Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society BC Chapter. Celebrating CPAWS-BC s 20th Anniversary

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1 Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society BC Chapter 2012 edition Wild at Heart Celebrating CPAWS-BC s 20th Anniversary How You Can Protect BC s Wild Places pg 12 A.S. Wright 2 3 Message from the Executive Director Voices of the Wilderness 4 6 Horseback in North America s Serengeti Twenty Years of Success 8 10 Speaking up for a NMCA Creating a park in the SOS CPAWS Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society British Columbia Chapter

2 Wild At Heart Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Executive Director Greeting Nicola Hill When I took over as the CPAWS-BC Executive Director in May 2011, I was excited to be joining an organization where all three former Executive Directors still had such a deep commitment to the work and mission of CPAWS that they continued to play active roles is our 20th Anniversary as a non-profit organization here in B.C. and it s been an amazing year to join that team. The longevity and great successes CPAWS has seen in B.C. are largely due to the tenaciousness and passion of our supporters and donors. As we continue to advocate for the protection of wild spaces on land and water around B.C., we re also changing as an organization by developing programs to connect younger generations with nature. In the past few months alone we ve gone camping with 14 to 18 year olds for the Get Outside BC program, started a volun- teer program called the Wild Ambassadors to build our capacity, and launched Take Back the Wild, an advocacy training program for 18 to 30 year olds from October 12 to 14. These new programs and many more initiatives are helping build a new generation of British Columbians who will advocate for wilderness protection for years to come. For more information, please visit It s an exciting time for us all at CPAWS, but we wouldn t have got here without 20 years of conservationists and wilderness lovers building this great organization. We hope you enjoy this update and that you won t hesitate to call or our office whenever you have questions about programs and campaigns. You can also sign up for our monthly e-newsletter on our website to stay in regular contact. Thanks for all you do to keep B.C. wild! Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society British Columbia Chapter Annual General Meeting and Heart Speakers Series Join CPAWS-BC for our annual campaign update event and Heart Speakers Event! Rhizome Café 317 East Broadway, Vancouver October 11, :30 pm Come hear from author, photographer, conservationist, wilderness guide and Fellow of The Explorers Club- Wayne Sawchuk as he talks about his adventures in B.C. s Serengeti of the North the Muskwa-Kechika. Dinner and drinks will be available for purchase from the delicious Rhizome Café! Wayne Sawchuk Left: Photo Wayne Sawchuk. Muskwa Kechika. Approaching Storm, DuneZaKeyi;

3 2012 Edition Voices of the Wilderness Norene Carr, CPAWS Supporter Norene has been a supporter of CPAWS since We cannot thank her enough for her on-going support and commitment to protecting B.C. s wilderness! Living all my adult life surrounded by Mt. Robson Provincial Park has given me great respect for Canada s natural environment. As citizens of this wonderful land it is imperative that we voice our concerns or oppositions that may undermine the survival of these areas. Individually, our voice is lost amongst the rhetoric of the loudest and wealthiest. But, if we band together within a society like CPAWS, putting what money and support that each can spare. We can bring reason and protection to our Canadian wilderness. We are on the brink of loosing it Think and act!! Seth Jex, Get Outside BC Participant Seth is a 16 year old from Smithers, B.C. I love how in B.C. you can connect to nature on so many levels. I am an avid outdoorsman who loves to hike, ski, mountain bike, hunt and fish. I support CPAWS because they understand how the natural resources are used differently by everyone and that they work constantly to support all perspectives of conservation. Charlotte Adamson, Volunteer Coordinator Charlotte has been a volunteer since September In that time she has dedicated 560 hours to CPAWS-BC! I volunteer with CPAWS because I enjoy interacting with people who care about B.C. s wilderness and want to protect it as much as I do. As volunteer coordinator, I feel like I am helping to connect people with opportunities to do something positive for the environment. Jason Puddifoot, A founding member of CPAWS-BC Jason Puddifoot, owner of Puddifoot Tableware, sells hand blown glass birds by Oiva Toikka and donates the profits to CPAWS Boreal Forest Campaign. Through the sale of these unique glass birds, Puddifoot Tableware is helping to save the habitat of real boreal songbirds. I wanted to do something significant to support CPAWS work, and I wanted to show that my company, Puddifoots, could make a significant difference to Canada s wilderness. Our customers love these beautiful glass birds and also love supporting our efforts to save the Boreal Forest with CPAWS. Amy Thede, CPAWS-BC Board Member As the youngest board director and a recent masters graduate from Simon Fraser University s Resource Management program, she is the voice of B.C. s up and coming conservationists. From sea to summit, B.C. s parks and protected areas are awe-inspiring places that are important not only to the people of B.C., but also to Canadians, and they need to be protected for future generations. I love getting out to our parks to see the variety of ecosystems, spot some wildlife, and breathe in fresh air. I also love the challenge of a good hike and enjoying hot chocolate at a campsite with good friends. Our parks protect important ecological values while providing opportunities for these experiences. CPAWS does invaluable work to secure and maintain the protection of BC s most special places. DARE TO BE DEEP Protect Canada s Oceans. Join the call for 12 new marine protected areas by 2012! 3

