Effective Date: February 9, 2022
The Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Project (OCCP) values and respects your privacy. It is our policy to protect any information we collect from visitors to our website as well as any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) visitors may provide to us through our website.
This privacy policy explains how the OCCP uses the personal data we collect from you when you use our website.
Topics Covered on this Page:
- What data do we collect?
- How do we collect your data?
- How will we use your data?
- How do we store your data?
- Marketing
- What are your data protection rights?
- What are cookies?
- How do we use cookies?
- What types of cookies do we use?
- How to manage your cookies
- Privacy policies of other websites
- Changes to our privacy policy
- How to contact us
- How to contact the appropriate authorities
What data do we collect?
When you visit our website the OCCP automatically collects the following data:
- IP address
- Location
- Hardware and software details
- Clicked links
- Content viewed & time spent viewing
- Downloaded content
We will also collect your Email Address and Consent Info if you subscribe to the OCCP Newsletter.
How do we collect your data?
When you contact us using email, your email provides us with:
- Your email address
- Any other personal information you provide
If you subscribe to the OCCP Newsletter, the form you fill gives us:
- Your email address
- Your consent
When you visit the OCCP website:
- The CMS (content management system) the site is built with automatically records your:
- IP address
- operating system
- web browser
- site pages visited
- Google Analytics uses cookies to collect data on:
- pages viewed
- time of visit
- referring site
- type of web browser
- type of operating system
- network location
- IP address
- screen resolution
When you look at and/or interact with an OCCP Newsletter:
- Mailchimp uses tracking pixels to record that a newsletter email was opened
- Mailchimp places info into links in the newsletters that let them track and record if a link was clicked
How will we use your data?
The OCCP uses automated tools and Google Analytics to collect site visit data, in order to:
- Help administer and run the OCCP website
- Help troubleshoot problems and track performance
- Help understand how visitors use the site (so we can better serve them)
The OCCP uses Mailchimp to collect emails, consent info, and usage info (i.e. email openings and click-throughs) in order to:
- Email Newsletters to subscribers
- Have a record showing consent for receipt of those same newsletters
- Help us learn what Newsletter content is popular and drives engagement
Data sent to the OCCP via emails is used for the purposes of communications and running the OCCP.
- High level (i.e. not a list of gory details) example?
- High level example?
- No list necessary? Just go with the paragraph text?
How do we store your data?
The site visit data (automatically collected by the OCCP site's CMS) is stored on the secure server provided by the hosting service OCCP uses.
Data collected by Google Analytics and Mailchimp is stored on their respective, and secure, servers.
Data from emails sent to the OCCP is handled by Google's secure Gmail service.
Marketing
As far as the OCCP website is concerned, OCCP marketing efforts are limited to sending out Newsletters.
If you have agreed to receive OCCP Newsletters, you may always opt out at a later date. Every newsletter includes a button for unsubscribing.
Your Data Protection Rights
The OCCP would like to make sure you are fully aware of all of your data protection rights. Every user or visitor to the OCCP website is entitled to the following:
- The right to access
- You have the right to request the OCCP for copies of your personal data. We may charge you a small fee for this service.
- The right to rectification
- You have the right to request that the OCCP correct any information you believe is inaccurate. You also have the right to request the OCCP to complete the information you believe is incomplete.
- The right to erasure
- You have the right to request that the OCCP erase your personal data, under certain conditions.
- The right to restrict processing
- You have the right to request that the OCCP restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
- The right to object to processing
- You have the right to object to the OCCP’s processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
- The right to data portability
- You have the right to request that the OCCP transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.
If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using one of the following methods:
- Email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Phone: 250-469-6292
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Mail:
Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program,
1450 KLO Road,
Kelowna BC,
V1W 3Z4
What are cookies?
Cookies are text files placed on your computer to collect standard Internet log information and visitor behavior information. When you visit the OCCP website, we may collect information from you automatically through cookies or similar technology.
For further information, visit the All About Cookies website.
