British Columbia Coast
Grant Proposal:
Identification and Conservation of Temperate Rainforest Ecosystems
in coastal British Columbia, Canada, through Determination of
Importance to Sandhill Cranes.
Grant
Amount Proposed: $50,000
From: The West Coast Crane Working
Group,
a technical workgroup of the
North American
Crane Working Group
October 23, 2006
Primary Contact
for the West Coast Crane Working Group:
Thomas J
Hoffmann
thoffmann@hoffmanns.com
25-2641 Whistler
Road
Whistler, BC V0N
1B2
Canada
Project Leader:
Dr. Briony Penn, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Introduction
Cranes are a
charismatic group of birds, revered by peoples around the world.
North America’s Sandhill Cranes were once hunted to the verge of
extinction. Their numbers have mostly recovered, but the cranes now
rely on our diminished wetlands, grasslands and agricultural areas
that are under pressures from development. Cranes have migrated
along the Pacific Flyway on the West Coast of the United States and
Canada for millions of years. Maintaining adequate ecosystems for
cranes at wintering grounds, migrational staging areas and their
breeding grounds will not only help meet the needs of cranes but
protect wetlands and agricultural areas for a wide range of
economical and ecological purposes.
Cranes are an
umbrella species. A variety of wetland birds nest in association
with Sandhill Cranes. These wetland-nesting areas are important to a
wide range of other wildlife. Wetland and agricultural ecosystems
that support wintering cranes are important to waterfowl and a great
variety of other wildlife. Cranes are a sentinel species, indicating
the overall health of critical wildlife ecosystems. Conservation of
crane ecosystems will help maintain populations of cranes as well as
their wild allies, helping ensure the future of our native wildlife
in the Pacific Flyway.
Background
Our appreciation of the crane
grows with the slow unraveling of earthly history. His tribe, we now
know, stems out of the remote Eocene. The other members of the fauna
in which he originated are long since entombed with in the hills.
When we hear his call we hear no mere bird. He is the symbol of our
untamable past, of that incredible sweep of millennia which
underlies and conditions the daily affairs of birds and men.
Aldo Leopold “Marshland
Elegy” (1937)
Little
information exists on the geographic distribution of subpopulations
of Pacific Flyway Sandhill Cranes over their annual cycle. Three
subpopulations recognized (Lesser, Canadian, and Greater) have
different breeding areas and vary in their population status. The
Pacific birds primarily winter in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
and San Joaquin Valley of California, although some also winter
along the lower Columbia River in Oregon and Washington. Their
breeding territory is along the western coast of British Columbia
Until recently,
few studies were being conducted on Sandhill Cranes in the Pacific
Flyway.
The West Coast
Crane Working Group is currently funding a $170,000, 2006-2007 crane
research and citizen education project in the Glenwood Valley of
Washington. Joseph D. Engler, Biologist of the US Fish and Wildlife
Service, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex, has undertaken
a study of the nesting Greater Sandhill Cranes in Washington State
and the WCCWG employs a biologist working in the area.
The WCCWG funded
a two year study by Gary Ivey and Caroline Herziger, independent
biologists, tracking the movements of Pacific Flyway Sandhill cranes
via satellite technology, and documented their spring migration
routes and destinations, see attached. Based on the data they
obtained, it appears that the birds move from a staging area at
Ridgefield NWR and Sauvé Island down the Columbia River, follow the
Washington coast northward, cross Cape Flattery, across Vancouver
Island, and up the coast of British Columbia (BC). The study
identified coastal British Columbia as the breeding habitat for this
subpopulation of approximately 4,000 cranes. The present study
follows through on the findings and recommendations of this study.
Need
The addressed
information is needed to identify where ecosystem conservation and
management for the species should be directed in British Columbia.
There is a pressing need to obtain information on the range,
composition and status of Pacific Flyway Sandhill Cranes in British
Columbia.
Management of
migratory birds has required an increasing amount of scientific
information to promptly detect changes in populations, prevent
degradation of important ecosystems and manage public uses of
migratory birds. There is very little baseline information on
Pacific Flyway Sandhill Cranes in British Columbia.
Continued
ecosystem loss to logging and mining projects on breeding and
staging ecosystems in British Columbia are likely to result in a
further reduction in the population of Pacific Flyway cranes and
other associated wildlife through ecosystem degradation or increased
disturbance.
Sandhill
Cranes are listed as endangered in Washington, threatened in
California and sensitive in Oregon and British Columbia and there is
a need to increase the crane population in the Pacific Flyway to
achieve de-listing.
