HAMLING LAKES WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DRAFT. Prepared for:

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1 HAMLING LAKES WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DRAFT Prepared for: B.C. Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection Environmental Stewardship Division Prepared by: G. Mowat Aurora Wildlife Research RR 1, Site 14, Comp 8 Crescent Valley, BC V0G 1H0, Canada Tel. (250) gmowat@telus.net 10 October 2003 The figures that accompany this document are stored in a separate file. These maps can be printed on any colour printer, greater detail can be achieved by printing on poster size paper. Disclaimer: This draft management plan contains preliminary proposals that are subject to change and therefore may not necessarily reflect the position of the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. At the conclusion of the planning process the Ministry will approve a revised management plan. 1

2 Acknowledgements Tom Gaines did all GIS programming and map preparation. Marta Donovan of the BC Conservation Data Centre searched for occurrence records of listed species near the WMA. John McMurdo of the Archaeology and Registry Services Branch (MSRM) did the same thing for archeological sites. Joanne Donald searched for commercial recreation tenures and applications. John Bell, Ted Antifeau, Gord McAdams, Mike Knapik, Guy Woods, Greg Chin, Milt Hamilton, Bill Andersen and Wayne Stetski all provided input to this or the background report. Susan Pendray and Guy Woods wrote an earlier background report (1997) from which I borrowed liberally. Greg Chin helped with numerous revisions to this document. Disclaimer: This draft management plan contains preliminary proposals that are subject to change and therefore may not necessarily reflect the position of the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. At the conclusion of the planning process the Ministry will approve a revised management plan. 2

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements...2 Table of Contents...3 Executive Summary...4 Introduction...5 Purpose of Plan...5 Planning Process...5 Relationship With Other Planning...5 Background Summary...6 Management Issues Summary...7 Role of the WMA...8 Provincial and Regional Context...8 Significance to Provincial Wildlife Management Strategies...8 Relationship with First Nations...9 Vision Statement...9 Strategic Direction from KBLUP-IS Resource Management Zoning/Guidelines...10 Introduction...10 Biodiversity Emphasis Option...10 Regional Connectivity...10 Caribou...10 Grizzly Bear Management...10 Watershed Management...11 Backcountry Recreation Management...11 Subsurface Resources...11 Lardeau Range SPRZ (A-S09)...11 Habitat Management...12 Introduction...12 Wildlife Management...14 Introduction...14 Large Mammals including ungulates...14 Fisheries...15 Rare and Endangered Species and Habitat...15 Human Use Management...15 Forestry...15 Mining...15 Recreation...15 Trapping/Hunting/Fishing...16 Grazing...16 Water Use...16 Implementation Strategy...17 High Priority Strategies...17 Task Strategies...17 Monitoring Strategies

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The (WMA) was established in 1998 as a result of the planning process for the Kootenay-Boundary Land Use Plan (KBLUP). This designation is under the Wildlife Act and is intended to maintain critical wildlife habitat. A draft background report and management plan was prepared in A revised background report was prepared in This management plan is based on information in a background report (Hamling Lakes WMA, Draft Background Report, 27 May 2003) and will be used to direct long-term management in the WMA. The effective period of the plan will be twenty years, but the plan will be reviewed with public consultation no less than every five years. The following are the significant initiatives: The main focus for management is the preservation of critical winter habitat for mountain caribou which an endangered species in Canada and the United States. Regional level forest retention guidelines have been developed by the Regional Caribou Committee and these will apply to the WMA. These guidelines should preserve adequate caribou winter habitat and no further measures to protect habitat are reccomended at this time. More general strategies with respect to caribou include continued work to better understand caribou use of habitat and on-going population monitoring. Snowmobile and heli-ski activities may cause sufficient disturbance to caribou to cause them to avoid parts of their historic winter range. No special recreation guidelines are planned for the WMA at this time; monitoring and investigation of disturbance effects are suggested. Another strategy is to minimize the disturbance of grizzly bears while they are on avalanche chutes during spring. Closures are reccomended during May-June for one road in the Kuskanax drainage to minimize disturbance. Alternatively, vegetation cover could be planted along road margins to reduce disturbance from vehicles. Enhancement of winter habitat for mountain goats should focus on the removal of tree ingrowth, which has greatly limited the forage available to goats near their escape terrain. Forest removal via logging, prescribed burning, and brushing in south facing areas near escape terrain is suggested to increase goat forage and potential numbers. Water quality and quantity are important for human consumption and for spawning bull trout in the Kuskanax drainage. Current land use does not appear to threaten either of these values. The current strategy is to ensure regulations regarding water quality in the Forest Practices Code are followed. Several rare or endangered species may occur in the WMA; however, given the habitat associations of these species and the relatively long distances between known locations and the WMA their existence requires verification through the collection of inventory data. No heritage sites, native or non-native, are noted for the area; discussions with native groups regarding heritage values and resource concerns are ongoing. 4

