Ministry of Environment Conservation Data Centre

About the CDC

• Why the CDC was established
• What the CDC does
• Advantages of the CDC approach
• Who uses the CDC

Why the CDC was established

Accurate information about species and ecological communities at risk is essential in order to manage and protect these entities.

In recognition of this fact, the Conservation Data Centre was established in 1991 as a joint project of the Ministry of Environment, the Nature Trust of B.C., the Nature Conservancy of Canada and The Nature Conservancy (US). Initial funding came from a variety of sponsors including BC Parks, the BC Telephone Company, BC Hydro, Canadian Wildlife Service, Cariboo Lumber Manufacturers Association, UBC, the Council of Forest Industries, the Hamber Foundation and the Vancouver Foundation.

Our goal is to assist in preserving the biodiversity of the province by providing accurate information on species and ecological communities at risk.

What the CDC does

Staff specialists at the Conservation Data Centre, in cooperation with scientists and experts throughout the province, have identified BC's most vulnerable vertebrate animals, vascular plants and ecological communities. Invertebrate animals, mosses and lichens are currently being identified. Each of these species and ecological communities is assigned a global and provincial (subnational) conservation status rank according to an objective set of criteria established by The Nature Conservancy (US). They are also placed on provincial Red and Blue Lists, according to the provincial conservation status rank. For a complete discussion of the species ranking and listing process, read Species Ranking in British Columbia (PDF 201 KB). For information on ecological community ranking see Ecological Communities in British Columbia: Conservation Status Assessment Factors (PDF 258 KB).

Once identified, species and ecological communities at risk are 'tracked' in the CDC's computerized database. Information on their biology, conservation status, and individual locations or 'occurrences' are systematically collected.

The CDC also compiles records on areas such as Nature Trust and Nature Conservacy Properties. We can identify which endangered species or ecological community occurs within one of these areas.

The CDC also focusses on identifying areas where there are concentrations of species and/or ecological communities at risk. Once identified, these ecologically sensitive 'sites' can be used to assist in establishing land protection priorities for the province.

Advantages of the CDC

A Centralized Data Source
Information on species and ecological communities at risk which would otherwise take a great deal of time and expense to gather is available from one source at the CDC. The Centre collects and assembles information from museums, herbaria, universities, published and unpublished reports, theses, scientists, natural history groups and the ongoing work of its own staff and contractors.

Reliable, Objective Information in a Consistent Format
All records which are accepted for entry in the CDC's database have been carefully screened and verified by staff specialists. The source of every record is included in the database, and duplicate records are identified and amalgamated. Each locational record for a species or ecological community is systematically augmented with a standard set of spatial, ecological and administrative boundary attributes, and rated as to level of geographical precision, and whether or not it occurs in a protected area such as a park or ecological reserve. Rigorous quality control procedures minimize transcription and data entry errors.

Continually Updated Information
The CDC's database is permanent and dynamic. Records are entered and edited on a daily basis in our specialized database management software, and the data collecting process is continuous. The value of our database increases with each year of operation. Once compilation of existing data is relatively complete, the CDC will focus on:

• monitoring sites of concern to ensure that information for these areas is current and relevant
• identifying gaps in our knowledge base in order to direct inventory time and resources where they are most needed.

Sensitive Data are Protected
The CDC database contains records which are sensitive for ecological, academic or other reasons, or because they occur on private property. These records fall under the exemption provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and WILL NOT be released to the public. Such records are normally listed in reports without locational information attached, but with a contact address provided so that the reason for protection of the record can be discussed. Exceptions are made only under specific circumstances (e.g., for bona fide government conservation planning strategies, professional personnel working to enforce the Forest Practices Code, etc.) on the understanding that this information will not be released to the general public.

Easily Accessible Information
A primary goal of the CDC is to make its data available, and our software is specifically designed to generate customized reports. Information is provided to anyone making a written request. In most cases, the information you require will be available within a week.

Who uses the CDC

Information from the CDC database is available to anyone who submits a written request. The CDC database generates customized reports, and it is our goal to make our data as widely accessible as possible. It is essential that accurate information on species and ecological communities at risk be available to all planners, decision makers and public interest groups if the biodiversity of the province is to be preserved.

The CDC currently answers about 1000 data requests a year. Typical users include:

• managers and consultants designing forest harvest plans
• government personnel enforcing the Forest and Range Practices Act
• planners and developers evaluating site options for a project
• city councillors developing a community plan
• scientists and educators wishing to focus their attention on key areas or species
• decision makers and conservation groups identifying vulnerable areas

Click here for further information on how to submit a data request.