How do we use cookies?
The OCCP uses cookies in a number of ways to improve your experience on our website, including:
- Understanding how you find and use our website
- Understanding what you use (i.e. devices and screen sizes) to visit our website
- Monitoring how fast and responsive our site is for you
What types of cookies do we use?
The OCCP website uses Google Analytics which uses Statistic Cookies (a type of Persistent Cookie) to collect and report information anonymously. These cookies help the OCCP understand how visitors interact with its website.
Session Cookies (a type of Necessary/Essential Cookie) are also used by the OCCP website for tracking basic information about OCCP website visitors, as well as their interactions on the site.
The OCCP website software also uses Functionality Cookies (a type of Persistent Cookie) to "recognize" returning site visitors and "remember" their preferences. These cookies help the site work for its visitors.
How to manage cookies
You can set your browser to not accept cookies. See the All About Cookies website to learn how to remove cookies from your browser. Doing so is not expected to unduly affect OCCP website functionality. However, some minor functionality may suffer as a result.
If you want to delete Cookies or instruct your web browser to delete or refuse Cookies, please visit the help pages of your web browser:
-
For the Chrome web browser, see this page from Google: Clear cache & cookies
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For Microsoft's Edge web browser, try this page: Delete cookies in Microsoft Edge
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For the Firefox web browser, see this page from Mozilla: Clear cookies and site data in Firefox
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For the Safari web browser, try this page from Apple: Manage cookies and website data in Safari on Mac
Privacy policies of other websites
The OCCP website Privacy Policy only applies applies to the OCCP website. Though the OCCP website includes links to other websites, its Privacy Policy does not apply to those sites. If you click on a link to another website, you should read that site's privacy policy.
Changes to our privacy policy
The OCCP keeps its privacy policy under regular review and places any updates on this web page. This privacy policy was last updated on February 9, 2022.
How to contact us
If you have any questions about the OCCP website's Privacy Policy, the data we hold on you, or you would like to exercise one of your data protection rights, please do not hesitate to contact us.
- Email us at:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Phone us at: 250-469-6292
-
Write to us at:
Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program,
1450 KLO Road,
Kelowna BC,
V1W 3Z4
How to contact the appropriate authority
Should you wish to report a complaint or if you feel the OCCP has not addressed your concern(s) in a satisfactory manner, you may contact one of the following: the Provincial Information and Privacy Commissioner or the Federal Privacy Commissioner.
Nurturing natural solutions: The Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program and it’s partners envision a future in which the growing threat of climate change can be mitigated by protecting and restoring ecosystems. In 2021, OCCP will be coordinating knowledge sharing and working with its partners to develop actions and collaborative ways to implement Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change.
What are Nature-based Solutions (NbS)?
Nature-based Solutions is an umbrella concept for ecosystem-based management practices that mitigate the impacts of climate change. It can include projects such as disaster risk reduction, ecosystem connectivity, reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG), carbon sequestration and green infrastructure.
NBS’s have the potential to help in climate adaptation and mitigation strategies for relatively low costs. For example, restoring natural forests in upper catchment areas can help to protect communities downstream from flooding, and at the same time as increase carbon sequestration and protect biodiversity.
Climate change and Canada
Canada has experienced a higher rate of warming than most other regions of the world, particularly in its far-north and west. Average temperatures in Canada have already increased by 1.7 degrees Celsius since 1948. This increase has led to the melting of permafrost and ice in the Arctic, sea-level rise, and more frequent and severe weather including heat extremes and major changes in precipitation.
Canada is also home to a quarter of the world’s intact forests. Every year, forests across the world absorb approximately 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2, which is a third of the emissions released from burning fossil fuels. Canada’s rate of intact forest landscape loss is only exceeded by Russia and Brazil, globally. Furthermore, this unsustainable logging is for throwaway products such as toilet paper. In 2016, a total of 766,659 hectares of Canada’s forest were logged, a size that is bigger than the Banff National Park.
