South Okanagan-Similkameen (SOS) Stewardship Program

The south Okanagan and lower Similkameen study area is recognized as one of the four most endangered ecosystems in Canada, due to its unique natural attributes, limited distribution, and the rapid spread of urban and agricultural development. Since over one third of the characteristic dry grasslands and valley bottom wetlands are privately held, conservation of the many species and habitats at risk in the area must focus on voluntary private land stewardship. A program of voluntary stewardship by landowners demonstrates the ethic of caring for the land and paves the way to securement of tracts of important habitat without the cost of acquisition.

From 1994, the SOS Stewardship Program has been fostering conservation partnerships, raising awareness, demonstrating sustainable land management practices, and offering a spectrum of land securement options in collaboration with land trusts. The program originated from one of the highest priority recommendations of the former South Okanagan Conservation Strategy. The goal of SOS Stewardship is to promote conservation stewardship with landowners and managers to achieve the preservation and enhancement of Red- and Blue-listed wildlife species, plant communities and their habitats on private lands in the program area. SOS Stewardship is a local, community-based organization, working in cooperation with government, non-government organizations and local groups. The program is is now under the stewardship arm of the South-Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program (SOSCP), a formal partnership of conservation organizations and government agencies established in 2000 whose aim is to maintain the rich biodiversity of the area, including species at risk, and a viable ecological corridor between the deserts to the south and the grasslands to the north.

The south Okanagan and lower Similkameen valleys support one of the most significant ecosystems in Canada. In fact, the area supports a host of rare species of wildlife and plants – including 23 species listed as nationally Threatened, Endangered, or Vulnerable, and one third of provincially Red-listed species.

This nationally endangered ecosystem is small and fragile. A significant portion of the key habitat lands is privately held and suffering habitat degradation from weed invasion and and lack of fire in a fire-maintained ecosystem. In addition, the land is under pressure for urban development and intensive agricultural uses, particularly vineyards. With the fast-growing population in the area (expected to double in the Okanagan Valley by 2020), recreational demands are also increasing. If the conservation issues on private lands are not adequately addressed in the near future, the integrity of the remaining ecosystem is jeopardized. In addition to the nationally, provincially and regionally significant wildlife and plant species that are currently at risk, more species will be at risk or lost, remaining habitats will be degraded and isolated (loss of connectivity) and opportunities for protection, restoration and/or enhancement greatly reduced. Stewardship provides the opportunity to raise awareness, build partnerships, and initiate short and long-term habitat securement through a variety of initiatives, as an integral part of land acquisition.

Many landowners in the south Okanagan and lower Similkameen have a strong respect for, and knowledge of, their land and the wildlife it sustains. Sometimes, all that is needed is encouragement and support in the form of integrated information, technical assistance and funding for a project. Stewardship programs provide the opportunity to raise awareness, identify areas of mutual benefit, build partnerships, and facilitate habitat enhancement and potential long-term securement of key habitats. For the past 8 years, the South Okanagan-Similkameen (SOS) Stewardship Program has played a proactive role in encouraging the conservation and enhancement of Red- and Blue-listed plant communities and wildlife species on private lands in a variety of ways. Partnerships between landowners and SOS Stewardship, as well as other conservation organizations, have resulted in a number of conservation projects that serve to demonstrate the success of private land stewardship.

The overall goal of SOS Stewardship is to work with private landowners and managers to achieve the preservation and enhancement of Red and Blue-listed wildlife species, plant communities, and their habitats, on private lands. In the context of the developing stewardship strategy of the South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program, SOSCP Stewardship continues to encourage private land stewardship in the following ways:

a) Assembling and providing general information on habitat values, species and environmentally sustainable land management practices to landowners and managers, including First Nations;

b) Providing technical information to landowners interested in conservation projects by assisting them with planning, funding, and implementing the projects;

c) Providing encouragement, support and partnership opportunities to landowners pursuing short and long-term securement options such as covenants, donations and acquisitions; and,

d) Facilitating community based conservation initiatives.

