Portfolios

Natural History creek brochures are now available for order from the Cowichan Community Land Trust office. Our Natural Heritage Historical and ecological stream information has been collected from government databases and long time residents and used to develop stream specific information brochures. Brochures are available on the following Cowichan Valley creeks: Shawnigan, Porter, Rocky, Averill, Stocking, Bonsall, Garnett, Somenos, Bings and Richards Creeks. Free to stewards and members. There is a nominal charge to recover printing costs on bulk orders. Contact CCLT Sponsored by the previous Urban Salmon Habitat Program -BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks-Fisheries Section

Homemade Natural Cleaning Products by Allison Dick from HGTV Make cleaning safer for your family and the environment. A lot of over-the-counter cleaning products are harsh, abrasive and even potentially dangerous to your home and family. If you are concerned about risks to your health or the environment, you may want to consider using homemade, all-natural cleaning products instead. Read on find some easy-to-make and effective homemade cleaning products. White Vinegar (Don’t use Malt!) The queen of getting it clean, white vinegar, is mildly acidic and disinfecting. It’s great for removing calcium deposits, such as those in your humidifier. It’s also a potent grease and stain remover. You can use it to clean hard surfaces such as countertops and glass. White Vinegar Recipes: Dusting Spray: Combine 1 tsp olive oil and ½ cup of vinegar. Store in a squirt bottle or keep in a jar. Apply small amount of mixture to a soft cloth for use on your wooden furniture. Glass/Hard Surface Cleaner: Combine ½ cup white vinegar with a gallon of water. Soak cloth, ring it out slightly and use on your surface. Keep a clean chore towel handy for drying. Fabric Softener: Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to your washer’s final rinse cycle. Pure Soap Pure soaps, such as Castile, don’t contain any synthetic colours, scents or additives and are usually available in health and natural product stores. Pure soap is great for basic light cleaning and can be combined with a few drops of an essential oil for an added air-freshener effect. Lemon Juice Lemon juice is a great grease-cutter. When washing your dishes, add it to your water along with a pure soap. Lemon juice is also great for cutting through grease on porcelain and aluminum. Lemon Juice Recipe: All-Purpose Cleanser: Combine ½ cup of pure soap, such as Castile, with one gallon of hot water and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Salt Salt is a great basic scrub that will give you extra cleaning power. Great for smaller jobs like removing tea stains from the inside of cups or cleaning out the coffee pot. Just fill pot with ice-cubes, pour in some salt and swirl. Baking Soda Baking soda is another effective scrub and a gentler alternative to salt. You can also place an open box in your fridge and freezer to help eliminate odors. Recipes for Baking Soda: Bathroom Tub and Tile Cleaner: Soak a firm bristle brush in a good all-purpose cleaner. Then add baking soda for extra cleaning power. You can also clean grout by combining one part water and three parts baking soda to make a scrub. Sink Scrub: Combine equal amounts of salt and baking soda to make a scrub for your kitchen sink. and there’s more tips below… Tips for Living Green from Greenpeace “We are all part of the environment and what we do to the environment, we do to ourselves”. Choose from a list of categories on their website for more information: Reduce, reuse, recycle Green tips for everyday Basic ingredients for green cleaning Basic recipes for green cleaning In the kitchen In the bathroom In the laundry room Indoor pests In the yard Outdoor pests Starting a compost At work After school In your community 10 Ways to Help the Oceans from the Canadian Wildlife Federation Web Site Choose items with reusable or recyclable packaging. Don’t litter—this will help reduce the chance of sending litter to the oceans where it could entangle or choke sea turtles, seals, and other wildlife. Use rechargeable batteries. Dispose of toxic waste such as paints, old batteries, and medicine bottles through proper toxic waste facilities and pick-up services. Promote the use of non-toxic cleaners at home and at school. Keep lawns free of chemicals or fertilizers at home and school. Walk or bike whenever possible, rather than ride in a car. Turn off lights when leaving the room. Turn off appliances (such as TVs, VCRs, and computers) when they are not in use. When traveling, stay at ocean-side resorts that do not endanger coastal habitats (such as beaches, dunes, and marshes) through practices like excessive night lighting, over-development, and high-impact recreational activities.   Water Conservation – Save Water 49 Ways from americanwater.com SAVING WATER INDOORS Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning. Verify that your home is leak-free, because many homes have hidden water leaks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak. Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year which will add to the cost of water and sewer utilities, or strain your septic system. Check for toilet tank leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear within 30 minutes. Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Most replacement parts are inexpensive, readily available and easily installed. (Flush as soon as test is done, since food coloring may stain tank.) Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet. Take shorter showers. Replace you showerhead with an ultra-low-flow version. Some units are available that allow you to cut off the flow without adjusting the water temperature knobs. Use the minimum amount of water needed for a bath by closing the drain first and filling the tub only 1/3 full. Stopper tub before turning water. The initial burst of cold water can be warmed by adding hot water later. Don’t let water run while shaving or washing your face. Brush your teeth first while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave after filling the basin. Retrofit all wasteful household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictors. Operate