Changing Climate in the Okanagan Valley
The Okanagan region is predicted to have multi-fold impacts across different seasons. By the 2050s, on average the region will have 22 days above 30°C per year; currently, we have 5 days above 30°C. Winters are set to get warmer with recurrent drastic fluctuations in the water and snow cycle.
Old-growth forests in B.C. can store over 1,000 tonnes of carbon per hectare, one of the highest rates on earth. Intact primary forests slow climate change by absorbing and storing carbon. Since 2002, the forests in British Columbia have not been carbon sinks due to the impacts of logging and loss of forest by fire forests.
The Okanagan region is predicted to have multi-fold impacts across different seasons. By the 2050s, on average the region will have 22 days above 30°C per year; currently, we have 5 days above 30°C. Winters are set to get warmer with recurrent drastic fluctuations in the water and snow cycle.
Old-growth forests in B.C. can store over 1,000 tonnes of carbon per hectare, one of the highest rates on earth. Intact primary forests slow climate change by absorbing and storing carbon. Since 2002, the forests in British Columbia have not been carbon sinks due to the impacts of logging and loss of forest by fire forests.
Source: British columbia 2020 update of provincial inventory
Nature-based solutions for Climate Change Action
Canada has a vital role to play in the global fight against climate change, we have the highest ratio of trees to people in the world. The biggest and oldest trees in Canada are found in British Columbia, these forests also have the highest carbon storage per hectare.
Natural forests are giant carbon vaults, the amount of carbon stored in their leaves, wood, and in soil is more carbon than all accessible coal, oil and gas reserves combined. The scientific community has stressed adaptive action and limiting global warming to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The role of forests in climate change is two-fold. When forests are cut down and degraded they can contribute up to 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Annually 5 - 10 GtCO2 emissions arise from deforestation. Restoration of the degraded landscape combined with protecting intact forests will help reduce atmospheric carbon.
“It is estimated that nature-based climate change solutions can absorb 37% of the required reductions that are necessary to reduce global temperatures and ensure we don’t have a 2-degree celsius increase by 2030.”
Canada’s network of protected areas provides a natural solution for climate change. With a quarter of the world’s intact wetlands, boreal forests, endangered prairie grasslands and the longest coastline. Since the Industrial revolution, forest carbon absorption has helped slow the impacts of climate change. Today, around 25% of global Greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans are absorbed by forests.
Forests also have a direct impact on the water and snow cycle and regulate the flow to decrease seasonal fluctuations.
While carbon released from deforestation contributes to climate change, forests can play a crucial role in addressing the effects of climate change. To find a solution to climate change, we need to protect biodiversity, restore forests and act in advance. Replanted and young forests begin to sequester more carbon than they release after 13 years of growth. The Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program shall work in synergy with stakeholders across various sectors to strengthen and restore British Columbia’s rich biodiversity.
Further readings
The OCCP statement of cooperation serves as a statement of partner's shared principles, goals and challenges. Each organization participating as a partner in the OCCP has signed this statement.
Statement of Cooperation for the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP)
between Allan Brooks Nature Centre Society, the Ministry of Environment, Environment Canada, South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program, Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia, the Land Conservancy of British Columbia, Ducks Unlimited Canada, North Okanagan Naturalists Club, Sustainable Environment Network Society, City of Vernon, Central Okanagan Regional District, Okanagan Basin Water Board, Nature Conservancy of Canada, The Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia, North Okanagan Parks and Natural Areas Trust, District of Lake Country, the Regional District of the North Okanagan, District of Coldstream, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Central Okanagan Naturalist Club, Community Mapping Network of BC, City of Kelowna, Village of Lumby, City of Armstrong, District of West Kelowna, Science Opportunities for Kids, Okanagan Partnership Society, Central Okanagan Land Trust, District of Peachland, UBCO Lake Magazine, UBCO Centre for Social, Spatial, & Economic Justice, Vernon in Transition, Bishop Wild Bird Sanctuary, Society for the Protection of Kalamalka Lake.
