SCCA Files 50 Wildlife Habitat Area Nominations
The SCCA has formally nominated 50 areas of Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat in the Sunshine Coast Forest District (SCFD) for Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) designation.
The Marbled Murrelet is a small seabird that nests on mossy branches of old growth forests. Its original range extended from California to Alaska. These WHA nominations represent a small fraction of the birds’ nesting habitat that is unprotected and at risk.
The Marbled Murrelet is listed as Threatened by the federal government’s Committee on the Status of Endangered Species in Canada (COSEWIC) and is on Schedule One of Species At Risk Act (SARA). There are many reasons for the Threatened status of the bird the most significant of which are a steady decline in range and population numbers over roughly the last 60 years and an extensive loss of nesting habitat from logging.
Our nominations have been filed with the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Resource Operations (MOFLRO) and have also been submitted to First Nations. We understand that these nominations are unlikely to be established without First Nations support.
The 50 nominations are based on the highest level of currently available scientific research and verifiable evidence of habitat suitability. None of the nominations are in parks, ecological reserves or legally established Old Growth Management Areas (OGMAs). There was no consideration given to artificial boundaries such as that of the Timber Harvesting Land Base (THLB) or the boundaries of licensed resource tenures. As well, there were no social or economic considerations used in selecting areas for nomination.
Funding for the Habitat Area Nomination Project (HANP) was provided by the Vancouver Foundation, the Mountain Equipment Co-op, the Patagonia Environment Fund and our very own members and supporters. See overview maps of Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat in the SCFD and our nominations.
You can learn more about the Marbled Murrelet at the following links;
Coming soon… Conservation of marbled Murrelet nesting habitat has been a major objective of the SCCA since 1999. A brief history of these efforts (and results) will be posted shortly.
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