Image Credit: The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation

The Okanagan is home to a wide variety of species and diverse ecosystems, however rapid development in the Okanagan Valley is putting vital animal migration pathways at risk. Without conservation initiatives, some animal species may even go extinct. 

The Okanagan Nation Alliance and Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program recently announced their action plan to maintain a 65 km-long corridor connecting Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park and k’nmalka (Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park area).

The plan summaries the need for a corridor to ensure migrations pathways, promote biodiversity, increase food security and help multiple species adapt to a changing climate. The document outlines 15 actions, including collaboration with multiple First Nations groups, climate change preparation and the integration of wildfire mitigation plans.

Program Manager Scott Boswell told iNFOnews.ca this corridor is vital to the long-time survival of at-risk animals in the Okanagan.

“With climate change upon us and the loss of our biodiversity that's happening in this region, we all need to start thinking about how the animals move across the landscape and working collaboratively together to ensure that they can continue to do that in the future,” Boswell said.

The proposed corridor will help maintain diverse ecosystems that countless species rely on, Boswell said.

“We are trying to protect the whole grassland Ponderosa pine ecosystem which has hundreds of species in it,” he said. “The big ones that are moving through there are certainly elk, mule deer, then there's the badgers…you can also find moose and black bear and coyotes and cougars and all those sort of animals as well.”

READ MORE: 'The land will be lost forever:' Okanagan is one the most endangered ecosystems in Canada

“(The Corridor Plan is) going to work with all local governments and first nation communities to ensure that any future development takes habitat connectivity into consideration,” Boswell said. “It's not about stopping development…it's just to make sure that we're not blocking the animals movement.”

The plan focuses on Indigenous knowledge and is reliant upon the Okanagan Nation Alliance’s leadership, Boswell said.

“We worked with a number of Syilx community members just to confirm how the animals move across the landscape,” he said. “They have a deep understanding of where the animals are throughout the year and that was really beneficial in helping us identify key pinch points along the corridor as well as critical areas that need to be protected throughout the year.”

The Conservation Program will continue to work with the Syilx community throughout the entire process.

According to Boswell, a third of the land being used for the corridor is locally owned by ranchers, orchardists, and residents.

Part of the implementation process will require working with residents and landowners to make sure they understand the animal migration patterns and are informed about what they should avoid doing to block animal movements.

More information about the wildlife corridor can be found on the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program website here, or by visiting the action plan here. 

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