R&D Project:

Wildlife Policy Committee

Overview

Status: Completed

Project Timeline: January 1999 – December 2004

Objectives

  1. Inform the public of continuing involvement of rancher/farmers in feeding resident wildlife on private land and throughout the year.
  2. Clarify who is accountable for wildlife activity on private land.
  3. Find long term solution(s) that work for all parties involved.
  4. Educate the public about the positive relationship that ranchers and farmers have with wildlife.
  5. Continue towards developing policy to deal with wildlife-agricultural conflicts.

Progress

  • Organized wildlife panel discussion at Forage Seminar in January 2000.
  • Two day Wildlife Symposium held Jan 2001 & proceedings produced.
  • Stackyard Fencing Program established.
  • Delegates of PRRD Wildlife Committee met at Donaldsons’ farm Oct 2001.
  • Letter to PRRD & Ministries Dec 2003 recommending policy changes.
  • Developed Residential Wildlife Policy “Wildlife habituated to the agricultural land reserve are easily identified by their continued presence there. If conflict arises, special steps must be taken to move, manage or harbor these animals to minimize or mitigate conflict. This would require cooperation and authority of the ministry in charge of agriculture and individual producers”.

Other Resources

  • Wildlife policy pamphlet: “Tool Chest of Solutions”
  • Proceedings from Wildlife Symposium
  • PRRD minutes from Wildlife Policy meetings
  • BCCA Compensation Program

Project Contacts

  • Julie Robinson
    BC Min of Agriculture
  • Rick Kantz

For more information on older projects, please contact our coordinator.