5 INTRODUCTION Purpose of Plan The Hamling Lakes WMA plan provides background material on biophysical aspects of the Hamling Lakes area and discusses individual natural and resource values with particular emphasis on wildlife. It identifies known resource conflicts and elaborates on ways to conserve or improve wildlife values while maintaining resource extraction. The WMA designation allows for resource development such as logging and mining provided it is not harmful to wildlife or wildlife habitat. The Hamling Lakes WMA plan addresses the specific resource conflicts identified at this time. The effective period of the plan will be twenty years, but the plan will be reviewed with public consultation no less than every five years. The Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection will internally review the plan as circumstances require in consultation with appropriate agencies and the public. Planning Process The Hamling Lakes WMA was established in 1998 and a draft background report and management plan were completed in The management plan will go through interagency review followed by a period of public consultation including public meetings in Nelson, Kaslo, New Denver, and Nakusp. The plan will be further revised based on comments from the public, stakeholders and Government staff. Relationship With Other Planning The West Kootenay Boundary Land Use Plan (Government of British Columbia, March 1995) identifies common goals and land use allocation to sustain both resources and communities, and sets out a course for getting there. This plan provides guidance on regional land use based on a multi-stakeholder participation process. A subsequent document, the Kootenay Boundary Land Use Plan-Implementation Strategy (KBLUP-IS) provides specific management direction across a broad variety of themes from Protected Areas to socio-economic issues. The KBLUP is geographically specific and provides for resource management at three levels: Integrated and Enhanced resource management zones provide for relatively high levels of use, while Special Resource Management Zones (SRMZ) provide for resource development with greater emphasis on natural and cultural values. 5

6 The plan explicitly singles out two areas within the SRMZ category for establishment of Wildlife Management Areas (WMA). Midge Creek WMA is on the west side of Kootenay Lake adjacent to the new West Arm Provincial Park. Hamling Lakes WMA is east of Nakusp and is adjacent to Goat Range Provincial Park. A 30,572 ha area near Hamling Lakes was formally designated as a WMA under the Wildlife Act in The KBLUP identified a need to maintain critical wildlife habitat. The Hamling Lakes area provides important habitat for mountain caribou, and other old growth dependent species as well as mountain goats, grizzly bears, wolverines, and a range of bird and fish species. The designation ensures that diverse ecological characteristics and values, including rare and endangered flora and fauna are maintained, and that management of natural resources is integrated with resource development activities consistent with the Kootenay- Boundary Land Use Plan-Implementation Strategy (KBLUP-IS) objectives and other provincial conservation strategies. The KBLUP-IS indicates that while the WMA will be administered by the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, the land will continue to be within the Provincial Forest and as such, the Ministry of Forests will also have legal responsibility for forestry tenures in the area. The Hamling Lakes WMA was conceived and initiated by the KBLUP with specific direction for establishment of the area provided in KBLUP-IS. Many management guidelines provided in KBLUP-IS and subsequent MOUs apply to the WMA and will serve to protect natural and resource values in the area and guide land use. Similarly the BC Forest Practices Code (FPC) and the higher level plan for the Kootenay Region guide forest practices in the WMA. The higher level plan sets guidelines for caribou habitat management for the Arrow Forest District, and grizzly bear habitat guidelines are described in KBLUP-IS. A regional strategy for caribou recovery is currently in preparation and regional strategies will influence management direction for the WMA and the Central Selkirk caribou herd. Similarly, a grizzly bear recovery plan is proposed for the Valhalla grizzly bear population just to the south of the WMA. The WMA will likely play a role in this recovery plan because the WMA provides linkage from the more densely populated Central Selkirk population to the Valhalla population. Background Summary Hamling Lakes WMA is a 306 km 2 area located about 10 km east of Nakusp in the Kootenay Region of southeast BC. It lies adjacent to the southeast boundary of Goat Range Provincial Park. The wildlife management area provides complementary habitat to the adjacent Goat Range Provincial Park because the WMA includes lower elevation habitats that are absent from the park and that are essential for the seasonal migration of some wildlife species. The WMA is in the Central Columbia Mountains ecosection, which is typified by high ridges with deep, wide trenches and narrow valleys (Fig.1). Elevations in the Hamling Lakes WMA range from 1000 meters in the valley bottoms to 2600 meters on the highest peaks. Including the Hamling Lakes, there are three high elevation lake complexes surrounded by flatter topography. Three river valleys and the intervening mountain ridges incorporate a variety of topography into the Hamling Lakes WMA. The climate is interior maritime with wet-belt forests being the dominant climax ecosystem up to about 2200 m where the forest changes into an alpine environment. Mid-winter snow depths can exceed 1 meter at the lowest elevations and increase substantially with elevation. 6

