Purpose

To identify how best to maintain and restore ecological connectivity within the southern Canadian Rockies with a specific focus on the Crowsnest Pass transportation corridor, to inform efforts to minimize and mitigate adverse road and rail impacts on wildlife populations, and to develop a better understanding of the various ongoing wildlife research projects in the region by convening a workshop from January 28-29, 2008 in Fernie, B.C. that will bring together scientists, transportation planners, the local ENGO community, and allied interests.

Objectives

We have developed a two-day science workshop to convene scientists, transportation planners, the local ENGO community and allied interests to develop a better understanding of wildlife research in the southern Canadian Rockies. The workshop has been developed with five primary objectives:

Gather scientists conducting wildlife studies in the southern Canadian Rockies to share their findings, with a particular focus on their implications to the Highway 3 transportation system.
Identify through discussion important information gaps or studies not presented at the workshop.
Develop a consensus on how to disseminate the information collected and presented at the workshop.
Discuss the format for a scientific synthesis to interpret the information for local communities, decision makers, transportation planners and other non-biologists.
Hear from transportation planners on the role of science in decision making.

Workshop Focus Area

For this workshop, the transportation system is defined as the section of Highway 3 and railway line that occurs within the Crown of Continent Ecosystem, from Lundbreck, Alberta to Elko, British Columbia.





	Purpose To identify how best to maintain and restore ecological connectivity within the southern Canadian Rockies with a specific focus on the Crowsnest Pass transportation corridor, to inform efforts to minimize and mitigate adverse road and rail impacts on wildlife populations, and to develop a better understanding of the various ongoing wildlife research projects in the region by convening a workshop from January 28-29, 2008 in Fernie, B.C. that will bring together scientists, transportation planners, the local ENGO community, and allied interests. Objectives We have developed a two-day science workshop to convene scientists, transportation planners, the local ENGO community and allied interests to develop a better understanding of wildlife research in the southern Canadian Rockies. The workshop has been developed with five primary objectives: Gather scientists conducting wildlife studies in the southern Canadian Rockies to share their findings, with a particular focus on their implications to the Highway 3 transportation system. Identify through discussion important information gaps or studies not presented at the workshop. Develop a consensus on how to disseminate the information collected and presented at the workshop. Discuss the format for a scientific synthesis to interpret the information for local communities, decision makers, transportation planners and other non-biologists. Hear from transportation planners on the role of science in decision making. Workshop Focus Area For this workshop, the transportation system is defined as the section of Highway 3 and railway line that occurs within the Crown of Continent Ecosystem, from Lundbreck, Alberta to Elko, British Columbia.