Suggestions as to how this program and similar ones could be improved and evaluated include:

• Providing more stewardship incentives for landowners.

• Securing adequate long-term funding, especially core funding for the Essential Services component.

• Raising the profile of conservation and awareness of the value of stewardship e.g. need funding to maintain the developing store-front office where resources can be accessible to staff, landowners, and the general public, along the lines of a one-stop shop.

• Preparing better coordination/integration among the different agencies and organizations working on related projects in the area, with more recognition of the needs of the local community.

• Providing more frequent contact with key landowners.

• Recognition that, in general, long-term working relationships with landowners are critical to effective stewardship delivery.

• Offering more one-on-one interviews with landowners to evaluate the effectiveness of different aspects of the program, such as brochures, newsletters, projects and awards, and to receive suggestions which would assist in planning future direction.

• Preparing short-term evaluation of the program, but also long-term evaluation, since building trust with landowners takes time.

• Overall program flexibility to respond to critical issues.

• Ensuring flexibility in task accomplishment, as this is key to responding to the comfort level and schedules of landowners.

All projects undertaken through SOS Stewardship are on private land and are carried out in a confidential manner. Permission to visit demonstration projects must be obtained from the landowner. Please contact the project coordinator for further information.

Concerns over the rapid loss and fragmentation of south Okanagan and lower Similkameen habitats resulted in the formation of the South Okanagan Conservation Strategy (SOCS) in 1990. The Strategy, directed by a collaboration of several resource agencies and non-governmental organizations, focused on identifying and protecting rare habitats and species, and encouraging sustainable land use. Voluntary private stewardship activities were considered essential to the success of SOCS.

In 1994, to help fulfill the overall objectives of SOCS, The Nature Trust of British Columbia, BC Environment and the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund collaborated to initiate SOS Stewardship as a pilot, voluntary private land stewardship program. Activities carried out through this program included: one-on-one contact with key landowners and the development of appropriate materials to raise awareness of habitat values; encouragement and support of sustainable land management practices; and input to many local and regional planning processes where habitat loss was a concern.

The pilot program was successful in reaching out to a significant number of owners of large holdings, totalling over 9000 hectares, with important habitat. Accomplishments included the production of a range of stewardship materials, completion of demonstration projects and facilitation of land securement. However, upon the termination of SOCS, SOS Stewardship lacked the ability to deliver a spectrum of securement options through a formal relationship with a land trust. As interest in land securement options continued to increase, there was an urgent need for the program to be directly associated with a land trust to assist landowners in order to provide landowners with a full range of stewardship and securement options, from informal agreements to habitat enhancement projects to land acquisition. With the formal announcement of the SOSCP in 2000 and the provision of monies form the Government of Canada Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, it was agreed by the partners that The Land Conservancy of British Columbia would help coordinate stewardship activities in the SOSCP area.

SOS Stewardship encourages the conservation and enhancement of Red- and Blue-listed plant communities and wildlife species on private lands in a variety of ways. Major activities undertaken include: providing information on habitat values, wildlife species, and environmentally sustainable land management practices; building trust through person-to-person contact with landowners of large holdings; preparing management recommendations; assisting with individual conservation projects; developing demonstration sites with signage; recognizing stewards through award ceremonies; and, facilitating community stewardship projects and long-term habitat securement.

In addition to these essential services, SOS Stewardship has branched out into special projects. Two three-year stewardship projects were initiated in recognition of the urgent need to raise awareness by targeting a broader spectrum of landowners and the public. One features California Bighorn Sheep, a Blue-listed and high-profile species; the other features the antelope-brush plant community, a globally imperiled habitat. These projects are helping to raise the profile of the habitats and the species they support, their preservation requirements and the role of stewardship. A third project called “Understanding Snakes, an Educational Initiative,” is now underway.

