Campus Environmental Assessments

Environmental and ecological assessments are undertaken by the Sustainability Office to inform future development planning.

Understanding environmental and ecological assessments

Environmental and ecological assessments support responsible planning by identifying sensitive ecosystems, species at risk, and important habitat features. These assessments help inform development decisions and ensure alignment with regulatory requirements and sustainability best practices.

Environmental assessments help to identify species and ecosystems at risk that may trigger regulatory requirements or best management practices for protection.

Ecological assessments define the current state of campus ecosystems and important habitat attributes for use in future development planning, including mapping of environmentally sensitive areas.

For assistance interpreting environmentally sensitive area mapping or to determine if an environmental assessment is required, please contact the Associate Director, Sustainability Operations.

Campus ecological update reports

The 2023 Ecological Analysis Update builds on the original 2014 Ecological Inventory and includes both the main and west campus lands. It provides updated ecological inventories, a wildlife tree inventory, culturally important plants and wildfire risk considerations—alongside campus ecosystem change analysis and retention objectives. The report also outlines species at risk, sensitive habitats and climate-related landscape priorities.

Design teams and project leads are encouraged to consult the report and engage with the Sustainability Office to ensure ecological values and best practices are reflected in campus planning, design and operations.

In 2023, Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) on campus were identified and classified based on criteria such as ecosystem characteristics, wildlife habitat suitability, landscape condition, regional rarity, and relative biodiversity.

Environmental sensitivity analysis ratings:

  • Very High (ESA 1): Extremely high ecological value; typically contains rare or critical habitat areas for sensitive or at-risk species, undisturbed or pristine ecosystems, and intact habitats.
  • High (ESA 2): Significant ecological value; often supports regionally important habitat types, high species diversity, and/or relatively intact ecosystems.
  • Moderate (ESA 3): Intermediate ecological value; may provide habitat connectivity, common but healthy ecosystems, or partially disturbed but recoverable landscapes.
  • Low (ESA 4): Limited ecological value; often includes disturbed landscapes, fragmented ecosystems, or areas with reduced habitat quality.

Regulatory requirements

Almost all of UBC Okanagan’s lands fall within the City of Kelowna’s Natural Environment Development Permit Area, which regulates land disturbance and development in ecologically sensitive areas.

Development permit areas promote protection, enhancement and restoration of biodiversity, habitat and hydrological functions.

Environmental assessment reports

The following reports, commissioned by the Sustainability Office, provide guidance on habitat protection and best practices for biodiversity management.