4 Wild At Heart Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society A Trip on Horseback in North America s Serengeti Elyse Curley Photos Wayne Sawchuk Adventuring in the Muskwa-Kechika Fourteen days on horseback is quite a challenge for the neophyte, but the experience is well worth it. After two weeks in the Muskwa-Kechika, with very limited signs of human development, the sight of the Alaska Highway made my heart sink. A floatplane had picked my mother and I up from Mayfield Lake and we were about to make our descent onto Muncho Lake where a restaurant and flush toilets awaited us. Unlike previous wilderness trips that I d been on, I didn t crave a burger or a hot shower I wasn t ready to leave the special place that some have deemed North America s Serengeti. This past summer, I ventured into the Muskwa- Kechika Management Area (M-KMA) on one of Wayne Sawchuk s horseback trips with my mother, three others, and Wayne a CPAWS board member and mountain man extraordinaire. It was incredible to be in this important area that CPAWS has worked to conserve since the 1990s. The Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, located northwest of Fort St. John, is 6.4 million hectares, making it B.C. s largest managed landscape. About 25% of the M-KMA is comprised of parks and protected areas, while the rest is made up of special management zones, which have strict environmental standards for industry. It is virtually roadless and largely untouched by industrial development, allowing it to have the highest abundance and diversity of large mammals in the continent. Most recently, CPAWS helped prepare the Muskwa- Kechika Management Area Biodiversity Conservation & Climate Change Assessment with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. This important assessment will help guide the management of the M-K into the future in light of climate change. For two weeks, we only came across two other groups of people. Beyond Tuchodi Lakes, it was just us and the wilderness. The only other footprints we saw belonged to grizzlies, wolves, moose, caribou and elk. Time seemed to stop we didn t keep track of what day of the week it was and were oblivious to life outside the M-KMA. We rode our horses across the Rocky Mountain Divide and along the upper Gataga, through raging rivers and across alpine meadows. It was the wildest place I ve ever been and it reinforced in me why it is so important to conserve wilderness like this. I ve returned to work at CPAWS, motivated more than ever to protect more of B.C. s wilderness and ensure that the areas people have fought hard to protect are managed effectively into the future. 4