1. Habitat Securement for California Bighorn Sheep
Until recently, the south Okanagan had one of the largest herds of California Bighorn Sheep in the world. However, the sheep are under increasing stress from urban and agricultural development, as well as forest encroachment into grasslands, and the herd has recently been decimated by disease. In fact, Bighorn Sheep in British Columbia currently on the Blue List may become Red-listed. This project raises awareness and secures habitat not only for Bighorn Sheep, but also for associated COSEWIC species such as the White-headed Woodpecker and Pallid Bat, and provincially at-risk species such as the Badger, Great Basin Spadefoot Toad, and five snake species.

Activities involve continuing to raise general awareness of conservation issues relating to California Bighorn Sheep in the South Okanagan; participating in monthly meetings of the South Okanagan Bighorn Sheep Advisory Group; integrating activities with the new recovery plan for Bighorn Sheep; setting up a hotline for recording sightings of wild sheep, and providing feedback to those who call in; locating domestic sheep herds, a major threat to the health of wild sheep; holding community meetings to raise awareness of the threats facing wild sheep and what can be done to help; distributing information packages, including the brochure on living in harmony with wild sheep; conducting one-on-one landowner contact in priority areas; and working towards undertaking conservation projects with owners of significant habitat, with a view to gaining support and securing habitat.

2. Securement of Antelope-brush Habitat
The antelope-brush community is very small and under formidable threat from development, making it one of Canada’s four most endangered ecosystems. In fact, it is globally imperilled. It supports 22 percent of all endangered and threatened vertebrates in the Province, including the Pallid Bat, and innumerable invertebrates, including the Red-listed butterfly, Behr’s Hairstreak.

Activities involve continuing to raise general awareness of antelope-brush through mailouts of information packages, including the brochure “Antelope-brush Habitats: A Rare Beauty,” and one-on-one landowner contact with owners of significant tracts of habitat; continuing to advise landowners of conservation options, including protection, restoration and securement, and following up as required; giving school presentations; with student involvement, implementing an environmental education and demonstration project involving restoration of antelope-brush habitat on school grounds; collaborating with a vineyard owner regarding an educational display and demonstration site; and, setting up displays and submitting articles for publication.

3. Understanding Snakes – an Educational Initiative
The five Red- and Blue-listed snake species (Western Rattlesnake, Night Snake, Rubber Boa, Racer and Gopher Snake) all benefit from greater awareness that snakes are an important part of the natural environment, and require protection.

Activities include using the new brochure “Snake Smart” as a key tool to deliver information on local snakes; preparing and displaying a posterboard on snakes; distributing information packages door-to-door in areas where snakes are most likely to be encountered; presenting information on snakes to school classes; distributing packages to students living in and around snake habitat; preparing the document “Working in Snake Country;” which promotes measures to mitigate potential conflict with snakes; and, arranging a media event with CHBC TV (Kelowna) on understanding snakes.

The specific results outlined herein were accomplished in the 2000/2001 fiscal year.

Through its Essential Services Component, SOS Stewardship has established and maintained contact with (and provided ongoing conservation information, and in some cases assistance to) 60 key landowners of important habitat. The Program has collaborated with The Land Conservancy of British Columbia on developing a detailed stewardship database and recording landowner contact information. SOS Stewardship has also produced and delivered stewardship brochures, newsletters and posters; produced display boards as well as promoted stewardship and funders at numerous venues; and, coordinated activities and shared information with many different agencies, organizations and individuals. Its longevity and consistent local presence have led to numerous securements by The Nature Trust of British Columbia and, more recently, by The Land Conservancy of British Columbia.

The Environmental Youth Team Interns, working under the direction of SOS Stewardship, have assisted between 12 and 20 landowners annually for the past three years with weed control. The Program has also facilitated the securement of several properties and, more recently, discussed land securement options with 5 landowners; and, developed partnership opportunities with Osoyoos Band interns in special projects. In addition, the SOS Stewardship Program assisted in the development of a store-front office into a stewardship resource centre; and participated in the development of a strategic plan, and 1- and 5- year work plans for the stewardship arm of SOSCP.

