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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

  • 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.  Please visit the website: ecosystem vulnerability and the 11 reports from this work are available for download here: climate reports – kootenays .
  • 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
  • Climate Change and BC’s Forest and Range Ecosystems.This report provides an overview of the types of impacts from climate change that were anticipated in 2009, prepared for the Provincial Government. The only difference today is that we are on an accelerated trend towards these changes. CC-EI_report_3-5-09_Final
  • Impacts 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?       Report available here:Holt_Review of ABA_FinalApril2016
  • 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 may be available here : Provincial Cumulative Effects

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.

Forest Management Standards

The Coast Information Team (CIT) was devised to provide a scientific basis for Ecosystem Based Management. This group 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. The CIT wrote:

Old and Ancient Forest Assessments

BC’s Old Growth: A Last Stand for Biodiversity

In 2020 we wrote a technical status report for old forest in British Columbia in order to inform the conversation around current condition, likely future risk and the need to update old forest policy in BC.

  • Karen, Rachel and Dave wrote this report under our own steam after each working in old forest management issues in BC for more than 20 years. We saw a longstanding gap in publicly-available analysis and were moved to start to fill that gap, particularly in order to help inform the provincial Old Growth Panel.
  • We thank David Leversee who helped to compile the publicly available provincial data, and thank also the various people who contributed photographs and design support to help tell this important story to professionals and the public.
  • The report can be found here: bcs-old-growth-forest-report-web
  • The following high resolution maps from the report are available for viewing:

Karen, Rachel and Dave wrote this report as volunteers to address a longstanding gap in publicly-available analysis. Being able to inform the provincial Old Growth Panel increased our urgency.

We thank David Leversee who helped to compile the publicly available provincial data, various photographers who contributed photographs, and our kind donor who paid for the report to be formatted.

Old Forest Condition and Function Assessment – Northeast BC

In 2019 Veridian assessed old forest condition and function in the Northeast of BC. This area has a high density of footprint from a combination of industrial forestry and extensive oil and gas development. The Northeast’s Regional Strategic Environmental Assessment requested the analysis, which was undertaken with Ecora Consulting.

Great Bear Rainforest

In 2016 we celebrated signing of the GBR plan and Act – after 14 years of work in designing low risk management approaches for the Great Bear Rainforest.

  • Almost five years later, the agreement is under implementation scrutiny.
  • Details of the agreement can be found: Great Bear Rainforest Agreement
  • Defining old forest and Recovering old growth on the coast: discussion of options. 2008. Holt,R., K. Price, L. Kremsater, A. Mackinnon and K. Lertzman. ei01b_old_growth_def

Defining Old Growth Forest for ecosystems in BC

High Conservation Value Forests

Biodiversity

Boreal Caribou Conservation

In 2017 Veridian worked with Fort Nelson First Nation to write a caribou management plan for BC’s boreal caribou. The Medzih Action Plan outlines the approach needed to prevent further declines of caribou by protecting the best remaining habitat today, and prioritising areas for short-term restoration. FNFN MAP press release FINAL 04Oct17

The Medzih Action Plan FNFN Medzih Action Plan FINAL medres provided the basis for an ongoing collaborative process with the provincial government, and a draft boreal caribou plan is still under negotiation in 2020.

A technical backgrounder on why the provincial efforts to date had failed caribou is provided here: FNFN MAP Technical Backgrounder FINAL

BC Biodiversity

These two reports present and discuss key functional elements and other ‘special’ elements of biodiversity in BC. They are incorporated into the Province of BC’s Nature’s Pulse 2009.

Endangered Forests

  • 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

  • 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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