5 Graham Osborne Shaping BC s Oceanscape Marine Planning for Healthy Oceans Jenn Burt BC s marine environment is a busy place! In response to the increasing number of marine-based activities occurring along our coast and the resulting pressure placed on our ocean ecosystems, CPAWS-BC has been actively participating in a number of coastal ocean planning efforts. Like the planning that takes place in our cities or surrounding landscapes, the goal of ocean planning is to maintain a healthy marine environment by ensuring the sustainable use Gwaii Haanas of our marine space. Ocean planning involves bringing together multiple stakeholders including industry, government, conservationists, and recreational users to make coordinated and collaborative decisions about how, when and where different marine activities can occur. Ocean planning also involves identifying and designating areas for conservation priority and that is precisely where our CPAWS expertise is needed! CPAWS-BC s marine team is participating in a number of concurrent ocean planning initiatives. At the federal level, we have been actively involved in the development of an integrated management plan for the Pacific North Coast the vast ocean area stretching from the tip of Vancouver Island to the Alaskan border. Through many meetings with government, First Nations, and community stakeholders, by December 2012 this collaborative planning effort will result in a framework for how to take an ecosystem-based approach to oceans management. CPAWS-BC has also been pushing for progress on 2012 Edition the eventual establishment of a coastal-wide network of marine protected areas (MPAs). We had the opportunity to give considerable input into the goals and design principles that will shape an eventual MPA network in BC at a government workshop in May. We are contributing to the shaping of an oceans plan around Haida Gwaii as part of the joint Haida/provincial marine planning process, which is linked to a broader First Nation/provincial Marine Planning Partnership. As a member of the West Coast Aquatic board, we are also participating in coastal and ocean planning on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. We have been using our knowledge to provide guidance on policy and to help adjust boundaries for critical areas of marine habitat. CPAWS research such as our Science-based Guidelines for Marine Protected Areas is being used to inform decisions on establishing conservation areas. In August a new report was released in partnership with WWF Canada that identifies ocean areas that are vulnerable to climate change. This research will serve to further encourage marine managers and planners to consider protecting areas that are more resilient to changing ocean conditions. Good marine plans will contribute to healthier oceans and healthier communities. We look forward to contributing to these planning processes in order to achieve ecologically based management of our ocean space to meet the needs of present and future generations. Sabine Jessen Scott islands 5

6 Wild At Heart Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society 20 Years of Success Here are some highlights of the many successes that CPAWS has achieved in B.C CPAWS is founded nationally as Canada s voice for wilderness CPAWS - BC chapter is founded by volunteers. 1980s CPAWS is involved in campaigns to establish the Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park, the Nitinat Triangle and the Wilderness Advisory Committee. 1990s CPAWS involvement in land-use plans leads to the establishment of hundreds of new provincial parks and a doubling of protected areas CPAWS-BC officially becomes a B.C. non-profit and opens an office with staff CPAWS helps to found the Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative 1998 The federal and provincial governments release a draft Pacific Marine Protected Areas strategy and identify a number of pilot MPA projects CPAWS helps to get the National Marine Conservation Areas Act passed in Parliament Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents is designated as Canada s first Marine Protected Area The Gulf Islands National Park is legally designated SeaChoice, Canada s most comprehensive sustainable seafood program, is launched in partnership with four other organizations The Scott Islands, a globally important archipelago for migrating seabirds, is announced as a candidate for a Marine National Wildlife Area Land Use Plans Shane White Technotr Akamina-Kishinena Yellowstone to Yukon 6

7 2012 Edition 2008 CPAWS helps to establish the Sgaan Kinghlas Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area which protects the rich and unique biodiversity of offshore submarine volcanoes Legislated closures under B.C. s Mountain Caribou Recovery Implementation Plan put over two million hectare off limits for logging and road building B.C. announces a mining and energy ban in the Flathead Valley, leading to the Flathead Watershed Area Conservation Act The Hecate Strait Glass Sponge Reefs are identified as a formal area of interest for an Oceans Act marine protected area after years of campaigning by CPAWS-BC After many years of work by the Haida Nation and Parks Canada, supported by CPAWS and others, the Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site is established the first of its kind in Canada Federal and provincial governments commit to proceeding with the proposed National Marine Conservation Area in the Southern Strait of Georgia, home to Canada s most endangered killer whales CPAWS-BC s Get Outside BC project, which aims to connect youth to nature, completes its successful pilot year The Pacific Coral and Sponge Conservation Strategy was released by the federal government after collaborative work with CPAWS and other sectors Atlin-Taku land use plan is legislated, protecting over 500,000 hectares in northern B.C The Grand Chief of the Kaska Nation and the B.C. government announce the creation of a new protected area, Ne ah, and special management area, Gu Cha Duga Zone, totaling 600,000 hectares A feasibility study released by the Province of B.C. concludes that a national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen should be established Gwaii Haanas.org National Marine Conservation Act Sabine Jessen Duane Fuerter Scott Islands Joe Riis Flathead Valley Gulf Islands National Park 7

