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COLUMBIA WETLANDS STEWARDSHIP PARTNERS

MANDATE AND PROJECTS TO DATE

The Columbia Wetlands is a large wetland and river system located between several major communities in the East Kootenay portion of BC. These wetlands are one of the largest wetland complexes in Canada and on the planet, and are recognized as a wetland of international importance by the United Nations under the RAMSAR Treaty. The system stretches 150 km from Invermere in the south, to Golden in the north, along the Upper Columbia River. The system is a complex mix of federal, provincial, municipal and private lands. Provincial lands in the wetlands are managed as the Columbia Wetlands Wildlife Management Area; federal portions are managed as three National Wildlife Areas. There are also significant areas of private lands in the system. The wetlands are very important to the people that live in the communities adjacent to the wetlands.

There is major interest on the part of local NGOs and these communities in assisting federal and provincial agencies in the stewardship and management of this special wetland and river system. The Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners group has formed over the last two years, made up of over 35 groups and agencies concerned with the wetlands. The group includes all of the federal and provincial agencies concerned with the wetlands, all of the local NGOs with an interest in the river and wetlands, the local First Nations, industrial representatives from the tourism and forest sectors and has representatives (councilors, mayors and regional district representatives) from each of the communities along the wetlands.

The MANDATE of the group is to manage the wetlands as a single system irrespective of ownership or jurisdiction and take a pro-active stance in dealing with issues as they arise. We intend to take a positive, community based approach to issues related to the wetlands, and resolve issues neighbor to neighbor and not through the traditional conflict based approaches that are generally used to deal with environmental issues in Canada. The formation of this group is, in effect, local people taking responsibility for a natural landscape that they care deeply about.

ACTIONS TO DATE

The group has taken on a wide range of projects to further the management of the wetland system.

1. There has been a decade long debate over a boating regulation for the river system and wetlands. The group has come up with a compromise that is presently at the Gazette 1 stage in government.

2. To support this regulation, the Wetland Partners and the Office of Boating Safety have initiated a program that will monitor actual boating use at 3-4 sites along the river.

3. The group is working with enforcement agencies to develop a compliance strategy that will see government staff working with local groups to educate users concerning the new regulation. Partly as a result of the concerns of this group, a new conservation officer position has been established in Golden.

4. A sub-committee of the group is working with the regional districts to identify options for managing and improving public access to the river, initially in the Golden area.

5. Research has been initiated to document the impact of wave action of the levees that separate the wetlands and river, with assistance from researchers at the University of Alberta.

6. The Partners have provided support to Wildsight Golden who has applied for funding to document the presence of invasive weeds in the system, to develop strategies for dealing with any weeds found and educate users on making sure that no invasive species are brought into the system on boats, trailers, waders, etc.

7. The partners are assisting the Conservation Data Centre is a survey of freshwater mussels that will occur in the fall of 2008. Little is known about this set of species in this system. They have become a major concern in many other river systems.

8. The group is also looking at developing a river use map that will assist users in navigating through the system and complying with the regulations that are proposed.

The group is also looking at other long term concerns in the wetlands.

1. The system is critically dependent on natural stream flows into the system. A sub-committee is working to identify management strategies for water flows and water quality that will meet the water demands of local communities and industry and maintain flows through the system. Improved water monitoring and a water budget for the upper portion of the system are being looked at. The group also hopes to develop strategies that will address climate change impacts in the wetlands.

2. The group is assisting the Min. of Environment is resolving outstanding issues with the boundaries of the provincial Wildlife Management Area that encompasses much of the system and refining the present 10HP regulation for the terrestrial portions of the WMA.

3. The group has assisted government in developing a process for reviewing applications for commercial recreation applications in the area.

4. A project to identify heritage sites along the river is being developed.

5. The group is developing strategies to educate the public on the values of the river and wetlands through presentations and celebrations on Wetlands Day and during other local events.

6. The concept of a wetlands/river interpretive centre is being explored, in conjunction with First Nations.

PRESENT FUNDING

The BC Ministry of Environment has supported the establishment of the group with grants of $20,000.00 in each of the last two years. The Minister recently announced funding of $40,000.00 for 08/09. The Columbia Basin Trust has committed to providing $20,000.00 annually over the next three years to support the group. Over the last decade, members of the partnership have expended over 2 million dollars in projects related to the system and have contributed some $200,000.00 of in kind efforts in the establishment of this group.

FUTURE FUNDING

We are approaching all levels of government for support and will be approaching private funding sources in the near future. We have also investigated the concept of a legacy fund for the wetlands that would support work in the wetlands in the long term. At present our major concern is finding sufficient funding to support the activities of the partnership over the next five years. This would include the cost of an executive director (on contract), travel and meeting costs and the cost of projects that the group felt were of sufficient importance that they would like to fund them directly rather than looking for outside project funding. The group includes several well-respected members of the adjacent communities that will ensure that the funding is managed in a fiscally responsible way. The group has a science and monitoring committee that includes several academics and resource professionals who will ensure that high quality science is applied to the management of the system. The group is also developing a detailed Business Plan that will guide the expenditure of any funds that the group receives. Charitable status has been applied for and will be in place by the fall of 2008.

Please let us know if you would like any further information.

Click the link below for a Power Point demonstration

Bob Jamieson

Executive Director

Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners

Box 73

Ta Ta Creek, BC, V0B 2H0

250-422-3322

bjamieson@cintek.com