We see a special place where …
… the future of biodiversity is secure and the ecological integrity of the unique landscape is protected.
… species can continue to migrate between the interior of BC and the desert areas of the western United States.
… people of all ages can enjoy the natural beauty the area has to offer.
... the traditional values and knowledge of the Aboriginal people of the Okanagan are honoured and applied to new challenges.
… our common goal of sustainability addresses the use of resources to meet current needs (environmentally, socially and economically) while ensuring resources are available for many future generations.
We believe that ...
...biodiversity is a key component of Canada's national heritage.
Both Canada and British Columbia have made international and national commitments to conserve biological diversity. Canadians from all walks of life are committed to preserving this rich component of our national heritage for the enjoyment and education of future generations.
Biodiversity has inherent and ecosystem services values as well as economic consequences that justify its conservation. These values must be preserved for many future generations of Canadians
… the Okanagan Valley natural system is a unique and special place.
The Okanagan Valley is an area of uncommon richness of biodiversity. The mixture of large lake/riparian habitats, undeveloped grasslands and dry forest habitats host species that do not occur elsewhere in Canada, making the Okanagan one of Canada’s three most endangered ecosystems with international importance. The area also forms a biological corridor that connects the shrub-steppe habitats of the Columbia Basin with the grasslands of the Thompson Valley and Coniferous forests to the north. The corridor is crucial for many species of birds that migrate through it annually between summer and winter ranges. It is also key to the long-term movement of species as they adapt to changing environmental conditions, including climate change. As the climate warmed after the last ice age, the corridor was the principal portal of entry of southern plants and animals into the dry grasslands of central British Columbia. The area is home to an increasing number of people drawn by the superb quality of life -- the beauty of the landscape, the mild climate, and a richness of resources. It supports a wide range of agricultural, forestry, manufacturing, recreational and tourism activities.
… the future of the Okanagan natural system is threatened.
We cannot take the future health of the Okanagan natural system for granted. The area’s economic wealth has long been based on its abundant natural resources. Today, however, population growth and associated human activities threaten the natural environment that has made it so special and attractive. Climate change and its effects such as Beetle infestations are having an impact the Okanagan environment. Several species residing in the Okanagan are listed as nationally threatened, endangered or vulnerable1, and Okanagan Chinook Salmon and Okanagan Sockeye Salmon have COSEWIC status. Over a third of all provincially red-listed species are found in the Okanagan.
… it is not too late to save the natural system for our children and for their children.
We have today an opportunity for action as unique as the natural system itself. All the necessary factors for a successful conservation program are in place. Governments (including First Nations), non-government organizations, community groups and individuals are aware of the many challenges to the natural system. We have the desire to preserve this special place. The sound science we need to make informed policy choices is at hand. The commitment to cooperation and partnerships is stronger than ever.
… protecting this special place is our shared responsibility.
With this Statement of Cooperation we are focusing the energies and efforts of the conservation partners so that each can make a distinctive yet coordinated contribution toward addressing the environmental challenges facing the natural system. We will engage the considerable skills, energy and resources of governments, community groups, educators, youth, workers, industry and business. We intend to work through the many cooperative mechanisms currently in place to inform and involve local governments, community groups, educators, youth, workers, industry and business. This will help ensure an open and transparent process of establishing priorities, identifying opportunities for effective cooperative action, and measuring progress. We will work with and be guided by community supported; broad based planning initiatives that affect the Okanagan natural system. The Growth Management Strategies and Official Community Plans of Regional Districts in the Okanagan will be key planning tools that will help to focus our efforts in the Okanagan natural system.
… the Syilx2 people of the Okanagan have special responsibilities to their ancestors and to future generations on their territories.
Through long historical relationships, the Syilx along with neighbouring nations have acquired unique spiritual and cultural connections to their lands. The Syilx will continue their traditional role as caretakers on their territory. Syilx will work closely with communities within traditional Syilx territory to ensure that their traditional ecological knowledge and unique perspective sets a high standard for all in efforts to conserve and protect their homeland.