Cranes are
dependent on secure feeding grounds in their staging areas, freedom
from human intervention, safe breeding grounds and over wintering
areas—a complex array of ecosystems which, with the exception of the
over wintering areas near the Columbia River and in California, are
presently available to them in the network of the Great Bear
rainforest wilderness areas. This coastal subpopulation are deemed
endangered by the US and blue listed by the British Columbia
government. The unique use of island and forested habitat is little
understood so habitat loss through logging practices will affect
these cranes. The river estuaries where they are observed staging
once stretched from California to southern Alaska. About half have
been severely altered by clear-cut logging and other human
activities, especially in California, Oregon and Washington. The
British Columbia system appears critical to the continued health of
this population.
Recently, however, the future of this
remnant population is in question. The recent land use decisions
leading to the new Spirit Bear
Conservancy Area will still allow extensive resource extraction to
occur on the islands and valleys not placed in proposed protection.
Long term Objectives
§
Delineate breeding
grounds, migration routes, and staging areas of Pacific Flyway
Sandhill Cranes in British Columbia and develop refined maps of
distribution across their breeding ranges.
§
Identify important
ecosystems and geographic areas of cranes in coastal British
Columbia.
§
Determine threats to
cranes in British Columbia such as loss of habitat due to logging
and mining activities.
§
Develop public
education and advocacy programs to protect threatened ecosystems in
areas of crane concentration.
Methods
Cranes, because of their striking beauty and unique
significance in many cultures, have inspired awareness and action on
behalf of wildlife and wetlands, serving as important symbols for
conservation. Because of their dependence on large expanses of
wetlands, cranes have likewise catalyzed conservation action for
wetlands and grasslands on many continents, activities that have
benefited vast ecosystems and thousands of plant and animal
species.
The project
leaders chief role will be integrating the results of the various
scientific and ethnographic research projects over the 12 months
and using those results and the inspiration of the cranes to develop
a strong integrated educational and conservation message. This
message will be delivered in a creative and innovative way to a
broad spectrum of stakeholders from planning committees to the
general public within a communication strategy that involves public
lectures, a media campaign and outreach in local communities.
WWCWG programs
reflect the following beliefs:
Cranes can provide a compelling and
simple link between local issues and regional conservation. WCCWG
programs provide that link between local communities and the Pacific
Northwest region.
Individual caring and involvement are
the crucial ingredients to securing a healthy and peaceful future
for our planet (cranes are the symbols for good fortune and peace).
WCCWG programs empower individuals, providing them tools for
effective action.
Solving
conflicts and resource problems requires people to work together.
WCCWG uses the cranes as a bond unifying diverse peoples. We build
up on common interests and shared action, thus bridging the
destructive divisions so strong in today’s world.
Tasks
Proposal Budget (April 2007 to April 2008)
Project Leader Fees 150 days over 12 months @ $300/diem.
$45,000.00
Travel to Bella Bella 5 times ($600 round trip from Victoria)
$3,000.00
Travel to Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo for committee
meetings/lectures
$2,000.00
Attending North American Crane Working Group workshop
and delivering paper
$1,900.00
Admin and office costs $300/month
$3,600.00
Supplies and equipment (GPS,
VHF)
$2,000.00
Field costs 21 days (either at station or with boat)$250/diem
$7,000.00
Aerial surveys
10 hours at $750/hr
$7,500.00
Field Assistant Salary 20 days @ $100/diem
$2,000.00
Video/camera expenses and editing costs
$2,000.00
Preparation of educational materials
$3,000.00
Total
$79,000.00
Counterpart Funding
In-kind donations of boats and helicopters
$10,000.00
Raincoast Conservation
Foundation $16,000.00
Principal Investigator 10 days volunteer donation
$3,000.00
Total
$29,000.00
We are
continually working to diversify our sources of support.
Project Accountability and Evaluation
Our research team intensively
evaluates results of our projects. Program participants provide
written and verbal feedback. We also network with colleagues from
diverse backgrounds, who provide their perspectives on our work.
Results and success for the project are directly measured by
decreased threats to cranes and associated wildlife and increased
crane populations as measured by counts. The West Coast Crane
Working Group has selected this project as a priority project that
merits the dedication of resources.
Current Projects
May 2006
Pilot Study
In May 2006, the
WCCWG funded a study of crane habitat on the British Columbia coast,
in the vicinity of Shearwater/Bella Bella conducted by Dr. Briony
Penn. She observed a highly distinctive and predictable pattern of
habitat use by crane breeding pairs that included
Biogeography
and Phenology of Cranes - Graduate Student
Krista Roessingh
of the University of Victoria is applying for an National Science
and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Scholarship for a study
entitled Biogeography and phenology of
Pacific Sandhill cranes in the Great Bear Rainforest,
British Columbia.
Her proposed research would fill scientific knowledge gaps in the
life history of this population, and prioritize areas for
conservation based on its habitat use in the GBR.