The Winter Moth The Northern Winter Moth (Operophtera fagata) has been epidemic on south Vancouver Island in Greater Victoria and at several locations north to Sidney.  It is a severe defoliator of broad-leaved plants, notably Garry oak, fruit trees and ornamental trees and shrubs. The native Bruce spanworm (Operophtera bruceata), which is practically identical to the winter moth in appearance and habits, has been replaces in importance by the winter moth on south Vancouver Island. Adult winter moths may be found from late October to the end of January.  Both sexes are drab-grey or grey-brown, without distinctive markings. The females are flightless and crawl over the ground and climb up the tree trunks.  Eggs are laid singly or in small clusters under lichens or in crevices on any part of the tree.  They are pale green at first, gradually changing to bright orange, hatching from late March until about min-April.  The young larvae frequently drop from the twigs on silken threads and are borne a considerable distance on air currents.  Larvae commonly known as inch-worms or loopers feed on the swelling buds of host trees and on foliage, flowers and developing fruit until about the first week in June. What you can do: Trunk banding: Applications of “Tanglefoot” bands around tree trunks have been used for years to prevent the flightless females from climbing up to lay eggs.  This method is most affective against winter moths on isolated trees. Sticky bands are useful mainly against the winter moth and Bruce spanworm. Apply the sticky material during mid to late October in a 10 to 15 cm (5 to 6 inch) band around the trunk.  The material can be painted on 25 to 30 cm wide (10 to 12 inch) plastic strips (6 mil thick) attached to the trees to avoid possible damage on smooth-barked trees.  Plug the bark crevices with caulking compound, fiberglass insulation or other suitable material to prevent moths from crawling under the bands. Some monitoring of the bands is needed as they can become covered by debris or with large numbers of moths so that females may cross without being trapped. Eastern Gray Squirrel The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is a medium-sized squirrel with mainly gray upperparts and pale gray undersides.  It has a bushy, flattened tail and the backs of its ears are lighter coloured.  The commonly seen black squirrel is in reality the same species in its black form. The eastern gray squirrel has actually two distinct forms: most adults are dusty gray overall, with pale underside and a silvery, flattened tail; occasionally a solid ebony black form of this squirrel is encountered.  In Canada, they gray form often has cinnamon highlights on the head, back and tail.  Some local populations, such as one in Calgary, are almost entirely black. The original distribution of the gray squirrel ranged only over the eastern USA to just west of the Mississippi and north to Canada.  They are now present in Eastern USA, England, Ireland, Northern Italy, South Africa, and Western Canada. It is thought that they first appeared in the English countryside between 1876 and 1929 having been accidentally released from the London Zoo.  They gray squirrel squirrel quickly adapted to the native forests of the countryside in England, Ireland and Italy.  The gray squirrel is larger and more aggressive than its cousin, the Red, which is about half the size of the Grey at 250 to 400 grams.  Taking advantage of its size by foraging in the trees as well as on the ground, the gray squirrel out competes the smaller red, who stay in the trees to avoid predation. Grey squirrels are generalist feeders, while the Red Squirrel prefers conifer forests. The mainstay of their diet is nuts and seeds, which they cache just under the surface of the soil.  Their caches of nuts are security for winter and stormy days; fresh corn crops, flowers, fruits, mushrooms, bird eggs, nestlings and frogs are all relished when they are available. These squirrels live in trees year-round, either in cavities (often old woodpecker holes) or nests they build out of leaves.  These squirrels have been known to actually fight pileated woodpeckers for their homes – and win!  Nests are usually high up in tree crotches and can be hard to see in the summer, because they are made with green leaves and are hidden by foliage. They are easy to see in the winter, when the nest leaves have turned brown and tree leaves fall to the ground. Eastern Gray Squirrels have two litters each year. The first is in the spring, the second in late summer. Two or three young are in each litter. The second litter spends the winter with their mother and they usually live to be about five years old. The most important predators of Eastern Gray Squirrels are hawks, owls, Red Fox, Raccoons, and snakes.  (Info from Squirrels of the West by Tamara Hartson and the Hinterland Who’s Who website. What you can do: Removal of any diet source is a must: bird feeders are notorious for attracting squirrels but good squirrel proof models are available at wild bird stores. Gutter guards and covering down spouts will reduce the amount of squirrels seeking nesting sites in your roof.  There are no poison baits on the market that squirrels will eat.  Live trapping squirrels is a recommended method of removal either done by a professional or do it yourself.

