Summer 2026

Newsletter Archive

Managing Growth While Keeping the Landscape Connected

In June, we had the privilege of leading a workshop in Fernie, BC, in partnership with the Elk Valley Land Trust focused on a question facing many mountain communities in western Canada: how can we manage growth while maintaining the ecological connections that allow wildlife and ecosystems to thrive?

The Elk Valley, and Fernie in particular, is known for its sweeping mountain vistas, abundant wildlife, and year-round recreation. Over the last 15 years, Fernie's population has grown at twice the pace of B.C.'s average and now sits at about 6,500. The region is home to connected forests, grasslands, wetlands, and rivers that support a wide range of wildlife, including grizzly bears. At the same time, it houses one of the world's largest steelmaking coal operations. This unique combination of natural assets, economic importance, and rapid growth requires land managers to balance multiple priorities that are often at odds.

The workshop brought together planners, conservation organizations, researchers, stakeholders, and Indigenous community members, all of whom care deeply about the future of the Elk Valley. Throughout the day, we heard from experts on wildlife movement, Indigenous stewardship practices, growth in mountain communities, and planning in the Elk Valley. Together, we explored the opportunities and challenges of incorporating ecological connectivity into municipal and regional plans, such as Official Community Plans and Development Permit Areas. We also discussed planning tools that help land managers work with complex ecological information in a practical, user-friendly way.

One thing that stood out was how willing everyone was to engage with complexity. Conversations moved beyond identifying challenges, such as development pressure, recreation impacts, fragmented landscapes, and limited municipal capacity, toward practical solutions. The group highlighted the importance of collaboration across jurisdictions, stronger planning tools, better access to mapping and science, and greater public understanding of ecological connectivity.

By the end of the day, we had identified a number of priorities, including establishing a collaborative group to advance the work, developing valley-wide corridor maps, and creating clear, compelling ways to communicate why connected landscapes matter.

While there are no simple solutions, the workshop reinforced the value of bringing people with different perspectives together around shared priorities. The next step is turning those priorities into coordinated action and, excitingly, that work is already underway.