8 Wild At Heart Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Speaking up for the Southern Strait of Georgia Sabine Jessen Kayaking in the Gulf Islands BC Parks The Southern Strait of Georgia is a marine playground for humans and wildlife alike. Strong tidal currents within narrow island channels produce upwellings, rips and whirlpools, creating a nutrient-rich, thriving marine environment that characterizes the area surrounding B.C. s southern Gulf Islands. These waters are a source of resources, transportation and recreation for millions of people. But increased traffic, development, noise pollution, fishing and the effects of climate change are putting stress on marine ecosystems. These cumulative effects not only threaten the health of the marine environment, but impact everyone who lives, works or plays in our coastal communities. CPAWS-BC leads the Southern Strait of Georgia Marine Conservation Network a coalition of conservancy and community groups, scientists and other stakeholders working to support the establishment of a National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA). The Gulf Islands National Park Reserve protects sensitive land ecosystems and CPAWS-BC is pleased that after much work, Parks Canada s proposed NMCA will extend this protection into this important marine environment. Parks Canada is currently consulting with First Nations, local governments and other stakeholders to 8 gain input that will inform a decision on the feasibility of the proposed NMCA. Your input is needed now! CPAWS and our network members have identified four key messages to send to Parks Canada and politicians: 1. The proposed north and south boundaries are good, but the large rectangular area North-East of Galiano and Valdes Islands should be added back into the NMCA. 2. The NMCA boundary should extend up to the high tide line and include important near-shore ocean habitats (e.g. areas beside provincial parks). 3. The NMCA should include a network of core no take areas that are fully protected. 4. Parks Canada should assume management responsibility for the entire NMCA at once, rather than phasing it in over many years. We ve made it easy: just visit to send your comments to Parks Canada and local politicians on why the Southern Strait is important to you! Help ensure the Strait stays safe from seabed to surface.

9 2012 Edition Provincial Parks under threat Chloe O Loughlin B.C. s provincial parks and protected areas comprise Canada s second largest parks system, after our national parks. BC Parks stewards some of North America s most spectacular and diverse landscapes and seascapes. Almost 20 million people visit B.C. s provincial parks each year, making them extremely important not only for conservation, but also for the province s identity, health and economy. So why has the Province consistently and severely underfunded our parks system? To the B.C. public, one of the most visible brands that the B.C. government possesses is BC Parks. B.C. s parks and protected areas are world famous and have the potential to be one of the province s most valuable economic and social assets. And like any asset, they require investment, stewardship and frequent rejuvenation. The facts are very telling. There are 997 provincial parks and protected areas, covering 13.1 million hectares across the province and are managed by the Ministry of the Environment. Attendance is currently at 19.6 million visitors many of them come from out-of-province. BC Parks is the largest provider of overnight accommodation in the province with 10,700 vehicle accessible campsites and another 2,000 designated backcountry sites. Every dollar invested by the Province in B.C. s parks system generates $8.42 in visitor spending. BC Parks $47 million dollars in expenditures generate $394 million in visitor spending. Tetrahedron Provincial Park BC Parks annual boost to the provincial GDP is $520 million. Yet, the Province provides a dismal $31 million to run the provincial parks and $17 million to take care of essential park services. This immense asset is cared for by only 193 staff. They hire private contractors who take care of the campsites. B.C. s parks system is the worst funded parks system per hectare in Canada. The Province has done excellent work in expanding the park system. This is especially crucial in light of climate change. But the state of our parks system is simply unacceptable. To stay informed and learn how you can help, please subscribe to our monthly e-newsletters at our website. CPAWS issued a national Parks Report in July where we highlighted the state of our parks across Canada. You can access this report at Terra Firma Canada s caribou are in trouble! Help protect their boreal forest home before it s too late. 9