The biogeography
objectives of the research are to: 1) map breeding distribution and
population boundaries, 2) estimate breeding territory size, 3)
estimate population size, 4) document habitat use and dependence on
outer island forests, 5) develop predictive models of habitat for
both breeding pairs and non-breeders, 6) study the impacts of
logging island, coastal fringe, and valley bottom forests on
distribution and productivity, 7) determine whether this population
of Pacific Sandhill cranes can act as an umbrella species (Noss et
al., 1999).
Conservation
biology objectives are to: 8)) document breeding phenology and
associated behavior, 9) determine food habits and observe
interactions with other species, 10) study nest and egg
characteristics, productivity, and predation in relation to habitat
quality, and 11) test whether trail use is particularly important
for non-flying pre-fledged young to access feeding grounds. The
NSERC scholarship will provide $20,000/annum for this research. An
additional $20,000 will be needed to cover her field costs over two
years. These funds will be raised through the educational program
created.
Local
Knowledge of Cranes Project – Citizen Science Summer 2007
Qqs Society, a
Heiltsuk educational non-profit organization, is establishing a
mechanism for getting local and visiting people to report crane
sighting information. The project will develop the model for types
of citizen science forms that would be scientifically defensible. It
has been funded by the WCCWG.
Cultural
Research of Cranes – Undergraduate Directed Study Spring 2007
Comprehensive
research into the First Nations traditional and historical
populations using oral histories, ethnographies and stories.
Identify links to culture and traditional uses. This is to be
completed in 2007 by Jessie Housty, Heiltsuk, for an undergraduate
directed study under Dr. Briony Penn in the School for Environmental
Studies at University of Victoria. This is entirely funded through
the student and Dr. Penn is providing voluntary supervision.
Land
Acquisition Feasibility Study Spring 2007
In conjunction
with The Land Conservancy of British Columbia, the private land
holdings of Beale’s Lagoon, Cunningham Island, will be researched
and a feasibility report will be prepared for the acquisition of
this highly important habitat for non-breeding cranes by the
principal investigator. TLC will provide some staff support for this
report.
Project
Leader
The project
leader is Dr. Briony Penn, CV attached. Dr. Penn will devote at
least 150 days to this project during the grant year.
Board of the
North American Crane Working Group
Dr. Glenn Olsen,
President, DVM, US Geological Service, Patuxent, Maryland
Dr. Felipe
Chavez-Ramirez, PhD., Vice-President, Executive Director, Whooping
Crane Trust, Nebraska
Thomas Hoffmann,
Treasurer, Volunteer, British Columbia and Ohio
Tracy Grazia,
Secretary, Biologist, Vermont
Richard Urbanek,
International Crane Foundation, Wisconsin
Marilyn Spalding, Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary
Medicine, University of Florida, Florida
Jane Austin,
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Nebraska
Other than Tom
Hoffmann, none of the board members will be directly involved in the
project.
Requestor
The North
American Crane Working Group (NACWG) is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit
Nebraska corporation. The West Coast Crane Working Group is a
regional technical workgroup of the NACWG. The NACWG is a member of
the Crane Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission of The
World Conservation Union (IUCN) based in Gland, Switzerland.
IUCN was created
in 1948. It is the world's largest conservation-related
organization, bringing together 76 states, 111 government agencies,
732 NGOs, 36 affiliates, and some 10,000 scientists and experts from
181 countries in a unique worldwide partnership. For more than half
a century IUCN has endeavored to shape a just world, which values
and conserves nature. Its mission is to influence, encourage and
assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and
diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources
is equitable and ecologically sustainable. IUCN is the world's
largest environmental knowledge network. Within the framework of
global conventions IUCN has promoted sustainability and helped over
50 countries to prepare and implement National Conservation
Strategies.
The IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) is a science-based
organization, comprising
7,000
volunteer experts from a variety of fields. SSC offers to
the conservation and development communities the knowledge and tools
needed for sound decisions regarding ecosystems and the people who
depend on them.
The Crane
Specialist Group is one of 110 species specialists groups. Dr.
George Archibald of the International Crane Foundation is Chair of
the Crane Specialist Group. The 250 member North American Crane
Working is the regional crane specialist group for Mexico, the
United States, Canada, Cuba and Mexico.
The West Coast
Crane Working Group promotes science-based research on crane
conservation and management, fosters better understanding and
appreciation of cranes and their ecosystems among the general public
and addresses conservation issues affecting their wetland
ecosystems. The Working Group accomplishes these goals through
research, education, and advocacy.
Thomas Hoffmann
is a member of the Board of Directors of the North American Crane
Working Group and Chair of the West Coast Crane Working Group and an
emeritus member of the Board of Directors of The International Crane
Foundation. He has been volunteering for over ten years to enhance
conservation of cranes and their habitat on the west coast of North
America.