Cariboo Cattlemen’s Watershed Stewardship Council (CCWSC)

The Cariboo Cattlemen’s Association, in collaboration with Ducks Unlimited Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection and the BC Ministry of Agriculture formed the Cariboo Cattlemen’s Water Stewardship Council (CCWSC).

The CCWSC is based on the Cows and Fish program that has been running successfully in Alberta for ten years—so successfully that it won the 2003 Canadian Environment Award for Environmental Learning.

Like Cows and Fish, CCSWC uses presentations, workshops, and field days to help farm and ranch families assess the health of their wetlands and streams. The Council shares techniques on ways to improve water quality for fish, wildlife, waterfowl and people, while still getting economic benefits.

The CCWSC recognizes producers as good stewards of the land and their commitment to sustainable practices.

In 2004, the Cariboo Cattlemen’s Watershed Stewardship Council (CCWSC) delivered nine riparian management training seminars with the support from local ranchers and funding from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, BC’s Habitat Conservation Trust Fund, Land and Water BC Inc., the BC Agriculture Council, the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society and Ducks Unlimited Canada