Short stories about eagles and other birds

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“In the Okanagan, southern Vancouver Island and the lower mainland, where our most endangered ecosystems are located, a large percentage of critical habitat is on private land [Sandborn]”.  Within these ecosystems, agriculture, forestry, and urbanization are placing many wildlife species at risk.

Within the Georgia Basin, only about 0.5% of the original mature Douglas-fir forest remains (and is Red-Listed) and of this, only about 0.06% of the original forest has been protected (Cousens, 1998). “The land around the Strait of Georgia is one of the hottest real estate markets in Canada. The number of people living around the Strait is expected to double over the next two decades. And with this increase in population comes pollution and habitat loss. In the past 10 years, about 30 hectares of rural land has been converted to housing for every 1000 people settled here (Butler)”.

In the Okanagan there are many sensitive and endangered ecosystems.  The Central Okanagan has only 0.06% remaining of its old forest ecosystem and of the mature conifer woodlands and forests ecosystems few are high quality and most are altered due to selective logging and fire exclusion.  In the South Okanagan coniferous forests, only small areas of Douglas-fir, western larch, and old growth Ponderosa pine are available (Environment Canada).   Many species in the Okanagan are dependant on wildlife tree habitats including the White-headed woodpecker and the Western Screech-Owl macfarlanei subspecies which are designated as endangered by COSEWIC and SARA.   In addition, the Lewis' Woodpecker is COSEWIC and SARA rated as a species of special concern.