Management Plan for Coastal Wood Fern in Canada [Final] 2011: Performance Measures

• Completion of best management practices for coastal wood fern habitat to guide stewardship activities on private and public lands by 2013.
• Land management plans developed for all populations on provincial (four sites) and federal land (one site) by 2013.
• Nine land owners engaged in positive stewardship actions on private lands by 2014.
• Three provincial sites and one federal site have protection measures in place by 2014.

• Impacts of three main threats have been investigated on private and provincial lands by 2015.

• Re-inventory of populations not recently examined is completed by 2015.
• Inventory of 20 unsurveyed locations with suitable habitat completed by 2015.
• Monitoring of exotic shrub encroachment on DND lands has been initiated by 2015.
• Initiation of and completion of population monitoring at all sites every 10 years.

• Educational and outreach material developed for the coastal wood fern by 2012.
• Outreach material and best management practices distributed to private landowners of nine populations (two shared with provincial parks), four provincial landowners / land managers and one federal landowner by 2013.
• Outreach material distributed to Islands Trust representatives on Denman and Hornby islands by 2013.
• Outreach material distributed to hiking/naturalist groups on Denman and Hornby islands by 2013.

• Research on knowledge gaps (e.g., essential habitat attributes, genetic composition, type of reproduction, level of impact of natural disturbance, effects of invasive alien plants, limits to distribution) initiated by 2016.

The coastal wood fern occurs in the vicinity of species at risk in Garry oak woodlands, as well as in maritime meadows and vernal pools/ephemeral wet areas associated with Garry oak and associated ecosystems. Therefore, the habitat protection and stewardship of Garry oak will contribute to the protection of other species in these habitats.

This management plan is one component of the recovery strategy for Garry oak and associated ecosystems, in particular, strategic approach D: “protection and recovery of species at risk” (GOERT 2002). Species at risk in these adjacent habitats are addressed in several multi-species recovery strategies (Parks Canada Agency 2006a, 2006b, 2006c).

Since coastal wood fern occurs on private lands, stewardship efforts will be the key to their conservation and recovery. It is recognized that to successfully protect many species at risk there will have to be voluntary initiatives by landowners to help maintain areas of natural ecosystems that support these species of risk. Examples of this stewardship approach for landowners include: following guidelines or best management practices to support species at risk; voluntarily protecting important areas of habitat on private property; establishing conservation covenants on property titles; ecogifting of private property, in whole or in part; and sales of part or all of their property to protect certain ecosystems or species at risk; or selling their property for conservation. For example, both government and nongovernmental organizations have had good success in partnering with private land owners to conserve private lands in B.C. This could be aided by stewardship programs and local land trusts in British Columbia, such as the Islands Trust, the Land Trust Alliance, Conservancy Hornby Island, and the Denman Island Conservancy.

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Paula Bartemucci, Gentian Botanical Research, Smithers, BC.
Tracy Cornforth, Natural Resources Coordinator, Department of National Defence, CFB Esquimalt, Victoria, BC.
Marta Donovan, Conservation Data Centre, Victoria, BC.
Matt Fairbarns, Aruncus Consulting, Victoria BC.
Dave Fraser, Ministry of Environment, Victoria, BC.
Paul Furman, Horticulturalist, Bay Natives Nursery, San Francisco, CA.
Richard Martin, Botanist, Denman Island, BC.
Norm Mogensen, Heron Rocks Camping Co-operative, Hornby Island.
Pete Veilleux, East Bay Wild. 1972A 36^th Avenue, Oakland, CA.
Patrick Williston, Gentian Botanical Research. Smithers, BC.
Bert Wilson, Horticulturalist, Las Pilitas Nursery.