District of Squamish Ecosystem Mapping Project

Project Introduction:

The District of Squamish (DOS) is located between the city of Vancouver and the resort village of Whistler along the Sea to Sky Highway. It is a region that is currently experiencing rapid population growth and urban/suburban development. Nestled between Howe Sound and the Cascade Mountain Range, the District of Squamish is also an area of great natural beauty and biodiversity. Cascade Environmental Resource Group Ltd. was retained by the DOS to produce Ecosystem Mapping (EM) for the region to aid in future land use decision-making.

Problem Statement:

The District of Squamish, a growing region with an interest in preserving its natural beauty and associated flora and fauna, identified a need for detailed digitally mapped ecological information for effective and informed future community/resource planning.

Solution Description:

Cascade Environmental Resource Group is in the process of producing a digital spatial database layer consisting of baseline ecological/environmental information for use as a planning tool by the District of Squamish. The digital data consists of a seamless coverage which divides the landscape into polygons representing ecosystem units. Ecosystem unit boundaries are derived from a combination of aerial/orthophotos, digital data overlays (terrain mapping, soils, vegetation resource inventory) and field reconnaissance/ground truthing sample plots. The resultant database can be used to identify significant features such as wetlands and environmentally sensitive areas, and for analytical purposes like wildlife habitat corridor identification.

Project Result:

The inventory information will provide a solid foundation to any future resource based decision-making. In addition to identifying the various land cover features and their associated attributes, EM can then be used to analyze wildlife habitat suitability, capability and connectivity.

Conclusion:

Phase one of a three phase project is currently underway to provide the District of Squamish with Ecosystem Mapping. Preliminary mapping has already been provided to aid in “Smart Growth” community planning exercises. The final completed digital EM product will be a valuable planning tool for this growing community.

Preliminary cartographic product for the Squamish TEM Project