UNBC is a key partner in a project investigating mitigation measures to protect landscapes and salmon habitats following severe wildfires.
Tsecmenúl̓ecwem-kt, or We Repair the Land, is a three-year, $4 million dollar project that is taking action to restore the Deadman River west of Kamloops, which was severely impacted by the Sparks Lake wildfire in 2021.
The Skeetchestn Natural Resources Corp. is leading the project in collaboration with UNBC, the University of British Columbia, Thompson Rivers University, the Ministry of Forests, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Salmon Foundation, SLR Consulting, Secwépemc Fisheries Commission and Urban Systems.
“The Tsecmenúl̓ecwem-kt Initiative is a very significant part of Skeetchestn’s responsibility to restore and protect our lands and waters in alignment with our traditional values,” said general manager of Skeetchestn Natural Resources Corps, Don Ignace.
“This initiative empowers us to address critical watershed impacts but has also deepened partnerships across communities, experts, and organizations. Through collaboration, we bring together diverse perspectives and knowledge systems, creating impactful, resilient solutions that honour our connection to the land and serve as a model for sustainable stewardship.”
UNBC’s role is as a partner of the science team, monitoring and assessing the hydrological, geomorphological and ecological responses.
“By using a combination of experiments on hillslopes, river channel monitoring, and remote sensing approaches, the science team will be able to help advise Skeetchestn Indian Band as to which of the mitigation measures are most effective,” said UNBC Department of Geograpgy, Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor and Research Chair, Dr. Phil Owens.
The goal of the project is to develop and refine an adaptive management approach, including a long-term monitoring program for the watershed, with an aim to accelerate its recovery, with the hope the project will produce learning outcomes that can be applied across the province.
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