7 There are no permanent dwellings in the WMA. The south and west portions of the WMA can be accessed by all-weather logging roads. Areas around the southern boundary are heavily used for fishing, camping and hunting by local residents. There are 5 forest service recreation sites and 2 recreation trails near the south end of the WMA, several of which receive heavy use. The WMA is used by back-country skiers and snowmobiles in winter and hikers and campers in summer. Kootenay Heliski (which is owned by Canadian Mountain Holidays) has a commercial back-country permit for heli-skiing and heli-hiking which covers the entire upper elevation portion of the WMA. All land uses permitted prior to the establishment of the WMA have been honoured. Users of the WMA is low are mainly back country recreationists and forest industry staff. Nakusp is heavily dependent on the forest industry for its economy; however the importance of commercial recreation (including helicopter skiing), has increased in the last decade. The Village of Nakusp, like many others in the region, is trying to diversify its local economy by encouraging local tourist related business. The BC Conservation Data Center identified one endangered plant community that may exist in the WMA. This community is rare and occurs in subalpine fir-spruce forest and is described as subalpine fir/black huckleberry/bear-grass. Seventeen species of Red Listed plants occur in the Arrow District. No inventories for rare plant species or ecosystems have been done in the WMA and their presence can only be confirmed through an ecosystem inventory involving significant field sampling. The Hamling Lakes WMA covers a critical portion of the range of the red-listed (endangered) Central Selkirk mountain caribou population (Fig. 2). A significant portion of the herd winter in the Hamling Lakes area; the period of year when habitat is most limiting for mountain caribou. Mountain caribou are endangered in Canada and the United States. The BC Conservation Data Centre has no documented records of red listed species in the WMA, except for caribou. One red-listed invertebrate species, the Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida) has been recorded at the old Nakusp Hotsprings site which is 2 km west of the WMA. The red listed Western Screech Owl has been confirmed near Winlaw about 70 km to the south of the WMA. Bull trout, grizzly bear, and wolverine are all blue-listed (vulnerable) and occur in the WMA. Based on nearby sightings, habitat preferences and perceived threats, 4 other species: Coeur d Alene salamander, Lewis Woodpecker, Townsend s big-eared bat, and the northern long-eared myotis may occur in the lower elevation portions of the WMA. Inventories may identify important breeding areas for these species, and for the Western screech owl as well. Management Issues Summary There is potential for conflict between industrial forestry and backcountry recreation use and associated impacts on caribou winter range in the WMA. Management planning must take each of these into account. 1. The main focus on management is the preservation of critical winter habitat for mountain 7

8 caribou. Caribou require mature forests during winter and this requirement conflicts with timber harvesting. The most important caribou winter habitat occurs in stands that are older than most current rotational periods, and the utility of second growth stands as caribou winter range appears limited. Partial cutting in mature stands may not unduly affect caribou use although there is little conclusive evidence at this time. 2. Caribou also use upper elevation habitat near treeline in late winter. There are concerns that snowmobile and heli-ski activities may cause sufficient disturbance to caribou to cause them to avoid parts of their historic winter range. Some portions of the current winter range are used by both heli-ski operations and resident snowmobilers. 3. Minimizing disturbance of grizzly bears while they are using avalanche chutes in spring is also an important consideration in the WMA. During spring grizzly bears have little habitat available because low elevation valley bottoms are alienated by people and upper elevations are still snowbound. Low elevation south facing avalanche chutes sustain many bears during spring, and continuous disturbance may negatively affect the energy balance for individual bears. 4. The protection of mountain goat habitat is important. During winter, mountain goat use is restricted to about 500 m from steep escape terrain. Due to fire suppression, tree ingrowth has greatly limited the forage available to goats near their escape terrain. 5. Water quality and quantity for human consumption and spawning bull trout are important concerns in the Kuskanax drainage. 6. Several rare or endangered species may occur in the WMA however given the habitat associations of these species and the relatively long distances between known locations and the WMA, the chances are relatively low for the species of greatest interest. 7. No heritage sites, native or non-native, are noted for the WMA in the BC Heritage Resource Inventory database; discussions with native groups regarding heritage values and resource concerns are being pursued through the planning process. ROLE OF THE WMA Provincial and Regional Context The Hamling Lakes WMA includes mid and upper elevation interior wet-belt forests which are well represented in protected areas in BC. It differs from nearby protected areas because it includes low elevation old growth forest. Upper elevation old growth stands are found on relatively gentle slopes which makes them attractive to caribou, unlike many other nearby protected areas. The WMA protects low elevation habitat and unique upper elevation habitat, used by large migratory mammals in this ecosystem, especially caribou. The Village of Nakusp has about 2000 residents and these people are the principal users of the area. A smaller number of people live within driving distance for day use. Tourists come to the area to helicopter ski but few people come to Nakusp for back country skiing or snowmobiling because it is relatively far from large population centres like Vancouver and Calgary. Significance to Provincial Wildlife Management Strategies The Hamling Lakes WMA includes provincially important populations of caribou and grizzly bears and several initiatives provide provincial level conservation guidance. The Provincial 8

