Ecological and Conservation Monitoring Program

ECOMaP (also called ‘the Program’) stands for ‘Ecological and Conservation Monitoring Program,’ a multi-scale monitoring program designed to monitor the status and effectiveness of the Protected and Conserved Areas Network managed by the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). The Program covers all habitats, including marine, terrestrial, and freshwater, of approximately 154 National Wildlife Areas (NWA), Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBS), and other CWS conserved areas. ECOMaP will provide information to support site management and it will enable national-level performance reporting. ECOMaP will develop national indicators in four key themes: 1. Biodiversity: Biodiversity metrics which, for CWS, focus on migratory birds and species at risk. 2. Site Integrity: Ecological integrity 3. Threats: Threats impacting both biodiversity and ecological integrity of the sites. 4. Network Effectiveness: The contribution of CWS’s Protected and Conserved Areas Network to national conservation goals. To the extent possible, the Program is seeking to braid Western and Indigenous Sciences to develop indicators, while operating within an Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation framework (hereafter ‘Conservation Standards’).