Publications & Reports
Click the links below for a selection of Veridian reports. Please contact Rachel directly for additional information and copies of reports if they are unavailable below.
- Climate Change
- From Science to Management
- Environmental Risk Assessments and Analysis
- Forest Management Standards
- Old and Ancient Forest Assessments
- Ecological Restoration
Climate Change
- Veridian Ecological Consulting undertook a Kootenay Resilience Analysis – focused on climate change projections and adaptation strategies for forested ecosystems in the West Kootenays. Reports cover the specifics of climate vulnerability, resilience, climate projections, adaptation options and social barriers to change. For all 11 reports from this project, please visit the website: http://westkootenayresilience.org/
- Conservation Mapping for the Kootenay region in the face of climate change. Lead by Greg Utzig, this project uses data on values, existing protection and connectivity needs to identify management strategies for key zones on the landbase. Maps and Reports are available at: Conservation Mapping Project
- Conservation and Adaptation in British Columbia: Strategic Opportunities in a Climate Changing World. This report looks at ecological values, the human footprint and climate change pressures for British Columbia. These patterns together result in a need to rethink conservation and adaptation strategies. Maps of provincial patterns for ecological values, footprint, climate change and carbon provide a strategic overview, and each ecoprovince is discussed on its own merits. Report available at: Climate and Conservation in BC
- Darkwoods Conservation Area: Climate and Fire Vulnerability Analysis. Climate change requires us to re-assess both management and conservation strategies. This report provides an adapting to changes in climate and particularly fire, on Darkwoods Conservation Area in Southern BC. Darkwoods_Fire_Vulnerability
From Science to Management
- An Analysis of the Oil and Gas Commissions Area-based Analysis.To what degree are cumulative effects assessed and managed for in Northeast BC? Contact Rachel questions about this analysis.
- A Land Stewardship Framework for Blueberry River First Nation territory. This report provides an analysis of the condition of the landscape and recommendations for immediate and longer term actions needed. BRFN Land Stewardship Framework-FINAL-June28_2016
- An Ecosystem Based Land Management Framework – Prepared for Fort Nelson First Nation.
- Forest Biodiversity: Provincial Cumulative Effects Framework. Development of an approach. (2014) This work is ongoing by the province and reports are available at: Provincial Cumulative Effects
- How much is really enough?: Informing old growth targets with threshold science. Prepared for the Ecosystem-based Management Working Group of the BC Integrated Land Management Bureau.
Environmental Risk Assessments and Analysis
- Howser Glacier Independent Power Project Old Growth Assessment.
- Haida Gwaii/ Queen Charlotte Islands Land Use Plan: Comparison with two Basecases – A Summary of Results.Describes the environmental implications of the two recommendation options provided by the Haida Gwaii Community Planning Forum, and compares these outputs to risk levels associated with current forest management policy. Please contact Veridian for a copy of this report.
- A primer on ERA developed for the BC Ministry of Forests (Strategic Land Policy and Legislation Branch) Environmental Risk Assessment: An Introduction with Examples from Haida Gwaii/ Queen Charlotte Islands.
- Current state of environmental values on Haida Gwaii, including background on risk assessment and terminology. Environmental Conditions Report for the Haida Gwaii/ Queen Charlotte Islands Land Use Plan.
- North Coast land use planning – environmental risk assessment. North Coast Land Resource Management Plan Environmental Risk Assessment: Base Case. Course Filter Biodiversity Final Report.
Forest Management Standards
- Development of Forest Management Standards to support the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement. See author for details. Rachel was a member of a Canada-wide team tasked with developing ecosystem based management standards for the Canadian Boreal Forest.
- A handbook outlining low risk management strategies for coastal BC. Rachel was a member of the Coast Information Team . Ecosystem-Based Management Planning Handbook.
- A science review to support development of the low risk management strategies outlined. Prepared as a member of the Coast Information Team. The Scientific Basis of Ecosystem-Based Management.