9 Wildlife Strategy sets out provincial policy regarding the use and conservation of wildlife. It identifies the maintenance of the diversity and abundance of native species and their habitats as most important objective. The second goal is to provide a variety of opportunities for the use and enjoyment of wildlife. While the third goal is to have people and wildlife life living in harmony. The Caribou and Grizzly Bear Recovery Strategies set specific conservation objectives for various populations of each species. These strategies use both population and habitat management methods to achieve conservation goals. The Identified Wildlife Strategy of the FPC protects critical wildlife habitat for species of concern in the Province. A significant portion of the early and late winter range currently used by the endangered Central Selkirk Caribou Herd is found in the WMA. Little winter habitat is preserved in the adjacent Goat Range Provincial Park. Low elevation south-facing avalanche chutes are found throughout the WMA and these habitats are rare throughout the region. The WMA provides connectivity between the viable grizzly bear population of the Central Selkirk Mountains and the threatened population in the Valhalla Range to the south. Maintaining the viability of this movement corridor is important to the recovery of the Valhalla population. The objectives of the Caribou Recovery Strategy are to increase the population size of the Central Selkirk caribou herd. A recovery strategy for the Valhalla Grizzly Bear population will be prepared in the future; its main goal will likely be to increase the distribution and size of the population which lies adjacent to the Hamling WMA. The establishment of the Hamling lakes WMA contributes to objectives in all the above strategies by helping to conserve endangered species, unique habitat and local wildlife populations of concern. RELATIONSHIP WITH FIRST NATIONS The Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council have been contacted regarding the development of the WMA and consultation is ongoing. The Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council have stated that they do not want the WMA status to limit their access to traditional use sites. We will continue to work with First Nations to identify traditional use and cultural values, none of which have been identified to date. Other First nations yet to be contacted include the Okanagan Nation Alliance and the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council. VISION STATEMENT The KBLUP identified the need to establish a WMA in the Hamling Lakes area to maintain critical wildlife habitat. Over the long-term the WMA will contain adequate late seral forests that retain old forest characteristics to maintain or increase caribou use in early and late winter. Backcountry recreational use may increase, however, it will be managed to ensure disturbance from human use does not cause the abandonment of habitat by any large mammal. Mountain goat numbers should increase in several parts of the WMA due to greater forage availability. Forestry will continue to be the main human use of the WMA. Management of plant and animal species, particularly rare or endangered species, will have priority while co-existing with industrial activity. The Nakusp economy will continue to benefit from the Hamling Lakes WMA. 9

