Bulkley Valley Research Centre - Science in the Public Interest

Adding On: Knowledge Management and Cumulative Effects

Wednesday April 16, 2014  8:00am - Thursday April 17, 2014 1:30pm

Hudson Bay Lodge, 3251 E Hwy 16 - Smithers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Skeena Knowledge Trust launched at Adding On forum

A collaborative approach to compiling information about the Skeena watershed was unveiled at a forum hosted recently by the Bulkley Valley Research Centre.

The April 16-17 Adding On forum continued a discussion about cumulative effects that began at the centre’s 2012 Adding It All Up conference. The forum focused on knowledge management and the ways we collect and disseminate data so it can best contribute to informed decision-making.

“We’re adding meaning to raw data so that we can create a discussion around what’s out there,” forum co-chair Don Morgan said. “Through discussions at the forum, we moved closer to a knowledge trust for the Skeena watershed.”

Roughly 50 participants representing First Nations, government, conservation, resource management and industry attended the event, held at Hudson Bay Lodge in Smithers. The two-day event included presentations, breakout groups, panel discussions and participant feedback through five-minute forums.

Smithers lawyer Richard Overstall and Eclipse GIS’s Johanna Pfalz introduced the Skeena Knowledge Trust, which creates a common source of credible data that's available to everyone. A trust separates value judgments from objective science in a way that's legally enforceable, Overstall told forum participants.

Ivan Thompson, wild salmon ecosystems program officer with The Moore Foundation, which is funding the Skeena Knowledge Trust, said the trust is an important step in managing the watershed sustainably. 

“The Skeena Knowledge Trust is a powerful opportunity to inform people over time,” Thompson said. “It allows us to capture that knowledge and have it available in the service of the people that are going to ensure this place is here for our children, not just next year but for their entire lives.”

The BVRC is facilitating the establishment of the Skeena Knowledge Trust, which links a variety of stakeholders, their data and ongoing research. More information on the trust is expected to emerge in the coming months.

 

FINAL AGENDA

FORUM HANDBOOK

CONTACT LIST

 

PRESENTATIONS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014

Key Note Speaker
Knowledge Management, Cumulative Effects and Climate Change Adaptation
     Don Morgan, Ministry of Environment & Bulkley Valley Research Centre

Context
We need another bookshelf! First Nations’ challenges with information management
     Rina Gemeinhardt, Consultation Referral Specialist, Kitsumkalum First Nation
     Ross Wilson, Executive Director, Metlakatla Stewardship Society
     Rick Budhwa, Principal, Crossroads Cultural Resource Management

Panel
Strengthening the technical foundation for implementing Canada’s Wild Salmon Policy
     Katrina Connors, Director, Skeena Programs, Pacific Salmon Foundation

Climate action: Managing what we measure
     Heather Bauer, Senior Climate Action Analyst, Climate Action Secretariat

Provincial government working with clients
     Blair Ells, Geospatial Analyst, Ministry of FLNRO, Skeena Region

Valley Vision
Valley Vision Seminar Presentation 2011
Valley Vision Revival Survey 2013
     Steve Osborn, Nexus Solutions

Skeena Knowledge Trust
     Richard Overstall, Lawyer
     Johanna Pfalz, Eclipse GIS

 

THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2014

Technical
Conservation Unit Habitat Report Cards and Skeena Habitat Mapper
     Marc Porter, Senior Systems Ecologist, ESSA Technologies

Conservation Unit Snapshots and Skeena Salmon Explorer
     Brendan Connors, Senior Systems Ecologist, ESSA Technologies

Climate Action Collaboration
     Heather Bauer, Senior Climate Action Analyst, Climate Action Secretariat

Scientific perspectives on cumulative effects in marine ecosystems
     Mike Ambach, Manager, North Coast Program, WWF Canada

Tools for sharing government data
     Andy Muma, Land Information Coordinator, Ministry of FLNRO, Skeena Region

Northwest Infrastructure: Assembling foreseeable future development in the Northwest - Map
Northwest Infrastructure: Assembling foreseeable future development in the Northwest - Data Sources
     Johanna Pfalz, Eclipse GIS

 

OTHER LINKS OF INTEREST

The Entire IPCC Report in 19 Illustrated Haiku

LiveSmart Leaders Online Community – Join for free and connect with 1400 sustainability practitioners around the province

DataBC, and specifically, the policy that directs Ministries to adopt BC’s open licence for data

Current and Proposed Mining, Energy, and Forestry Development in Northwest British Columbia