• In many areas over zealous fire suppression has caused disappearance of grassland, created stunted forests and has fostered heavy undergrowth. This has resulted in an impoverished ecology and created conditions for a major fire.
• The water table is dropping: swamps and small lakes are drying up.

• Recreating grassland by logging/thinning; sometimes allowing natural fires to burn off the increasing fuel load as well as doing purposeful burning to prevent unmanageable fires
• Changing the public perception that all forest fires are bad: overcoming Smoky the Bear’s message of absolute fire prevention and convincing landowners who value their forested views
• Benefits of restoring grasslands:
• Increasing natural habitat esp. food supply and helping native species attain historic population levels
• Grasslands help to recharge the water table and alleviate water shortages

• note: more is needed, esp. on water issues

The film opens with stunning helicopter shots of forested benches and mountainsides caressed by early morning light. It is late Spring and traces of snow still lingers in the shadows of low elevation hills. Speaking from the perspective of a casual observer, a narrator indulges in superlatives, enticing the viewer into his descriptions of the scene’s "natural" beauty.

From an elevated viewpoint, an artist looks down across the valley and sketches an illusory landscape. Accompanying him are two elderly outdoorsmen who have spent their lives here. At least one of these is in his 70’s or 80’s. The old timers watch, point to the canvas and suggest changes. As the artist eliminates the trees he has already roughed in the narrator explains: the artist is attempting to recapture the mental image of these pioneers as they viewed this scene some five or six decades ago.

As the artist paints, the outdoor veterans reminisce over other features of this area as they knew it: colder, longer winters, higher water levels and fewer people. Fish and game were also more plentiful then.

In contrast with the densely forested scene before them, we see the painter’s emerging work: open hillsides with occasional trees and a band of bighorn sheep grazing in the foreground. Emerging in the painting but hardly evident in the scene below is a well watered marsh.

In the forest below, a dendrologist drills and examines the core sample from a large tree. In a Lab we see him and other researchers plotting the result of their findings on a map. Animation shows the historical expanse of grasslands, confirming the old timers’ mental picture. The researchers’ information allows them to extend their findings to even earlier times.

Back on the mountain viewpoint, the old timers point to and critique details of the painting. Both agree that the artist’s rendition is close to the way they remember it. From the painting, the scene merges into live action showing a similar present day scene, complete with the band of grazing bighorn.

The narrator posses the question: Why has the one area changed from grassland to an ecologically impoverished forest while this second area has retained healthy grasslands? What has caused the marsh to dry up?

This opening is interspersed with teasers from a few of the following documentary elements. The show now fully develops these:

• We see researcher’s concern as they see the decline and struggles of "their" animals in a very heartfelt way. Other researchers and knowledgeable lay people also talk on and off screen about their observations and the pressing need for a change in the way we interact with nature. They argue for restoration of the historic landscape and the need for a fire maintained ecology.
• Faced with scientific findings as well as anecdotal evidence, it is clear that while some areas have escaped human intervention, humans have manipulated much of nature into what we think is good (and profitable for us). To help understand the rational for the historical current and evolving views of fire suppression an interviewer questions both the previous and the current generations of: forest fire fighters, forest managers, loggers, trappers, fish and wildlife personnel, town site managers, local land owners etc..
• A group of planners meet to generate fire suppression guidelines. (This could possibly be followed by a community gathering where the proposals are being publicly aired. We hear arguments pro and con.)
• Interviews with park managers (including those involved in the Yellowstone burn) about their struggles to allow fires and the fears they have over public reaction etc.
• Over visuals of sheep and elk, in forest confined spaces and in the back yards of Radium, researchers explain the need many species have for access to open grasslands: for food, for more open views to spot and escape from predators and for room to spread out to prevent disease etc.
• Contrast the particular needs of this region compared to another where more intensive fire prevention is beneficial
• Photos of historical grassland extent compared to current views. These support the old timers’ memory of this particular area

• Fire, forest and grasslands affect the water table:

• The Columbia Basin is within the area of the tenth most drought stricken region on earth (as determined by _________________________.)
• An over view of global warming, the diminishing Columbia Ice Field and lower river levels. Local contributions to the effect and solutions on a regional level.
• Field observers check a snow profile; (If practical this profile should include about 5 - 6 decades, otherwise they do a more limited version and give a verbal overview of the earlier time.)
• A canoeist paddles the Columbia and talks about how it’s now impossible to use channels that were reliably open even a decade ago. Permanent markers on the river bank confirm the lower water levels.
• Tree foliage interference with water table recharging - capture of snow and consequent sublimation (Note: Is rain water evaporating from branches also a major factor?)
• Trees remove huge amounts of water from the water table (200 gallons/day/ _______size tree < check with Bill Swan)
• A small farmer is having a new well drilled. As the hours of drilling continue and the expenses mount we sense his anxiety. He talks about how easy it was to get water only a few decades ago. The "commons" question is addressed: the good of the individual at the expense of the general public.

