The Grassland Monitoring Project began in 2002 to develop a practical manual for ranchers to assess grassland status and trend.
With guidance from a Provincial Technical Advisory Committee, a methodology was established based on the Alberta Rangeland Health Assessment for Grassland, Forest and Tame Pasture . The methodology is based on biotic, soil and hydrological indicators relevant to BC's ecological diversity and plant communities. Over the past five years, field sampling was completed and data collected from over 200 sites throughout the province. In conjunction with field sampling, workshops and meetings were conducted with ranchers and the range community to produce four regional prototyples for the sagebrush grasslands, upper Cariboo grasslands, fescue grasslands of the Thompson, Nicola and Okanagan and the East Kootenay grasslands.
The next phase of this project is to further refine the methodology to ensure consistent and scientifically credible results for assessing grassland status and trend, as well as finalizing a simple methodology for photo-point monitoring, an essential component to any monitoring manual. All field work will be completed during the 2007 field season and a final manual encompassing all four regions or grassland types will be edited and designed for printing by March 31, 2008.
As the final manual is produced, communication and extension to livestock associations, BC Cattlemen's Associations, Ministry of Forests and Range, Ministry of Environment and ranchers in grassland regions across BC will become the key focus of this initiative. This will include acquiring formal endorsement from Ministry of Forests and Range and the BC Cattlemen's Association; the development of a training package and program to be delivered in partnership with both groups; the development and delivery of a pilot program to conduct formal operational testing and the inclusion of the manual into existing programs, such as the Environmental Farm Planning process and documentation.
This is a timely and important initiative that has the support of the cattle industry, key provincial ministries and various other partners. Through these partnerships, the Grassland Monitoring Project will ensure there is a positive difference in how these rangelands and grasslands are managed.
Based on five questions and three photos, the manual will be practical, simple to use and will provide an effective tool for ranchers and other practitioners to assess grassland status and to monitor trend over time.
To learn more about range management in BC, visit www.for.gov.bc.ca/hra/
For more information, contact the GCC by email or by telephone at 250.374.5787.
Grassland Monitoring Annual Report 2006-2007 Download here
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