Cariboo-Chilcotin Ecosystem Restoration Committee

The Cariboo-Chilcotin Ecosystem Restoration Committee (CCERC) has worked since 2008 to identify and restore critical grasslands in the region.

The CCERC is a partnership between provincial and federal government, local First Nations, BC Cattlemen’s Association, various conservation societies and forestry professionals.  FBC offers support as secretariat.

The land base of the Cariboo-Chilcotin region has changed significantly in the last hundred years. Decades of fire suppression in what was naturally a fire-maintained ecosystem has contributed to more frequent and intense wildfires throughout the region, tree encroachment onto natural grasslands, losses in wildlife habitat and forage opportunities, and an in-growth of trees in previously open forests.

Ecosystem restoration — defined as the process of assisting with the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed by re-establishing its structural characteristics, species composition and ecological processes — is being applied in many areas throughout the Cariboo-Chilcotin in an effort to help mitigate some of the negative effects to the natural balance of the grasslands and forests.

The approach taken is a combination of thinning trees with a machine, hand slashing, removing trees, chipping, slash burning and prescribed burning. The treatments vary and depend on the goals of the prescription for each site.

Ecosystem Restoration Benefits

Through it project work, the Committee seeks to:

• Improve habitat for grassland-dependent native wild species, including wild deer, bighorn sheep, moose and many bird species, and rangeland for domestic cattle, by allowing grasses, shrubs and other native plants to flourish
• Contribute to the regions rich biodiversity by providing habitat for variety of at-risk species
• Increase flora important for First Nations cultural use, helping to sustain traditional ways of life
• Restore forest health and improves timber quality
• Reduce wildfire risks by removing forest fuels

Partners

• Ministry of Forests
• BC Wildfire Service
• Ministry of Agriculture and Food
• BC Parks
• Department of National Defence
• Northern Shuswap Tribal Council
• Carrier Chilcotin Tribal Council
• Tsilhqot'in National Government
• Cariboo Cattlemen's Association
• Grasslands Conservation Council
• Fraser Basin Council
• BC Wildlife Federation
• Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society
• Nature Conservancy of Canada
• Alex Fraser Research Forest

Resources

Here are key resources relevant to the Committee's work:

• Ecosystem Restoration Provincial Strategic Plan
• Priority Grasslands Initiative – Cariboo-Chilcotin Ecological Assessment (2019)
• Grasslands Conservation Council Webinar #1: Grasslands 101 with Dr. Wendy Gardner - YouTube
• Ecosystem restoration burns planned in Cariboo – BC Wildfire Service (gov.bc.ca)
• ECOLOGY & WILDLIFE | The Cariboo-Chilcotin Ecosystems Restoration Steering Committee: Serving the Region since 2008 - The Green Gazette Magazine 2016

Learn More

To learn more, visit the CCERC website or contact the Steering Committee:

Cariboo-Chilcotin Ecosystem Restoration Steering Committee
c/o Jane Wellburn, Regional Manager, Cariboo-Chilcotin (Fraser Basin Council)
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