Partnership Building for Fish Habitat Restoration Priorities in the Upper Pitt Watershed

While the Upper Pitt watershed is highly valued for its salmon productivity and habitat values, it is not
without issues or concerns. Power production, forestry, mining, residential/resort development,
recreation impacts, closure of a DFO fish hatchery, aging status of previous habitat restoration projects,
and current funding limitations, all contribute to a level of uncertainty and anxiety about the future health
of this watershed. With this context, stewardship, partnership building, and information sharing is
critical to ensure the productivity of this watershed remains high. This project intended to re-establish a
prior network of key stakeholders for the watershed, to gather known information about the watershed,
and to discuss priority needs and opportunities. Results included an inaugural meeting of the newly
formed ‘Upper Pitt Stewards’, the creation of a network of stakeholders interested in working together
and sharing information, and the beginning of a reference/document database of the habitat conditions
of the watershed. In summary, this project helped provide the impetus for a renewed commitment to
protect and preserve the Upper Pitt, a legacy that we hope will extend well into the future.