State of the Mountains 2024

State of the Mountains: 2024 Report

Alpine Club of Canada's State of the Moutains Report

The State of the Mountains Report is a commitment by the ACC to provide accessible, current, and accurate information about the forces that affect Canadian mountain places, ecosystems, and communities.

In addition to the feature essay on safeguarding unique ecosystems and species in Canada’s mountainous region, this year’s State of the Mountains Report includes essays on the future of Canada’s ski industry in a warming climate, Indigenous cultural burning practices in Northern British Columbia, partnerships between Jasper National Park and Indigenous Nations for caribou recovery efforts, sustainable energy projects at ACC’s backcountry huts, Whitebark Pine recovery, research on life found in deep sea environments, a Canadian preview on the 2025 United Nations International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, the state of permafrost in Canadian mountains, and more. The full report can be accessed using the link below.

An Overview of this Year's Articles

Beautiful Bubbles Make Massive and Biodiverse Seamounts

Authors: Heidi Gartner and Cherisse Du Preez
The article describes deep sea research happening hundreds of kilometres offshore of British Columbia. The research is focused on Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs), and specifically on 'cold sweeps' - where gas bubbles out of the ocean floor and life is found in surprising abundance. The article explains the importance of EBSAs and why gaining a better understanding of them will help to protect and conserve them.

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Returning to Burning in Gitanyow Lax'yip

Authors: Kira Hoffman, Darlene Vegh, & Kevin Koch
Exploring the history of Indigenous peoples' use of fire and burning practices as a tool for resource management and community protection, the article is an overview on a collaborative research project between the article's authors and the Gitanyow Nation. The article describes how revitalizing fire stewardship practices can help increase the health and biodiversity of ecosystems and protect critical cultural and economic values from ever increasing fire risk.

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Losing Our Cool: Canada's Ski Industry in a Warmer World

Authors: Daniel Scott and Natalie Knowles
The report explores the impact of regional warming on on the future of Canada's Ski Industry and whether or not snowmaking is a sustainable solution to tackle increasingly variable snowpacks at Canada's ski resorts. Further, the impact of climate change on ski tourism, in Canada and globally and it's resulting impact of motivating ski industry leaders to start engaging in climate advocacy and activism is discussed.

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"Now our insights are acknowledged": Indigenous Partners Collaborating on Caribou Recovery in Jasper National Park

Author: Bob Covey
The essay describes Jasper National Park's plan to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and perspective into conservation actions. This initiative has most recently been implemented through the collaboration between Parks Canada and the Kelly Lake Cree Nation in an effort to restore Caribou populations to historical numbers in Jasper National Park.

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The Evolution of Energy Usage at ACC Backcountry Huts

Authors: Tom Fransham & Keith Haberl
The article explores ACC backcountry huts' changing energy needs over the last century and ACC's recent initiative to transition to sustainable energy sources at its huts. The types of energy sources the ACC is choosing to install is discussed as well as how the move to renewable energy fits with ACC values.

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Canada's Mountainous Marvels: Safeguarding Unique Ecosystems and Species

Authors: Ciara-Raudsepp-Hearne, Chloe Debyser, Ian Adams, Kim Gauthier-Schampaert, Maria Leung, Zachary Moore, Lucy Poley, & Jessica Reid
The article defines and discusses Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), how KBAs contribute to the global persistence of biodiversity, and why Canada's mountainous regions are home to so many of them. The article highlights specific KBAs of interest found across Canada, and why identifying and protecting KBAs is so important.

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Recovery of Endangered Whitebark Pine

Authors: Alana Clason & Randy Moody
This essay explores current threats facing the endangered Whitebark Pine tree, such as white pine blister rust, wildfire and mountain pine beetle; the mutualistic relationship between the Whitebark Pine and Clark's Nutcracker; and the evolving scientific expertise involved with the Whitebark Pine's recovery, and by extension, the recovery of the entire Whitebark Pine ecosystem.

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2025 United Nations International Year Of Glaciers' Preservation: A Canadian Preview

The Canadian Standing Committee, UN IYGP 2025
The article provided by the Canadian Committee to the United Nations on the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation (IYGP) outlines Canada's goal for the IYGP including: raising awareness, promoting Canadian snow and ice research, improve scientific communication, foster recognition for snow and ice, promote policy improvement for water resources management, and celebrate the beauty of our frozen lands.

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Permafrost in Canadian Mountains is Thawing

Author: Stephan Gruber
The article examines efforts to better understand permafrost in Canadian mountain ranges and its response to climate change. The article touches on efforts in Europe to monitor and record permafrost changes in mountainous regions and highlights the need to expand on current permafrost research on Canada to better understand how climate drives changes in mountain landscapes.

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Posted:

November 14, 2024

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