“The voice of grasslands in British Columbia” SPRING | SUMMER 2020 BC GRASSLANDS MAGAZINE OF THE GRASSLANDS CONSERVATION COUNCIL OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Gold in the Grasslands Beresford Grasslands, Knutsford PHOTO: Mike Anfield BC GRASSLANDS MAGAZINE OF THE GRASSLANDS CONSERVATION COUNCIL OF BRITISH COLUMBIA The Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia (GCC) was established as a society in August 1999 and as a registered charity on December 21, 2001. We are dedicated to promoting education, conservation and stewardship of British Columbia’s grasslands in collaboration with our partners, a diverse group of organizations and individuals that includes government, range management specialists, ranchers, agrologists, ecologists, First Nations, Gold in the Grasslands land trusts, conservation groups, recreationists and grassland enthusiasts. Message from the Chair: An Honour Children Enjoying the Grasslands to Help Protect BC’s Grasslands A Photo Collection by GCC .................... 16 GCC MISSION: By Bob Haywood-Farmer ....................... 4 UÊÊÌÊvÃÌiÀÊ}Ài>ÌiÀÊÕ`iÀÃÌ>`}Ê GCC 2019 20th Anniversary AGM and appreciation for the Message from the Program and Field Day ecological, social, economic Manager: Making the Case for By Sarah Byrd ...................................... 18 and cultural importance of Grasslands grasslands throughout BC; By Brad Arner ..................................... 5 Plant Response to Grazing: Observing UÊÊ«ÀÌiÊÃÌiÜ>À`Ã «Ê>`Ê Changes in Community Structure sustainable management practices Message from the Editor: The Way and Individual Characteristics that will ensure long-term health I See it Undergraduate Research Project conducted of BC’s grasslands; and By Agnes Jackson ................................. 6 by Sarah Bayliff ................................... 19 UÊÊ«ÀÌiÊÌ iÊVÃiÀÛ>ÌÊ of representative grassland Message from Past Lieutenant Testing Management-Intensive Cattle ecosystems, species at risk Governor of BC—A Day in the Grazing as a Rangeland Restoration Tool and their habitats. Grasslands: Merritt Schools Visit to By Kristi Gordon, MSc. Candidate, Laurie Guichon Memorial Grasslands Thompson Rivers University ................... 20 GCC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Site EXECUTIVE By Judith Guichon ................................ 7 Ecologically Based Weed Management CHAIR - Bob Haywood-Farmer in Rangelands VICE CHAIR - Dr. Lauchlan Fraser A Dream Come True: The Clifton By Rachel Whitehouse, MSc Candidate, TREASURER - Mike Dedels Family Thompson Rivers University ................... 22 SECRETARY - Peter Jones By Holly Jackson .................................. 8 PROGRAM MANAGER - Brad Arner Using Targeted Grazing and Fuel BOARD OF DIRECTORS Wild Sheep and Grassland Ecosystems Breaks to Manage Fire Hazard and Greg Anderson By Wild Sheep Society of BC ....................... 12 Fuel Buildup in Grasslands Ian Barnett Walt Klenner, Ph.D., P. Ag. ..................... 24 Eleanor Bassett Agriculture and the Transition from David Borth Fossil Fuel Annual Report 2019: Grasslands Bob Gray By Peter Clark, Professor Emeritus, Conservation Council of BC Agnes Jackson Chemistry, University of Calgary............. 14 By Bob Haywood-Farmer, Chair .............. 28 Dennis Lloyd Mandy Ross READ MORE bcgrasslands.org/about-us/leadership/ COVER PHOTO We wish to gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Cattle gather on plateau above Trapp Lake, Frolek Cattle Co; Mike Anfield Photography Province of British Columbia in producing this publication. Editors: Agnes Jackson; Mark Hornell Design: Julianne Leekie, Fairwinds Design Message from the Chair An Honour to Help Protect BC’s Grasslands Bob Haywood-Farmer t is a great honour to be Laurie Guichon site is one location where this work Ia Grasslands Conservation continues. Council board member. What We live in a province where trees tend to rule—our I discovered when I joined the forest resources are vast and important. Recent events organization was an extremely such as the mountain pine beetle attack and large dedicated and hard working group of volunteers that make devastating fires have exposed the vulnerability of the up the board. It is humbling to sector. With climate change, these types of events are ‘lead,’ or more accurately to likely to increase. The public has been led to believe be led by such a hard working that planting trees is the best way to offset climate group. change by sequestering carbon and admittedly that is The board has had very generous help from important. The carbon stored in trees is primarily in the our program manager, Brad Arner, who has had above ground parts of the tree, in the wood. Recent experience as a manager with Ducks Unlimited. Hallie fire events have demonstrated how quickly that carbon MacDonald comes to us with years of experience can be returned back to the atmosphere! Cogeneration with BC Cattlemen’s to keep our books in order. plants that burn wood also return CO2 to the Judith Guichon, former Lieutenant Governor of BC, atmosphere. A less known but more long lasting way has been generous with her time and reminds us