havedonated their time and energy helping with GCCprojects and administration. These volunteersinclude Janet Southwell, Catherine Tarasoff, FrancesVyse, and the GCC Board of Directors.

Working together for the conservation ofBC’s grasslands

T H A N K Y O U F O R S U P P O R T I N G B C ’ S G R A S S L A N D S