… we will build on the progress made to date.
In our efforts to work closely together for the future of the Okanagan natural system, we will build on the many worthwhile conservation activities and excellent working relationships that have been established in the area. Many programs and initiatives have resulted in protection of significant portions of the landscape, successful stewardship projects, informative research, and an array of excellent publications.
We intend to …
… work together to meet common challenges for the future of the Okanagan natural system.
The Statement of Cooperation serves as a statement of our shared principles, goals and challenges. We have established common priorities, a means of better coordinating many of the initiatives already underway and have provided a framework for collaboration on future initiatives in the area through the Okanagan Conservation Program Prospectus.
… translate our commitments into annual Action Plans.
To put into practice this Statement of Cooperation, we intend to establish a working group of senior-level representatives of the conservation partners. The goals of this group will be to develop annual Action Plans to secure habitat and manage key habitats, support and encourage sustainable land use practices and decisions, jointly consider long term planning issues including recovery plans for species at risk, and share scientific information on the natural system.
… continually monitor our progress and address emerging challenges.
In seeking to preserve and enhance the Okanagan natural system, we intend to work together in an open and accountable manner, monitor our progress and consider new priorities for action. We recognize that research, monitoring and evaluation activities will provide new information and may indicate the need to pursue new and different strategies. We are committed to changing our approaches, priorities and management as new information becomes available. We intend to meet on an annual basis to review progress under this Statement of Cooperation and provide direction on future priorities.
In working together towards the goals set out in this Statement of Cooperation, we need and welcome the ideas and efforts of all residents and organizations concerned about the future of their special place, the Okanagan natural system. It is our intention to add new signatures to the Statement of Cooperation as new partners embrace the vision outlined in this document.
1. Confirmed - Long-billed curlews, flammulated owls, skinks, gopher snakes, painted turtles, grasshopper sparrows, swainson’s hawks, rattlesnakes, screech-owls, spadefoots, badgers, grizzly bears, racers, short-eared owls, rubber boas, spotted bats, townsend's big-eared bats, western toads, and Lewis's woodpeckers.
2. The Syilx speaking people’s lands lie on both sides of the Okanagan River, east to the Selkirk range, west to the Cascades summit, south into Washington bounded by the Columbia River and Lake Chelan and north up to Salmon River.
Vision
The Okanagan landscape sustains biological diversity and ecological processes, while supporting a sustainable community for many generations. Healthy ecosystems and habitat networks are valued and conserved by decision-makers and citizens as the basis for health, livelihoods, livable communities, and economic development.
Mandate
To coordinate and facilitate conservation and stewardship efforts on public and private lands, set conservation and stewardship goals and objectives, and generate the support and resources needed to maintain this effort.
Guiding Principles
Development and implementation of the OCCP is guided by the following principles:
- Support and involvement of the community and the development of partnerships are vital to the success of the OCCP.
- Available resources will be optimized by collaborating with partners, coordinating projects and forming broader conservation initiatives.
- Decision making will be guided by the principles of adaptive management, where results will be assessed and actions adjusted based on what has been learned through research, monitoring and evaluation.
- The need for confidentiality of information will be respected and upheld, recognizing that different groups and/or individuals may require different levels of privacy.
- Resources will be coordinated and facilitated for best management practices on public and private lands.
- Decisions related to conservation activities will be guided by the precautionary principle, that is, when an activity poses a threat to the environment, measures should be taken to counter these threats even if the cause and effect relationships have not been fully established.
- Priorities for action will be based on the experience of land and resource managers, information generated by researchers, the interests and concerns of the community, and traditional ecological knowledge of First Nations.
- The application of ecologically based land use planning will be supported by setting objectives for land and resource use, gathering and analyzing information, and formulating and evaluating alternative policies, projects, or designs to meet those objectives with respect to the use of land.