In addition to the essential services outlined above, SOS Stewardship special projects – including the securement of California Bighorn Sheep and Antelope-brush habitat, and “Understanding Snakes, an Educational Initiative” – have resulted in stewardship of these important species and their habitat.

1. Habitat Securement for California Bighorn Sheep
Through the Habitat Securement for Bighorn Sheep Project, SOS Stewardship has hosted a series of four community meetings. The purpose was to raise awareness of the problems facing wild sheep, including the disease that recently decimated the population; the recovery efforts; and the vital role that landowners can play. To reach a broader audience of landowners in sheep habitat, the Program distributed nearly 3000 flyers and several hundred information packages which included a stewardship brochure on co-existing with wild sheep. Also, posterboards on Bighorn Sheep and associated species were prepared, and displayed at numerous venues. A Bighorn Sheep telephone ‘hotline’ was developed, allowing landowners to report sightings of Bighorn Sheep and thereby assist in defining the distribution of sheep in the area. Direct contact with over 60 landowners of key Bighorn Sheep habitat was made, and an article on the stewardship of wild sheep was published in the newsletter of the Okanagan Similkameen Parks Society. The effort put into raising awareness of the stresses on the sheep has been a major and vital component of the project.

2. Securement of Antelope-brush Habitat
Through the Securement of Antelope-brush Habitat Project priority properties for landowner contact were selected based on ‘ground-truthing’ of 1989 biophysical mapping data of 40 properties. Contact with these landowners has resulted in 105 hectares of land under stewardship for the securement of antelope-brush habitat. And, about 78% of landowners visited are interested in long-term securement options for the protection of this important habitat. In addition to the landowner contact made, SOS Stewardship collaborated with a vineyard owner on an educational display and demonstration site of the antelope-brush community. Up to 35,000 visitors per year are expected to visit the display at the vineyard. SOS Stewardship also implemented, with student participation, an antelope-brush restoration project at a secondary school. Student interest in the securement of antelope-brush habitat resulted in the preparation of an article in the school newsletter and web site.

3. Understanding Snakes – an Educational Initiative
Through the Understanding Snakes Project, presentations on snakes of the south Okanagan and lower Similkameen were made at several schools. In addition to the well-received school presentations, 75 information packages on snakes were provided to students living in snake habitat; and, brochures titled “Snake Smart” (200) and “Protecting Wildlife From Domestic Pets” (120) were delivered to 10 businesses and agencies, including veterinarians and a Health Unit.

The extensive communication and outreach implemented by SOS Stewardship to date has served to increase awareness and appreciation of stewardship values. As a result of SOS Stewardship, a network of stewarded lands has been established across the unique south Okanagan and lower Similkameen landscape. The project has developed a sound foundation for the continued support and growth of private land stewardship in this important ecosystem.

SOS Stewardship is now being integrated into a broader stewardship component of the new partnership, SOSCP. This partnership will allow for an expanded collaborative approach enabling delivery to be most effective and efficient for landowners, while at the same time maximizing resources and results.

The Essential Services component of SOS Stewardship will continue to provide future direction, product development management, and landowner contact with an emphasis on habitat enhancement and securement. Ongoing contact will be maintained with landowners who have expressed an interest in stewardship, mainly through the special projects. Also, through a gap analysis, contact will be expanded to include other key landowners of important habitat.

The main activities of SOS Stewardship will involve: preparation and distribution of materials necessary to successful delivery of all projects; registration of all contact information into the SOSCP Stewardship GIS database, including number of contacts, level of involvement, and follow-up required; evaluation of program delivery; continuation of regular contact with the expanded list of key landowners who hold large properties (greater than 20 hectares), those which act as buffers to conservation holdings, or form wildlife corridors; preparation of conservation plans in conjunction with landowners; negotiation of agreements (verbal followed by formal) regarding implementation of conservation projects; provision of assistance for key landowners with weed inventory and control, and other enhancement projects, with the help of Environment Youth Team interns; and, participation in activities of the SOSCP Stewardship Steering Committee and other local stewardship committees.