10 STRATEGIC DIRECTION FROM KBLUP-IS RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ZONING/GUIDELINES Introduction The Hamling Lakes WMA is part of the forest landbase hence management guidelines in the KBLUP, the Forest Practices Act, and subsequent Higher Level Plans all apply to the WMA. Many of these guidelines apply to forest development and they are considered by forest licensees and permitting authorities during forest planning. Development plans and cutting permits are submitted by forest license holders and are examined by Ministry of Forests and MWLAP employees before approval. Each plan or permit must consider all relevant guidelines prior to approval, including those pertaining to wildlife conservation. Several sections of the KBLUP which relate to wildlife conservation are discussed below. Biodiversity Emphasis Option The area has been given a high biodiversity rating in the BC Forest Practices Act except for the low elevation portions of the Kuskanax drainage, which are given medium biodiversity emphasis. High biodiversity emphasis areas put priority on the conservation of biodiversity compared to medium and low areas which allow for greater multiple use. Specifically, in the lower elevation cedar-hemlock zone (ICH) 46% of the forest area must be >100 years old, and 13% of the forested area must be >250 years old. In the upper elevation spruce-fir forests (ESSF) 54% of the forested area must be older than 100 years and 28% must be older than 250 years. Regional Connectivity Bremner creek, in the centre of the WMA, was identified as a regional connectivity corridor in the KBLUP. The goal of this guideline is to provide regional level connectivity to allow for genetic exchange among populations and for gradual shifts in entire ecosystems. Regional Connectivity guidelines are general and they focus old growth retention within the identified corridor. These guidelines direct the placement of old growth reserves, as directed by other guidelines such as biodiversity emphasis, caribou guidelines or the requirement for Old Growth Management Areas, in the connectivity corridor. Caribou The most recent HLP guidelines for caribou are applied to caribou habitat throughout the Kootenay Region. The entire WMA is mapped as caribou habitat. In cedar-hemlock forest that is not too steep to log (the operable landbase), 40% of the forested area must be >140 years in age and one quarter of this amount must be stands >250 years old. In the operable spruce-fir zone, 30% of the forested area must be >140 years old and at least one third of this amount must be older than 250 years. In addition, 20% of stands >120 years old must be cut using partial cutting techniques. Discussion is currently underway to amend these guidelines based on a review by the Regional Caribou Committee. The new guidelines will have had input and review by many stakeholders, and wildlife and land managers in the region. If approved, the new guidelines will apply to the WMA. Grizzly Bear Management Avalanche chutes are abundant in the WMA. Chutes with significant herbaceous areas (i.e. 10

11 meadows larger than 0.5 ha) are commonly designated as important for grizzly bears and require special management. Many avalanche chutes in the WMA would qualify for special management considerations under the KBLUP-IS and more recent MOUs. This means retention of a forested buffer area adjacent to important chutes. Watershed Management The Kuskanax River is a Community Watershed as defined under the FPC and KBLUP. Forest development in Community Watersheds is regulated by the Community Watershed and Riparian Guidelines and subsequent MOUs. Water quality is the major objective in Community Watersheds and forest development is constrained to meet these objectives. Protection measures may include streamside management zones where logging operations are not permitted or where constraints to harvesting apply. No additional management is planned for the WMA. Backcountry Recreation Management Commercial back-country users must acquire a permit from Land and Water BC to operate on public lands. Permits may require management actions to mitigate perceived impacts to other resources (usually wildlife). The Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection has released Interim Guidelines for Commercial Recreation. These guidelines were developed to aid proponents in preparing an application for a commercial recreation permit from Land and Water BC. The documents outlines the major concerns of the Ministry and presents best management practices for most types of commercial recreation and for individual wildlife species. General guidelines also appear in the KBLUP-IS. The interim guidelines from MWLAP are not legally binding but it is expected that commercial licensees will follow the spirit of the guidelines in order to acquire and retain their license. Kootenay Heliski (owned by Canadian Mountain Holidays) has a license for winter heliskiing in the WMA. This license pre-dates the establishment of the WMA. The license area is large however, they use much smaller individually licensed runs for skiing. The intensity of use varies seasonally and yearly depending on snow conditions and other factors. The company has indicated that they minimize their disturbance to animals (mainly caribou) by actively avoiding drainages where caribou or caribou tracks are seen. Discussion with non-commercial users is often done through meetings with local recreation clubs; no guidelines apply to non-commercial users at this time. Guidelines in the KBLUP-IS specify that land users should minimize their impacts to other users, such as recreationists. Subsurface Resources Unlike, protected areas, WMAs do not exclude subsurface exploration or development. The review process for subsurface exploration is described in Operational Guidelines of the KBLUP. The proponent must develop a permit application which considers their impacts on ecological values. WMAs are considered a special Resource Management Zone and licensees are expected to consider the sensitive values of the zones when preparing their permit application. Lardeau Range SPRZ (A-S09) The Hamling Lakes WMA lies within the Lardeau Range Special Resource Management Zone as designated in the KBLUP. Specific regulations apply to this zone which are aimed at conserving 11

