What is restoration?

• Ecological restoration is the process of assisting recovery of a degraded or damaged ecosystem

• Restoration returns the ecosystem to its historical trajectory, NOT to its historical condition, and is a key tool to limit or reverse the progress of climate change[1],

  [1] Society for Ecological Restoration "What is Ecological Restoration?" at: https://ser-rrc.org/what-is-ecological-restoration/, and, "Climate change is here: ecological restoration can help us meet this moment" at: https://www.ser.org/news/news.asp?id=576671&hhSearchTerms=%22climate+and+change%22

• Restoration involves removing invasive species and reintroducing lost or rare native ones

• SIERP creates many of the conditions required to restore the heavily degraded ecosystem on Sidney Island from decades of over browsing by invasive European Fallow deer

What is an Invasive Species?

• Invasive species are non-native species which negatively impact the environment

• Fallow deer are a priority invasive species in British Columbia[1].

  [1] 'Invasive Species', British Columbia Environmental Sustainability and Protection at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/invasive-species

How many deer can Sidney Island’s ecology sustain?

• In the Gulf & San Juan Islands native shrub species cover, richness and diversity are severely reduced where deer populations exceed 0.08 per hectare[1], or about 70 deer on Sidney Island.

  Sidney Island’s deer population has NEVER been that low even after the removal of hundreds of deer per year for decades amounting to over 15,000 deer killed since records began. More than twice the maximum number of deer that the island can sustain were removed in late 2023 alone by Sallas hunting, First Nations hunting and SIERP Phase I. An unknown number remain along with the risk in perpetuity of population rebound. SIERP Phase II will finish the job. See 40 years of deer removal data here:

  https://www.savingsidneyisland.ca/s/Deer-Population-Model-Dec-2023-Removal-Graph.pdf

  [1] P. Arcese et. al. "Deer density and plant palatability predict shrub cover, richness, diversity and aboriginal food value in a North American archipelago" Biodiversity Research 2014, p. 1374.

Is the ecology on Sidney Island recovering as deer numbers decline?

• Forest health surveys conducted by Parks Canada on Sidney Island between 2017 and 2023 show that there has been little or no increase in the numbers of trees surviving more than a year or two (aside from Grand-fir, a relatively unpalatable species), and that successful growth of deciduous seedlings such as Gary oak (a keystone species which supports other species[i]), Bigleaf Maple and Arbutus (an indicator species of ecosystem health) is rare[ii].

• The ecology cannot recover if these species do not survive.

  
  [i] "Garry Oak" Northwest Wildlife preservation Society, accessible at: https://northwestwildlife.com/learn/species-reports/garry-oak/

  [ii] Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, "Eradicating Invasive European Fallow Deer from Sidney Island to Facilitate Sustained Forest Recovery", Detailed Impact Analysis, draft, July 2023, p. 59.  A 2023 survey showed similar results.

  Animal Welfare

Will deer eradication be conducted in a humane way?

• Eradication of the Fallow deer requires a systematic, specialized and professional program to safely, methodically and humanely remove every remaining animal.

• The BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) has been consulted on SIERP since 2017,    reviewed SIERP operational plans, and attended Phase 1 eradication operations. Its team includes experts in animal welfare, wildlife biology and government relations. 

What is the SPCA’s stance on SIERP?

• BC SCPA has concluded that it does not oppose the eradication of invasive European fallow deer under SIERP[1].

  [1] see 'BC SCPA Stance on the Sidney Island Ecological Restoration Project' at: https://spca.bc.ca/news/bc-spca-stance-on-the-sidney-island-ecological-restoration-project/

  ‘The complete removal of deer now while populations are low, through a one-time eradication program by professionals causes the least harm and ultimately reduces animal suffering and the number of animals negatively affected.’

Could non-lethal fertility control manage the deer population?

• Several approaches to contraception of large mammals have been explored, including immunocontraception, the use of vaccines to control fertility. Using contraception depends on tame deer which are confined to some degree to allow capture, treatment and marking, requires treating about 90% of the does and takes years to be effective, as the population risks rebound.

  • a recent report on the use of immuno-contraceptive vaccines in deer in Oak Bay, an urban municipality on Vancouver Island, identified fertility control as a potentially useful tool for managing urban deer populations[i]

    [i]  "Wildlife Health Fact Sheet: fertility control of deer" Mark A. Fraker, TerraMar Environmental Research Ltd. & Helen Schwantje, BC Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, 2011.

    [iv] "Relative Abundance of black-tailed deer fawns in Oak Bay, B.C. following application of a single year of immunocontraception', S. Frey, A. Fisher, A. Hering & J. T. Fisher on behalf of the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society, prepared for Oak Bay Council, interim report, September 2021, p. 2..

Legacy

Why is the restoration of Sidney Island’s ecology important?

• Sidney Island represents one of the largest contiguous areas of Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem and rare Garry oak ecosystems in British Columbia. BC's Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) biogeoclimatic zone is just 0.3% of BC's landmass and Garry oak ecosystems occupy only a small part of the CDF zone[i]. Less than 5% of Garry oak ecosystems remain in near natural form[ii], and these ecosystems are home to more plant species than any other terrestrial ecosystem in BC, including more than 100 endangered species[iii]

[i] “Garry Oak Ecosystems” BC Ministry of  Environment, Lands and Parks,, 1993

[ii] "What remains of Garry Oak Ecosystems?"  Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team at: https://goert.ca/about/what-remains/

[iii] "Why are they important? Garry Oak Recovery Team at: https://goert.ca/about/why-are-they-important/

• The northern end of Sidney Island is a popular national park as part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and is precious to First Nations.

Do First Nations support SIERP?

• Yes. Local First Nations view the fallow deer as an invasive, introduced species that is browsing down their heritage, including the elimination of traditional sources of food and medicines. SIERP intends to restore vegetation that is important to First Nations.

• SḰŦÁMEN QENÁȽ,ENEȻ SĆȺ - Sidney Island Ecological Restoration Project - Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (canada.ca)

SIERP seeks to restore Sidney Island’s fragile Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem, which includes preserving Sidney Spit Marine Park in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.

Restoration of Sidney Island will leave a rich legacy that benefits all future generations who are lucky enough to reach its shores.