Problem Plants Alien species arrive in many ways; welcomed in garden pots and planters, or by hitching a ride on a boat that wasn’t properly cleaned and dried. Once arrived, sometimes their new environment doesn’t provide the right conditions and they die off, but often alien species thrive at the expense of the native flora and fauna. These invasive species reproduce rapidly in their new home, which lacks natural predators, and can easily out-compete and pray on sensitive native species. In addition, certain invasive species can increase the risk of fires, as is the case with scotch broom due to its high oil content. Once established, it can be extremely difficult to eradicate invasives, and pulling and cutting some plant species can actually promote their reproduction. Listed below are seven invasive plant species and the best way to eradicate them from your property to return it to its natural and healthy state. Himalayan blackberry – Rubus armeniacus Himalayan blackberry can be removed manually, by hand or by tractor; however, make sure to prevent vegetative reproduction from cuttings if left on site. English holly – Ilex aquifolium Though you might think your holly is contained in your garden, the seeds are carried deep into sensitive forests by birds and other mammals. Remove large trees by cutting at the base, and continue to manage re-sprouting until the root system dies. Seedlings can be hand-pulled. English ivy – Hedera helix English ivy smothers forests and creates a mono-culture – when only one species persists – in any region it inhabits. For ground cover, mow the ivy several times yearly to starve the roots or regularly hand-pull. All cuttings have to be thrown away, otherwise they root wherever they’re left. For ivy growing up trees, cut and remove from the ground up to about waist high; this will leave the higher growing ivy to die. Scotch broom – Cytisus scoparius Broom is a well-known and well-hated invasive on the west coast. As a fire hazard and as another invasive fond of creating its own mono-culture, it’s important to eradicate broom from your property. The best time to do so is when the plant is in bloom or just before, and most importantly, NOT when the seeds are ripe and ready to spread with the slightest disturbance. Only pull plants that are under a finger or so thick; cut larger plants at the base. Pulling larger plants disturbs the soil and initiates the germination of the surrounding broom. It’s also important to identify native plants that are growing in the same area so as to avoid damaging them when controlling the broom. Yellow archangel/ lamium – Lamium galeobdolon Yellow archangel is fantastic at escaping gardens and pots and out-competing other ground-cover plants. The best way to manage this invasive is to never plant it or purchase it from a nursery. In areas it has already settled, it can be eliminated with regular pulling. Yellow flag iris – Iris pseudacorus This invasive is rapidly taking over local waterways and proving difficult to remove. Yellow flag iris shouldn’t be pulled, as disturbing and breaking its rhizomes promotes rapid reproduction. One method that has been proven to eradicate yellow flag iris is to smother the weed’s rhizomes. With plants whose roots are fully submerged, simply cut them to less than 5 cm. For terrestrial or partly-terrestrial populations, secure “benthic matting” (recommended: 18 oz PVC vinyl) over top with weights, to 20 cm past the last cut stem. Make sure there are no cracks, gaps, or air bubbles, and dispose of the cuttings in the garbage for best results. A complete kill will occur within 4 months for saturated sites and within a year for upland sites. Periwinkle – Vinca major Removing periwinkle by cutting or mowing only helps it spread further. The best way to remove it is to take out the runners with a rake or by hand and pull the roots out to at least 4 or 6 inches. Cover the area with black plastic for 4-6 weeks to kill the remaining roots. Dispose of the cuttings in the garbage. Prevention: the easiest form of removal Choose native plants for your garden… or at least non-invasive species that won’t jump the fence. Look up planting alternatives for the invasive you`re eliminating to find similar, native and non-harmful substitutes. Don’t let any unwanted pets and plants, big or small, loose. From the bugs you use to feed your pet reptile, to the cuttings from your garden, to your unexpectedly large pet bunny, releasing alien species into our ecosystems can have enormous consequences. Clean, drain, and dry all boats and boating equipment before moving them to other waters. A single fragment of Eurasian milfoil transported on the side of an unsuspecting kayak can choke out an entire lake in a year. E-Flora BC Information Pages – Use the links to learn more about botany and the vegetation and flora of British Columbia. E-Flora’s Atlas Pages – The E-Flora atlas pages provide detailed information on British Columbia’s plant species. Photo Gallery – More that 10,000 photos of vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, lichens, fungi and algae can be found in the E-Flora Photo Gallery. Check out the E-Flora BC website. E-Flora BC Invasive Plant Species Invasive species are a part of the flora of British Columbia. They are alien species that have become abundant and widespread in the landscape to such a degree that they replace or swamp the natural species assembly in an ecosystem, and cause havoc with ecosystem function. Report a Weed is a feature of the BC Ministry of Forests and Range Invasive Alien Plant Program aimed at reporting new occurrences of invasive plant species. Check out the E-Flora BC Invasive Plant Species webpage.