10 Wild At Heart Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society South Okanagan Similkameen National Park Chloe O Loughlin After 8 years and much pressure from individuals, scientists, businesses, tourism operators, wineries, organic farmers, Chambers of Commerce, members of the Regional District government, mayors and rural area representatives, the Province of BC quietly released the results of the South Okanagan-Similkameen Federal Provincial National Park Reserve feasibility assessment early in the year. The Province had formally agreed in 2002 to work on the study in collaboration with the Government of Canada. The feasibility study had two purposes: to see if a national park is feasible and to identify issues that will need to be resolved. The released study says that the park is feasible and negotiations should begin immediately. It also shows that all the outstanding issues are resolvable. Despite calls from nearly all the local town councils and businesses for them to re-engage in the park establishment process, the Province of B.C. remains silent about the recommendations of their own report. Our goal is to get the process moving to this next step. The next formal step is for the Province and Government of Canada to develop a Park Establishment Agreement. In this process, all the issues that were identified in the feasibility study will be resolved. We are asking the Province to honour the results of their own feasibility study and develop a Park Establishment Agreement which all outstanding issues can be resolved and the park can be established. CPAWS-BC has also been busy on the ground working in South Okanagan Similkameen communities to raise profile of the critical need to protect Canada s only pocket desert. In the spring, we held a series of public presentations for businesses and tourism partners about the economic benefits of a national park. This summer, volunteer canvassers attended community festivals and fairs to talk to the public about the national park and collect more signatures of support to add to the 21,000 names already collected. The campaign was also featured by the Small Change Fund in order to increase national awareness and help raise much needed funds to keep our profile high locally. You can help! Please let Premier Christy Clark know that you support the national park and want the Province to develop a National Park Establishment Agreement in which all outstanding issues will be resolved and the national park can be established. Visit cpawsbc.org/ campaigns/south-okanagan-similkameen for campaign updates and an easy online method to the Premier. Grasslands, East Chopaka Graham Osborne 10

11 B.C. s prehistoric sponge reefs: an international treasure Amanda Adams 2012 Edition Glass Sponge Reef Interpretive Sign Dr. Manfred Krautter Once thought to be extinct, glass sponge reefs are very much alive, but seriously threatened in the underwater world of British Columbia s Hecate Strait and Strait of Georgia. To ensure their long-term survival, CPAWS-BC has been working for more than a decade to protect these fragile reefs and the vital habitats they provide. Made entirely of silica, these globally unique reefforming sponges have been growing on the seafloor for over 9000 years. But their thin glass walls and slow growth make them very sensitive to disturbances. The biggest threat to their survival has come from fishing trawlers, which drag heavy nets across the ocean floor. Portions of the reefs discovered in Hecate Strait, near Haida Gwaii, had already been damaged or destroyed before they were protected through fishing closures imposed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in CPAWS-BC played a key role in pushing for these closures. CPAWS-BC is highlighting the Hecate Strait as one of our Dare to be Deep sites in a national campaign to create twelve new Marine Protected Areas in Canada by Once they are protected, these prehistoric reefs will be eligible for World Heritage status and we are already putting the information together for an official nomination. These signs are being placed on shoreline locations in proximity to reef sites. Community groups on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast are co-sponsoring these installations. Though smaller in scale, the Southern Strait of Georgia reef complexes, discovered in 2001, are also at risk. These unprotected reefs provide vital areas that are home to a wide range of marine animals including octopi, shrimp, squat lobsters, sea cucumbers and a variety of fish. Interim protection is urgently needed to protect these reefs, and CPAWS-BC is working towards securing a commitment by the DFO to institute fishing closures. CPAWS-BC is also raising awareness through public outreach and education. We are partnering with local community groups, such as the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association, to raise public support for the protection of these ancient reefs considered one of the great wonders of Canada s oceans. Our glass sponge reef ambassador Mr. Stinky joins our team regularly at events around the province to help educate the public about these treasures. Originally from the Southern Strait of Georgia, Mr. Stinky was brought up from the sea floor by scientists from Natural Resources Canada on a research trip. Add your voice to the thousands of Canadians who are speaking out to protect the glass sponge reefs and other important marine ecosystems by signing our Dare to be Deep pledge at 11