- Through the application of best management practices, natural resource dependant activities such as ranching, agriculture, tourism and forestry may be compatible with some sensitive ecosystems and lands secured for conservation.
Goals:
Goal 1: Integrating knowledge and decision-making for ecological planning
The OCCP collaborates with all levels of government and provides each with the appropriate information to make well-researched policy and planning decisions that result in the maintenance of functioning ecological corridors and representation of all four major habitat types in the Okanagan Valley. Over the next five years the OCCP has chosen to focus on urban land use planning, while recognizing the significance of other land tenure issues that impact natural systems.
Goal 2: Achieving Conservation through Communication
Effective communication enables the OCCP to build on accomplishments and to maintain credibility. The following objectives aim at engaging a dynamic community to meet the challenges of ecological conservation. In order to achieve the goal, the objectives seek to creatively develop and apply communication strategies.
Goal 3: Providing Quality and Successful Service
This goal concerns how we strive to achieve our ambitious strategic plan using the experience and expertise of contractors, partners, and volunteers—the members of the OCCP.
The following strategies lay out the energy, heart, and muscle for successful implementation of the goals in the three main areas:
- Finances and Support Resources
- Communications
- Project Management
Finances, like energy, enable us to accomplish our plans. Not only does OCCP rely on money, but also a host of support resources, that is services and products provided in-kind, or as a donation. The strategies outlined under this OCCP financial objective are key elements for the OCCP's financial sustainability. They rely on a few key components including a financial subcommittee, funding plans, and an efficient financial management system.
Internal communications are critical for reaching strategic outcomes and evoking the spirit of an organization. Communication must respond to the cultures of our members and foster integrity and assertion of our mission. Therefore, within a climate of collaborative and fulfilling relations, interactive communication can successfully direct resources towards strategic outcomes, adapt to change, and harness opportunities.
Finally, a creative and resourceful team structure is needed to facilitate, coordinate, and otherwise carry out the many projects that emerge from the strategic plan. With oversight by the OCCP Steering Committee, Action Teams will ensure that partners actively implement specific projects, adapting and innovating in the dynamic nature of our work.
In addition to the groundwork required to incubate and maintain these teams, specialized services and knowledge will be needed to complete the tasks at hand. To optimally use limited and valuable resources, contractors will be retained for specific assignments, and will be accountable to project managers identified from the Action Team, OCCP Coordinator, and/or Steering Committee. This will create a new work environment, requiring entrepreneurial and business thinking as well as respect of the voluntary, in-kind, and compensated contributions of the community.
Who We Are
The Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP) is a collaboration of governments and conservation oriented organizations working together, sharing information and carrying out research to fill knowledge gaps, and set priorities on conservation issues in the Okanagan basin of British Columbia, Canada.
More specifically, the OCCP consists of 40 organizations that work to conserve and restore natural areas in the Central and North Okanagan. The partners include all levels of government, environmental organizations, stewardship groups, land trusts, naturalist clubs and academia. The Program is guided by The Biodiversity Strategy for the Okanagan Region, which was developed through the collaborative effort of 80 organizations.
Our Purpose is Action, Communication, and Education, not Lobbying or Advocating
OCCP Initiatives Focus On:
- Integrating conservation into land use decision making processes
- Expanding the existing networks of parks and protected areas
- Conducting and implementing environmental research
- Increasing public awareness for environmental conservation through education
- Establishing new methods to finance conservation
What We Do
We facilitate projects that focus on maintaining regional biodiversity, protecting Species at Risk, maintaining ecological connectivity throughout the Okanagan Basin, and balancing regional growth with conservation.
Our Partners
OCCP partners have each signed a Statement of Cooperation, outlining their shared concern for local biodiversity and commitment to work together toward conservation objectives.
Partners in the OCCP include local, regional, provincial and federal levels of government (Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), BC Ministry of Environment (BC MOE), regional districts, and municipalities), land trusts, stewardship and outreach organizations.