Migratory Waterfowl Report 2008 This project was started by the Cowichan Community Land Trust. The aim of this report was to bring together all available information about migratory waterfowl and issues of concern in the Cowichan Valley. The areas included are from Cowichan Bay to the Chemainus Estuary, and contain a wide variety of habitat types for waterfowl. Migratory-Waterfowl-Report-2008

Property Tax Info Kit Property Assessments of Conservation Lands A Guide for Land Trusts and Conservation Land owners Including case studies, references and bibliography of research on conservation land values Elk River, NCC protected site Land Trust British Alliance of Columbia THIS INFORMATION KIT DEVELOPED AND PRODUCED IN 2006 WITH FUNDING FROM:Introduction This following Information Kit was developed by the Land Trust Alliance of BC with additional information provided by the BC Assessment office and Alan Kotila, Accredited Appraiser with DR Coell & Associates. Funding was generously provided by the Victoria Foundation, the Vancouver Foundarion and the Real Estate Foundation of BC. As covenants only became a conservation tool for land trusts in the mid 90’s, there is limited market evidence to measure the impact of conservation covenants on property assessments. The case studies in this guide were selected from the Greater Victoria region; however this research has brought to light important information, and steps that landowners and land trusts should take to ensure that BC Assessment is advised of the details of the covenant’s impacts on market value. The Land Trust Alliance of BC believes that this information is useful for a variety of interests, including landowners considering a conservation covenant, the land trusts that assist in protecting these significant natural or cultural sites, and assessment staff in BC communities. The BC Assessment Authority wishes to ensure that covenants are duly considered. Many thanks to Jennifer Paton for providing the case studies, TLC for their assistance with the property data, John Pebbles and the staff of BC Assessment for information on their policies, and Alan Kotila for providing a review and report on the data in addition to his own knowledge of appraisals and assessments of covenanted properties. Definitions Land Trust (Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia) A non-profit, charitable organization committed to the long-term protection of natural and/or cultural heritage. A land trust may own land itself, or it may enter into a conservation covenant with a property owner to protect or restore natural or heritage features on the owner’s land. Land trusts also engage in stewardship, restoration and management of lands. The words “land trust” and “conservancy” are often used interchangeably. Conservation Covenant (Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia) A voluntary, written legal agreement between a property owner and either a government body or one or more land trust organizations designated by the Surveyor General, on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Lands, that sets out specific restrictions or requirements that the landowner will uphold to ensure conservation of all or parts of the land. It is registered on title and “runs with the land” (it continues to exist on title after the property is sold or transferred, binding future owners). Property (Assessment Act) Includes land and improvements Subject Property (BC Assessment) Property that is the subject of assessment and taxation. Improvements (BC Assessment) Any building, fixture, structure or similar thing constructed or placed on or in the land, or water over land, or on or in another improvement (i.e. houses, roads). This report may be copied by land trusts noting its source. LTABC July 2006 with assistance from BC Assessment, and Alan Kotila, Appraiser.. 1 Contents The Assessment Process in BC ……………………………. 2 Assessments on Properties with Conservation Covenants. 3 Assessments on Properties owned by Land Trust ………… 6 Other Tax Consequences……………………………………. 8 Case Studies ………………………………………………….. 9 Bibliography of Research on Property Tax ……………….. 11 Further Resources on Conservation ………………………. 15 The Assessment Process in BC An ancient cedar shades the forests floor on Gabriola Island. Islands Trust Fund. BC Assessment produces independent and uniform property assessments annually for all property owners in the province. Assessors are required, by the Assessment Act to determine the actual (market) value of a property for assessment purposes. Actual value means “the market value of the fee simple interest in land and improvements” Market value is defined by the Appraisal Institute of Canada as follows: “The most probable price which a property should bring in a competitive and open market as of the specified date under all conditions requisite to a fair sale, the buyer and seller each acting prudently and knowledgeably, and assuming the price is not affected by undue stimulus.” The valuation date is July 1 based on the property condition as of October 31; the notice is mailed at the end of the year. Most properties are to be assessed at actual value. Exceptions include dams, power plants, infrastructures such as pipelines, farm property and managed forest lands. Once a property’s actual value has been determined, it is used as a base for the tax rolls created by municipal and rural taxing authorities. The tax rate is calculated as a percentage of the net taxable value of the subject property, that is, actual value less exemptions. The applicability of various exemptions depends upon a property’s location and other unique characteristics such as the property’s ownership, use, or features. Staff at BC Assessment is required to consider all factors which affect the market value of a property. If a covenant is registered against a property, they must consider if there is an impact on the value of the property. Whether or not, or to what extent a covenant will impact the actual value of the property will vary based on the restrictions stated in the specific covenant. The difficulty in measuring the impact of covenants is that there is limited market evidence to date and covenants vary. BC Assessment values all properties in British Columbia and by necessity uses mass appraisal techniques. Thus, detailed appraisals such as those required by the Canadian Wildlife Service for Ecological Gifts, would need to be undertaken by an independent appraiser. 2 Lands Subject to a Conservation Covenant Section 219(1) of the Land Title Act authorizes the provincial government, a Crown corporation, local governments or a local trust committee under the Islands Trust Act to work together with a private landowner to create a conservation covenant on the owner’s property. Additionally,