In addition to these main activities, SOS Stewardship will continue to focus on special projects underway as well as new ones, including:

Habitat Securement for California Bighorn Sheep:
In line with recommendations of the recovery plan prepared for the management of California Bighorn sheep (Harper 2001), stewardship activities will be focused on critical lands to address public awareness through information packages; informal talks as required; contact with up to ten individual land owners and managers of large holdings; participation in the Sheep Advisory Group; a community approach to weed control, signage to discourage off-road vehicle use, fencing, etc.; and pursuing opportunities for securement options such as conservation covenants with appropriate partners.

Securement of Red-listed Antelope-brush Community:
In this third year of the project, the stewardship initiative will focus on critical lands to address maintenance of the landowner contact program through mail-outs, phone calls and site visits; good management practices e.g. weed control, signage to discourage off-road vehicle use, and fencing; monitoring of enhancement projects and encouragement of new ones; opportunities to pursue securement options such as conservation covenants; participation in a cooperative initiative to raise the profile of antelope-brush habitat with the Osoyoos Desert Society and other partners.

Understanding Snakes:
Through the Understanding Snakes project, SOS Stewardship will continue to develop the scope of the pilot project on managing snakes in agricultural settings; prepare orientation information for agricultural workers in snake country; develop more educational materials, including posters; distribute materials more widely; set up displays; make presentations to schools; undertake additional landowner contact; and maintain a database.

Riparian Project:
Through the Riparian Project, the following tasks will be undertaken: maintain contact with stewards involved in the completed three-year Riparian Restoration Project; identify new contacts; conduct site visits and follow-up; provide information on long-term stewardship and securement options; install nest boxes and monitor plantings at an enhancement site; plan and conduct an advanced riparian workshop/field day profiling the enhancement project; conduct a watershed walk for a youth day camp to raise awareness of the values of riparian habitat and associated wildlife; maintain a database of contacts.

Caring for Cottonwoods:
This pilot project on cottonwood riparian ecosystems will involve the following tasks: gather existing information, including maps and other project requirements e.g. posterboard and desktop fact sheet; identify possible strategy including next steps, potential funding sources for community stewardship and landowner contact for one or two priority areas; coordinate delivery with other riparian initiatives; and maintain a database of landowner contact.

Ponderosa Pine Partners:
This pilot project on the Ponderosa Pine Zone will involve the following tasks: communicate with appropriate organizations about other projects in ponderosa pine habitat and collaborate on delivery where appropriate; identify major holders of ponderosa pine habitat in the study area; prepare a presentation on wildlife in the Ponderosa Pine Zone for presentation at a workshop to be attended by owners of ponderosa pine habitat; prepare information packages on this habitat for attendees and other landowners; and maintain a database of landowner contact.

• Many landowners who gave of their time in conserving and enhancing habitat on their lands.

• The Nature Trust of British Columbia for their support in initiating the project and establishing a stewardship presence in the area.

• The Habitat Conservation Trust Fund for their ongoing support.

• Okanagan Region Wildlife Heritage Fund Society (general contractor) and John Holdstock for his tireless administrative support.

• Bob Lincoln, Alan Peatt, Orville Dyer, Tom Ethier, Wildlife Program, Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection for their guidance and assistance with coordination.

• TLC – The Land Conservancy of British Columbia for setting up a local office, sharing the Environmental Youth Team Interns and assisting with the promotion of stewardship and land securement.

• Environmental Youth Team Interns who worked so hard for SOS Stewardship.

• Sara Muir Owen for assistance in the preparation of this case study.

SOS Stewardship
http://www.soscp.org
SOSCP
Shawn Black
Stewardship Coordina
27A Front Street
Penticton, BC Canada
V2A 1H2
Email: penticton@conservancy.bc.ca