The core Coast Information Team comprised (in alphabetical order): Rachel F. Holt, Laurie Kremsater, Andy MacKinnon, Jim Pojar, and Karen Price. Brigitte Dorner, Pamela Dykstra, and Faisal Moola provided draft text for sections in their areas of expertise.
Old and Ancient Forest Assessments
Old Growth Forest Conservation
- Recent work includes development of low risk management approaches for the Great Bear Rainforest agreement. In 2016, we celebrated signing of the GBR plan and Act – after 14 years of work. Details of the agreement can be found: Great Bear Rainforest Agreement
Defining Old Growth Forest
- Mountain pine beetles (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and old-growth forest characteristics in the Moist Interior Plateau, Vanderhoof Forest District. Prepared for West Fraser Sawmills, Fraser Lake, BC.
- Defining Old-Growth Forests in the ICHwk1 BEC Variant in the Nelson Forest Region. Prepared for Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation, Downie Street Sawmills, and Pope and Talbot (Nakusp), with funding from Forest Renewal BC.
- Definitions of old-growth in the MSdk BEC unit in the Nelson Forest Region. Prepared for the Inter-agency Management Committee, Land Use Coordination Office, BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks.
- An index of old-growthness for two BEC variants (ICHmw2 and ICHdw) in the Nelson Forest Region. Prepared for the Inter-agency Management Committee, Land Use Coordination Office, BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks.
High Conservation Value Forests
- A High Conservation Value Forest Assessment for Iisaak Forest Resources: Meeting Principle 9 of the Forest Stewardship Council Standards. Prepared for the WWF Canada Forest Program. Forests in Clayoquot Sound are managed under a Forest Stewardship Council certification. This report provides a detailed analysis of potential HCVFs in this region, and a series of recommendations relating to appropriate management.
Biodiversity
These two reports present and discuss key functional elements and other ‘special’ elements of biodiversity in BC.
- Key Elements of Biodiversity in British Columbia: Some Examples from the Terrestrial and Freshwater Aquatic Realm. Prepared for the BC Ministry of Environment, to support development of the BC Biodiversity Action Plan.
- Special Elements of Biodiversity in BC. Prepared for the BC Ministry of Environment, to support development of the BC Biodiversity Action Plan.
Endangered Forests
- Conservation Planning and Targets for the Coastal Douglas Fir Ecosystem. A Science Review and Preliminary Approach. Prepared for the BC Ministry of Natural Resource Operations, Integrated Land Management Bureau.
- Endangered Forests of the Inland Temperate Rainforest: An inventory of old-growth in Trout Lake and the Incomappleux. Prepared for the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program and ForestEthics. Highlights forest areas of exceptional old-growth values that are currently under threat. Conservation opportunities are discussed.
- State of the Environment Reporting: A framework and indicators for the Columbia Basin. Prepared for the Columbia Basin Trust. As part of an on-going process to develop a ‘Wellbeing’ or ‘State of The Basin’ report, the Columbia Basin Trust commissioned a report to identify potential environmental indicators. Here we review a wide range of ‘State of the Environment’ reports from around the world, and provide a detailed look at potential environmental indicators for the Columbia Basin.
- Biodiversity Conservation in BC: An Assessment of Threats and Gaps. Prepared for the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Biodiversity Branch. A review of the extent and diversity of threats to biodiversity occuring in BC. In addition, an overview of the existing protection and gaps in conservation. Intended to provide a basis for the development of a BC Biodiversity Strategy.
Ecological Restoration
- Environmental Best Management Practices: An annotated bibliography and searchable database. Prepared for the BC Conservation Lands Forum: Land Management Committee. The searchable database is available here as an MS Excel document.
- A framework for undertaking ecological restoration in BC. Prioritised on areas impacted by mountain pine beetle and catastrophic fires. Reports by region. Prepared for the BC Ministry of Environment, Ecosystems Branch.
- Ecological Restoration Priorities for BC. Based on a series of workshops held in 2002. Ordered by region, and summarised by province. Six Reports available from the author.
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