Septic Socials Many homeowners in the Cowichan Valley rely on septic systems and we have an opportunity for the public to learn how to maintain their septic systems in order to help the environment and avoid costly repairs. If you would like to participate, host a septic social of just receive more information please contact the CCLT at 250-746-0227.

Stewardship Support Project

The Stewardship Pledge The Stewardship pledge is a voluntary commitment of landholders to: Conserve the natural elements in the area and be sensitive to the wildlife (both plants and animals) that live there. Keep to a minimum any disturbance to the natural features and seek conservation assistance, if required. Encourage a diversity of native plants and animals, especially those that are rare and threatened, where possible. If transferring your property, notify the new landholders) or manager(s) of the commitment and encourage a fellow Steward to contact them. The strength of the pledge rests on the landholder’s personal commitment Conservation Covenants One of the main activities of the CCLT is to help private landholders protect their land through the use of conservation covenants. A conservation covenant is a voluntary, written agreement between a landholder and a conservation organization such as CCLT. In such an agreement the landholder promises to protect the land in specified ways. The covenant can include all or just a portion of a landholder’s property. It may include provisions to protect natural, historical, cultural, architectural, environmental, heritage, scientific, wildlife, or plant-life values. More on conservation covenants: Land Trust Alliance of BC Turtle Island Earth Stewards Westcoast Environmental Law Public Education CCLT is committed to providing educational workshops to the community at large on a varitey of topics including. CCLT will also assist special interest groups organize their start-up activities. Visit Westcoast Environmental Law for excellent descriptions of: Donation of funds or land Land Acquisition More Look for a number of publications including: “Greening Your Title: A Guide to Best Practices for Conservation Covenants” (pdf — text version available at site) West Coast Environmental Law announces the second edition of Greening Your Title: a Guide to Best Practices for Conservation Covenants Additional information can be found at: The Green Lane: [Backgrounder] — Ecological Land Donations – Qualified Registered Charities in British Columbia Canadian Wildlife Service – Ecological Gifts: A Checklist for Donating Ecologically Sensitive Land in Canada