On November 14, the Friends of Lac du Bois and TNCC co-hosted partner meetings in Kamloops to share updates on various conservation projects and initiatives in the region. The meetings were attended by representatives from different conservation groups, Indigenous communities, local governments and provincial agencies.

Highlights from TNCC’s meeting included:

Updates on TNCC Projects

With the input of regional conservation practitioners, Indigenous land managers, and other experts, TNCC is collaboratively developing a Conservation Action Plan (CAP) for the Thompson watershed. The resulting plan, launching in April 2024, will inform the direction for conservation management in the region for the next 10-15 years.

TNCC is also partnering with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP) on the Conservation Planning for Climate Change (CPCC) initiative, which aims to connect conservation and land use planning to support community resilience and sustainable land use decisions in the Thompson and Okanagan watersheds.

Wildlife Restoration from an Indigenous Perspective

Angie Kane from the Secwepemcúl’ecw Restoration and Stewardship Society (SRSS) shared their work on restoring the land and wildlife after the Elephant Hill Fire in 2017. SRSS is also working on several projects related to cultural heritage, environmental damage mitigation, salmon habitat restoration, and planting trees to support Canada’s Two Billion Trees project.

Together for Wildlife Strategy, Funding and Regional Wildlife Advisory Committees

From the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Karlee Snetsinger presented the Together for Wildlife (T4W) strategy, which aims to improve wildlife management and habitat conservation and collaborate with interest holders and Indigenous governments. T4W provides annual funding for regional projects and supports the formation of Regional Wildlife Advisory Committees to represent diverse perspectives and provide input on wildlife issues. There is currently a call for qualified members which closes on December 22, 2023. If you have the experience, time, and commitment to wildlife and habitat conservation, consider applying here.

Tranquille Confluence Emergency Project

BC Parks’ Stephanie Russell shared knowledge on the emergency project to improve fish passage and migration in the Tranquille River, which was affected by drought. The project involved excavating a channel and repairing a fish ladder to allow coho and pink salmon to access their spawning grounds.

Roundtable Discussion

Various conservation groups shared their project updates on topics such as spadefoot toad monitoring, sandhill crane counting, fire fuel management, invasive plant control, post-wildfire assessments, and ecosystem classification and identification.

The meeting concluded with a discussion on future meetings and networking opportunities.

Feature Photo: Cinnamon Ridge by Arek Halusko, CC BY NC-SA