to to sequester carbon is through proper management of make education, particularly towards our youth, an our wetlands and our grasslands. Nothing sequesters important part of our mandate. carbon more effectively than perennial grasses. The Our annual meeting in Summerland this June was richest black soils of the world, high in carbon, are a highlight. We owe thanks to Don Gayton for his found in grassland ecosystems. The grasses draw CO2 contribution to our meeting organizing the venue from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and and including us in a very interesting field trip in the produce hydrocarbons that are deposited into the South Okanagan in the Vaseux Lake area, and also soil as roots are regenerated. A similar process takes the White Lake area on Nature Trust property. The place in wetlands where decaying plants deposit chance to meet Wade Clifton and hear about his hydrocarbons into the water where they are preserved management of cattle on these lands was particularly for all time under the water. If is fair to say that the rewarding. MP Dick Cannings also had supportive wetlands associated with grassland are among the words, having grown up in a grassland area on the most productive ones having a higher PH and high bench west of Penticton. nutrient levels. We were fortunate to be asked to participate in Even though grasslands make up only 1% of our a Gala fundraising event along with the Aurora land area in BC, they provide habitat for 1/3 of the Rotary group from Kamloops in early November. We endangered species. The threats to grasslands are are grateful to Mike Dedels and Peter Leishman for many. Subdivision of grassland areas into small including us in this event. Special thanks to all donors holdings usually results in poor management. The who made this a success—especially BC Cattlemen’s. spread of invasive plants into native grass lands is a One thing that is important to us is our connection huge threat, and rehabilitation is extremely difficult. to other organizations. We work cooperatively Tree encroachment into grassland also results in loss to with The Nicola Valley Round Table, particularly this ecosystem. The use of fire as a tool to control this in the management and research at the Laurie is difficult because there is often too much chance of Guichon Memorial site. We also have a seat on the damaging private infrastructure in the process. Utility Thompson Nicola Invasive Plant Committee, where corridors often pass through bringing in invasive plants an important pilot project with provincial funding is and proving future access that makes all of these an being carried out. Under the direction of Lauch Fraser, ongoing problem. The limited size of our grasslands, rehabilitation work that largely targets grassland the importance of them, and the many threats to them affected by invasive plants continues to be carried make our job as a society critical. It makes me proud to out with students of Thompson Rivers University. The be part of the Grasslands Conservation Council. 4 BC GRASSLANDS Message from the Program Manager Making the Case for Grasslands Brad Arner here’s no shortage of BC’s grasslands are perceived by the general Tissues for GCC to work public as expansive, primarily because the major travel on. All the pressures on corridors, southern interior communities and popular our grasslands that we’ve recreation areas are low elevation and surrounded talked about for 20 years by grasslands. You only need to look at Google continue. There have been Earth to see how the grasslands to the south in the some successes; mainly in U.S. only reach north as narrow fingers through BC grazing management and valleys. Unlike the once vast prairie grasslands east the recognition of the role BC of the Rockies, our BC grasslands have a different grasslands play in supporting distribution and ecology. Grasslands cover less Species at Risk. But the loss both functional and than 1% of our provincial land base. Their limited outright conversion continues. GCC has an important distribution is disproportionate to the economic, role to play as advocates for our natural environment. cultural and ecological values they provide. We often The pressures to “compromise and accommodate” hear that BC is the most diverse province in Canada, the demands of uncontrolled human population and grasslands provide a big part of that diversity. growth continue. Perhaps the best thing for I heard a quote a while ago, I can’t remember advocates of grasslands is to inform those around us who to give credit to, but it was “education is the who take grasslands for granted, or perhaps not think catalyst for change.” GCC has many activities it can be of them at all. We often find ourselves “preaching involved in, but I think it’s most important role is to be to choir” at meetings and conferences, which is the catalyst for change by being constant advocates important to keep the passion amongst us, but we for, and conveyor of information. Our strength as a need to reach out and have the hard discussions council made of diverse backgrounds with a common and present facts to the un- and ill-informed.