12 unique resource values. They include: no cattle or sheep grazing in the alpine to reduce the risk of lethal conflict with grizzly bears; Bremner Creek is a regional connectivity corridor and the KBLUP operational guidelines apply to this part of the WMA; Kuskanax Creek is given priority for Bull Trout management. HABITAT MANAGEMENT Introduction The Hamling Lakes area has had minimal wildfire history which has strongly influenced the age distribution of forested stands on the area. There are significant clumps of very old forest (>250 years) at Bremner Creek, Hamling Lakes and Kuskanax Creek (Fig. 1). Kuskanax Creek also has large tracts of old growth. Most of these stands are used by caribou during winter. The WMA also has a number of low elevation avalanche chutes which probably green-up earlier than many in the adjacent Goat Range Provincial Park. The availability of these low elevation areas may be important to grizzly bears, especially during late springs. Mountain goat habitat occurs throughout the WMA and the most limited and intensely used habitats are terrain on south aspects where vegetation characteristics provide forage and snow interception. These 3 types of habitat are the highest priority habitats for conservation or restoration in the WMA. Habitat: Caribou - early and late winter old forest habitat Habitat mapping for caribou in the WMA was completed by Hamilton and Smith in This mapping used a habitat capability/suitability approach and used Predictive Ecosystem Mapping as the main data source for rating habitat capability. Forest cover data was used to infer structural stage (which can be equated to seral stage) using the forest age descriptor. This is an expert-based system of building a predictive habitat model similar to the familiar Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) system developed by the US Forest Service. Hamilton and Smith (2003) developed suitability models for 4 seasons; the seasons of importance to the WMA are early and late winter because impacts to caribou habitat from forestry and back country recreation is only likely to occur during these periods (Fig. 2). Currently, about 32% of the forested portion of the WMA is older than 250 years in age and a further 32% is between years old. Objectives: retain adequate supply of undisturbed early and late caribou winter habitat such that the distribution of caribou, and use of habitats, is similar or expands in the future. Strategies: reserve early and late winter habitat from logging as per the KBLUP Higher Level Plan. Habitat: Grizzly Bear low elevation, south facing avalanche chutes For grizzly bear habitat, avalanche chutes were mapped by theming vegetated, non-treed, upland, shrub (VNUST and VNUSL) from Vegetation Resource Inventory mapping. These attributes were checked against 1:20,000 scale digital orthophotos and a good concordance was observed. No avalanche chutes were mapped in any other classes. Avalanche chutes are found throughout the WMA but chutes are most common at the headwaters of the Kuskanax and Bremner drainages (Fig. 3). High priority spring avalanche chutes were identified as having the toe below 1200 m in elevation, were on hot aspects and, had >0.5 ha herbaceous cover (based on examination of orthophotos). These chutes are rare in the WMA; all are found in the Kuskanax drainage. There are four high priority avalanche chutes that are bisected by the Kuskanax forest 12

13 road. The first and perhaps most important chute is 2 km west of Henry creek. This chute is on a hot aspect and has a large herbaceous toe. Exposure to the road is modest and disturbance impact could probably be minimized by planting trees along the road. The next chute, about 5 km past Henry creek, is on a warm slope and borders a large cut-block. Planting tree cover to reduce disturbance would be difficult in this case. Two further chutes occur on warm slopes about 10 km past Henry creek. These chutes do not appear buffered from disturbance at this time. Planting tree cover is a possibility for these chutes because the openings along the roadway are relatively short. All these chutes have significant patches of herbaceous cover and are probably high quality habitat. This road bisects other chutes further up but the aspects are less favourable and the chutes are at higher elevation. Objectives: minimize disturbance to grizzly bears during spring while they are using low elevation avalanche chutes. Strategies: limit traffic on roads that traverse low elevation avalanche chutes during May to late June. Avoid building new roads which bisect avalanche chutes, especially low elevation chutes which have high solar radiation. Limit traffic on the Kuskanax mainline past Henry Creek during May and June. Habitat: Mountain Goat - hot slopes within 500 m of escape terrain We identified escape terrain for mountain goats as areas with >45 slope using a 20 m resolution raster Digital Elevation Model. We then themed areas based on solar radiation using 50 m resolution raster solar duration database. This database was derived for ungulate winter range mapping and it predicts solar heating during Jan-Mar, the period when snow depth is most limiting in the West Kootenay. Hot aspects received >600 hours of sun, warm aspects received hours and cool aspects received <400 hours during late winter. Mountain goat winter habitat was identified as escape terrain and all terrain within 500m of escape terrain. Hot slopes are most important because they are rare and offer lower snow depths. Forty-five percent of the WMA is within 500 m of escape terrain, but only 28% of this area is on a hot aspect (13% of the entire WMA). Only winter habitat on hot aspects is considered for management in this plan (Fig. 4). Goat winter habitat is abundant in the WMA but habitat on hot aspects is much less abundant (Fig. 4). The most important area to treat is the unit north of Wilson Lakes (Fig. 4). This area has a large amount of habitat, receives a lot of sun during winter, and the habitat extends down to the lowest elevations in the WMA. A second regionally important unit with similar qualities is north of Beaver Lake however most of this unit is outside the WMA. Large numbers of goats were observed in these 2 areas historically. Another important unit begins in lower Bremner creek (the north side) and runs north through the centre of the WMA. A small unit at lower elevation is isolated from the large unit in lower Bremner creek. This smaller unit is more likely used during high snow periods and should receive priority for treatment. Other areas with warm aspects occur in upper Bremner and Kuskanax creeks. These areas are much less accessible to humans and are therefore logistically hard to work in. Also, both areas are at higher elevations and goats may move to lower elevation areas during high snow periods. Objectives: increase the production of forage for mountain goats in late winter areas. Maintain snow interception cover interspersed with open canopy forage cover. Strategies: Use burning, logging or slashing to remove tree in-growth and reduce shrubs. Leave patches of mature trees in each treated patch. Retain Douglas-fir stands over other stand types such as pine or larch. Older stands 13

