Ministry eyes expansions to Cranberry Marsh

Councillors Hugo Mulyk and Hollie Blanchette, alongside Corporate Officer Carleena Shepherd, watch a presentation from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship during the March 11th Council meeting. /Abigail Popple

By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG

The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship may add an additional 95 hectares to Cranberry Marsh, also known as the Starratt Wildlife Management Area, by the end of the year.

In a presentation to Council on March 11th, Ecosystems Biologist Sherri Elwell and Section Head of Landbase Stewardship in the Omineca region Duncan McColl outlined the process for amending the area’s management plan.

Sitting just south of Valemount, the 319-hectare land parcel is an important habitat for waterfowl and migratory birds, Elwell said. The location’s designation as a wildlife management area confers strong, long-term protections on the area, she added.

The management plans for wildlife management areas provide guidelines on how to conserve local wildlife and habitat, and establish site-specific regulations, according to a webpage from the Ministry. According to Elwell and McColl, Ministry officials are in the process of amending the Starratt Wildlife Management Area plan, with amendments set to be complete by fall.

Expanding the management area

Crown Land surrounds the north and south sides of the marsh, 42 hectares of which may be added to the wildlife management area.

The Cranberry Marsh/Starratt Wildlife Management Area in Valemount, managed by the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, may be expanded by a total of 95 hectares in the coming year. The areas in purple outline the 42 hectares of Crown Land that the area may expand to include, while the yellow areas outline potential land parcels from the Nature Trust of B.C. /WLRS

A proposed expansion on the marsh’s north side would allow the canoe launch to be officially part of the wildlife management area, Elwell said. While the launch is typically considered to be part of the area, it does not technically fall under the area included in the current management plan, she said.

“This would provide a clear pathway moving forward on future activities in that area, such as development of a larger information kiosk,” Elwell added.

The Ministry has also identified a possible area of expansion along the southern edge of the marsh. Expanding the wildlife management area to encompass this land would more accurately reflect the extent of the wetland, according to Elwell.

Additionally, the Nature Trust of BC has land parcels on the western side of Highway 5 totalling about 53 hectares which it may contribute to the wildlife management area. Managing these parcels would allow the Ministry to undertake wetland restoration on that land, according to Elwell’s presentation.

Other improvements

Over the past 10 years, the Ministry and its conservation partners have undertaken projects such as trail resurfacing, signage replacement, and invasive plant management, among other initiatives, according to Elwell. Notably, the Village installed the raised wooden boardwalk on the northern edge of the marsh, she said.

The marsh may see similar improvements under the revised management plan, according to Elwell. Parts of the trail on the marsh’s eastern side have been washed out or submerged during floods, so Ministry officials hope to add an elevated boardwalk through that area.

Next steps

Revising the management plan will be a collaborative process with the Ministry’s external partners, which include the Village of Valemount, Simpcw First Nation, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Nature Trust of BC, and the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Elwell said. The Ministry will begin formal engagement throughout the spring, she added.

“We’re reaching out to our conservation partners now to discuss the proposal and solicit initial feedback,” Elwell said. “The first next step will be to conduct formal consultation… this would involve an information package and a formal request for comment from our conservation partners, government agencies, First Nations and other stakeholders.”

Ministry officials will include the information they gather in the proposal package for the amended wildlife management plan, Elwell said. She says the Ministry hopes to have the amendment proposal package complete by fall, though the timeline may change.

After Elwell and McColl concluded the presentation, Council moved to receive the delegation.

“It’s really nice to hear and see that this is coming to fruition,” said Councillor Hugo Mulyk, who added that he had previously worked on conserving the marsh with a different ministry. “It’s really nice to see this moving in the direction that we’d all hoped [for].”

Deputy Mayor Hollie Blanchette thanked Elwell and McColl for the presentation.

“Thank you for taking the time to let us know what’s happening,” Blanchette said. “We look forward to the springtime meeting with all of the stakeholders.”

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