12 Wild At Heart Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society How you can protect B.C. s wild places forever CPAWS-BC s Giving Programs Across British Columbia, there are over 10,000 CPAWS supporters like you, who care deeply about the protection of our public land and waters. For some, the importance of CPAWS work comes down to safeguarding those special camping spots where so many childhood memories were formed, for others the significance lies in the protection our landscapes and oceanscapes solely for the health of the ecosystem and its species. But regardless of our motivation, all 10,000 of us are unified by our common desire to see B.C. s wild spaces protected in perpetuity. Over the years, you have shown remarkable generosity in helping CPAWS-BC make our goal of wilderness protection a reality. In 2011 alone, you collectively gave $113,600 to support wilderness protection in B.C. CPAWS-BC relies on this generosity to continue being one of the province s conservation leaders. CPAWS-BC is extremely grateful for your generosity, however we recognize that flexibility is an important part of making a donation, which is why there are many ways to support CPAWS. Here are just a few examples of the many ways that CPAWS-BC members have chosen to support us in the past: Monthly Gifts By making easy monthly installments you will be making the biggest difference to B.C. s oceans and wilderness. They provide you with flexibility they can be debited to your credit card or bank account, can be changed or cancelled at any time, and are tax-deductible. Monthly donations allow CPAWS-BC to put your donation to use immediately, maximizing the impact of your support. Legacy Gifts When making or revising your will, consider creating a legacy of wilderness. You can choose to leave a general bequest to CPAWS-BC or choose to support a specific campaign. Securities A gift of publicly traded securities to CPAWS-BC is an excellent way to support wilderness conservation in B.C., and benefit from tax credits. Donors no longer have to claim capital gains as income when they give securities directly to a charity. The donor will also receive a charitable donation receipt for the full fair market value of the shares. Gifts in Kind A gift-in-kind is a gift of tangible property including works of art, books, real estate, equipment, collections virtually all physical objects in your possession. A giftin-kind may be offered to the CPAWS-BC to enhance conservation work as well as the day-to-day office work at CPAWS-BC. Thank you for your financial support! CPAWS-BC, Seymour St., Vancouver BC V6B 3K6 Tel: Fax: info@cpawsbc.org For use in BC CPAWS The best way to help us is with a monthly donation. Here is my donation of: (You may change or cancel your monthly contribution at any time.) $10 monthly $20 monthly $50 monthly $ monthly Please deduct this amount from my chequing account at the first of each month. I am enclosing my sample cheque marked VOID. Please deduct from my credit card (please fill out the information in the space provided below). Credit Card Number: Expiry: Signature: Name: Address: City: Postal Code: We also welcome annual gifts. Here is my donation of: $35 $50 $100 $250 $500 $ I have enclosed a cheque payable to CPAWS (not CPAWS-BC!) I wrote FOR USE IN BC on the bottom left memo line of the cheque. I prefer to pay by Visa/MasterCard. Please fill out the personal information form at left. For information on donating a legacy gift, please contact us at ext. 22 Design: Terra Firma Digital Arts 12