14 provide mildly better snow interception and much more food as litterfall. Interspersion of open forage habitat and closed canopy habitat for snow interception will reduce energy expenditure when snow is deep. Avoid planting logged areas in order to reduce conifer in-growth. If planting is necessary, use reduced stocking densities and plant Douglas-fir. It is important to treat habitat across a range of elevations, especially the lowest hot aspects available. During winters of extremely deep snow goats may only be able to access forage at the lowest elevations on their range because snow depths will be lowest here. It is equally important to retain small stands of trees at the lowest available elevations on their range because snow depth will be lowest under these canopies during high snow periods. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT Introduction Population management of wildlife species in the WMA is the responsibility of the of the MWLAP and provincial level direction is provided by the Provincial Wildlife Strategy. All regional and provincial hunting, trapping and fishing regulations apply to the WMA. There are currently no special wildlife regulations for the WMA. Habitat conservation is achieved through a number of initiatives and is seen as more important than population-level conservation issues, including for ungulates. Large Mammals including ungulates The harvest of wildlife is guided by the provincial Harvest Management Strategy. Conservation of the viability of wildlife populations is the primary operating principle. Hunting regulation is based on the productivity of the ecosystem, the sharing of opportunities among users, accepted ethical behaviour, and consultation with the BC public. Caribou are the most endangered species in the WMA and hunting caribou is not permitted. Grizzly bears and mountain goats occur at low densities and require careful management; harvest of both species is controlled via quotas and hunting permits are awarded via a lottery process. Objective 1: Conserve adequate habitat for mountain caribou to maintain or increase the population size of the Central Selkirk Caribou Herd. Strategies: Reserve early and late winter habitat from logging as described in habitat management. Minimize recreational disturbance to caribou in upper elevation late winter habitat. Enforce hunting closure. Objective 2: Minimize disturbance on low elevation avalanche chutes such that grizzly bears do not abandon the use of any chutes traditionally used in spring. Strategies: Minimize disturbance from harvesting and recreational activities to bears while they are on avalanche chutes in spring by minimizing road traffic during spring and early summer. Ensuring adequate forested buffer strips around the toes of avalanche chutes may also reduce disturbance. Objective 3: To increase the group size of certain accessible mountain goat herds in the WMA. Strategies: Increase the amount of forage available to goats by removing forest in-growth in areas 14

15 near escape terrain. Fisheries Bull trout spawn in Kuskanax creek and this species if of greatest conservation concern in the WMA because of region wide reductions in abundance and distribution. Objectives: Maintain Bull Trout use of lower Kuskanax Creek for spawning. Strategies: Maintain current water quality and fall season flows in Kuskanax Creek. Rare and Endangered Species and Habitat Objectives: Identify any rare or endangered species that may utilize the WMA. Strategies: Conduct inventories of hole-nesting birds and owls to investigate the presence of endangered species. HUMAN USE MANAGEMENT Forestry Forest harvesting is the principal land use in the WMA. Forestry removes stands of mature and old forest and creates early seral openings. After a period of time a greater portion of the landscape is in mid-seral stage (young forest) than would have normally been seen without commercial forestry. Road building to access logging blocks can increase disturbance to grizzly bears during spring when they are at low elevations and allow snowmobile access to late winter caribou range potentially increasing disturbance to caribou. Objectives: Minimize the impact of forestry on caribou and grizzly bears. Strategies: Follow specific habitat guidelines set-out for the individual habitats described in Habitat Manangement. Mining There is no active mining and little recent exploration in the WMA. Proponents must prepare a license application which is reviewed by representatives of several government Ministries. KBLUP encourages proponents to consider the sensitive nature of important habitats. Objectives: Minimize the impact of mining on caribou and grizzly bears. Strategies: Licensees should consider the special needs of caribou and grizzly bears in their exploration permit applications as described in KBLUP. Recreation Current recreation in the area involves resident use of the area for hiking, camping, back-country skiing, snowmobiling and riding all terrain vehicles. Commercial recreation is limited to a single heli-ski and hiking licensee at this time. Most of the WMA is included in the permit area however the actual areas which are used by skiers is a much smaller portion of the WMA. Commercial guided snowmobile trips in the Kuskanax and Bremner drainages are a possibility in the future. All forms of recreational use are likely to increase. Motorized vehicles can disturb caribou and grizzly bears and in the worst case, cause displacement or abandonment of traditional or critical winter range. Objectives: Allow for increased recreational use of the WMA while minimizing disturbance to 15

16 caribou during late winter and grizzly bears during spring. Strategies: Encourage snowmobile users and helicopter skiers to avoid areas currently occupied by caribou. Monitor effects of increased recreational use on wildlife and modify use numbers and/or location as required. Closures may be needed if wildlife is being severely impacted. Discourage vehicle traffic on roads which bisect important spring avalanche chutes by restricting road access or discouraging the construction of new roads which bisect spring avalanche chutes. Trapping/Hunting/Fishing Fishing, hunting, and trapping occur in the WMA. Parts of three registered traplines overlap the WMA. Given the current weak market for fur, trapping is likely to continue at low levels in the near future. However both fishing and hunting are likely to increase as more roads are opened for forestry. The Wilson and Hamling lakes are popular fishing areas while hunting probably occurs throughout the WMA. Objectives: Retain high quality hunting, trapping and fishing opportunities in the WMA. Strategies: Follow the Provincial Wildlife Management Policy to promote public use of wildlife within sustainable limits. Grazing No grazing occurs in the WMA. Limited grazing opportunities exist for the grazing of sheep or goats on recent cut-blocks or in the alpine. Objectives: Discourage livestock husbandry in the WMA. Strategies: Currently no cattle or sheep grazing is allowed in alpine areas in the WMA because the risk of conflict with grizzly bears is high; this approach should continue. Water Use Several water licensees have been issued on Kuskanax Creek including a community licence for the Village of Nakusp. Kuskananax Creek is a community watershed under the former Forest Practices Code and strict controls are in place to protect water quality. Objectives: Meet water quality objectives for the Kuskanax Creek watershed. Strategies: Follow current Forest Practices Guidelines for meeting water quality in Community Watersheds. 16

17 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY High Priority Strategies Management strategies discussed in this plan are listed below in order of importance. Retain adequate quantity and quality of winter habitat for caribou. Minimize human disturbance to caribou during late winter. Minimize disturbance to grizzly bears during spring and early summer by limiting traffic on roads which cross important chutes. Increase forage available to mountain goats by removing forest near escape terrain. Conduct regular caribou inventories in conjunction with the Regional Caribou Committee. Task Strategies The following on-going strategies have been identified in this plan. All are achieved through the application of regional land use guidelines. Protect water quality and quantity in Kuskanax Creek through the Riparian Areas and Community Watersheds guidelines in the Forest Practices Code. Ensure exploration and mineral applications follow the referral process described in KBLUP. follow the Provincial Wildlife Management Policy to promote public use of wildlife within sustainable limits. no cattle or sheep grazing is allowed in alpine areas because the risk of conflict with grizzly bears is high. follow current Forest Practices Guidelines for meeting water quality in. Monitoring Strategies A number of important species or ecosystems may occur in the WMA. However, we currently lack the information to assess these concerns. Much of the inventory required can be achieved through on-going efforts based on regional priorities. Inventory strategies are listed below. Conduct an archaeological inventory. Conduct an ecosystem inventory to identify rare plants or ecosystems. Conduct other species-based inventories in conjunction with regional wildlife inventory priorities. Monitor recreational use. 17