Opening treatment continued *

The artist is putting the final touches on his rendition of the historical grasslands and the marsh below. The trio is joined by a biologist who will be involved in restoring this scene to approximate its historical state. He is delighted to have this visual guide to work from and to have feedback from the veteran outdoorsmen; he expresses hope for the future as he looks at the canvas. (A simpler alternative to the introduction of the biologist is to have one of the veteran outdoorsmen express similar sentiments of the proposed landscape revision from his lay perspective, or one of the old timers could be a retired biologist.)

"That’s it that’s just the way it looked" declares one of the old timers. "Now if you just drew me in there hiking through that meadow …it would be picture perfect."

Animals struggling - coping with a deteriorating environment from the perspective of the animals. A baby animal’s development and its struggles for survival provides a powerful emotional element for the show.

• Tracking a bighorn lamb from soon after birth into its first winter.
• Showing the effects of a drying marsh on the plant and animal life there - a bird like the "mud pumper" or a waterfowl - perhaps showing it’s faltering nestling survival

• Its growing success
• Citizens, Parks Canada and corporations collaborate to make it work
• Wings provides a good foundation to help the lay public understand ecological issues of the area. (e.g. jet ski issue 10:1 against)

A Carmanah style artist paint-in.

• In doing this segment there would also be good potential for discovering treatment ideas as well as on camera or off camera talent for a separate show.

• Larry Halverson: a main pillar in starting and expanding Wings, doing environmental networking and PR work in the community
• Bill Swan: a main pillar in starting and expanding Wings, initiating, finding funding and executing ecology projects
• Others? (Weren’t there business people who asked about creating a festival? Who are the relevant people and organizations?)

The film could include, or even feature an on-screen personality in the capacity of artist and/or interviewer. A well known personality would give the film "a name" to help with distribution. This person could be involved as second narrator and also provide first person subjective comment. If they were in an interviewer capacity, it would important for them to be relational and personable. Two possibilities are:

• The artist, who as they learned more during the progression of the film could give their personal reflection.
• An alternative to the artist is to use an ecologically unsophisticated on screen interviewer who would question the experts, learning as she goes and give her personal reflections over the visuals. A woman would work well to provide contrast to the rugged nature of the show,.

Through the course of the film, she and the viewer follow the emerging logic of the themes, deciding whether or not to accept the experts’ arguments and proposals. This device creates tension and hope in the viewer that this woman is being convinced. If she was a resident (possibly one of the forest-loving Columbia Basin cabin owners) at stake is her love of the existing forested view.

Someone easy to look at and listen to is essential.

Note: interviews would feature visuals of the subjects under discussion rather than "talking heads".

Larry Halverson - Chief Naturalist Kootenay National Park

• a Founding Member of the Wings Over the Rockies Bird Festival.
• excellent perspective of Columbia Valley ecology
• coordinator and instigator of many projects relating to the ecology of Columbia Valley
• add more here

Bill Swan osprey@rockies.net (250) 342 2838 RR #5 3941 Houlgrave Rd. Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0

• works with National and Provincial Parks
• a Founding Member of the Wings Over the Rockies Bird Festival.
• a member of the Wings Festival Steering Committee and
• past President of the Columbia Valley Field Naturalists.
• excellent perspective of Columbia Valley ecology, currently doing bighorn study (and others?)

Bert Brink UBC retired UBC prof. (contact?)

Dr. Ian McTaggart Cowan (contact?)

Don Gayton Don Gaton@gems7.gov.bc.ca

•  
• Poetic writing style):
• "Fire Maintained Ecosystems" - semi technical 4 pages
• "The Wheat Grass Mechanism" - book

Bob Gray (604) 824 8726 webbgray@uniserve.com

• Good source of information (wet land or fire issues?) talking as he walks
• Possible subject for a sequence: walking info tour

Wayne Choquette (contact?)

• Archeologist very knowledgeable

David Schindler (contact?)

• on CBC interview in late Nov. early Dec. /01 (Nobel, $1,000,000 Prize recipient)
• Excellent speaker (slow and well thought out) giving perspective for the practical need to care for our water
• Openly critical with those in a position to know better
• Friend of Paul Galbraith (ex Jasper chief warden now a projects coordinator working out of Kootenay park)
• Stan Rowe Lives in New Denver (contact?)
• Good spokesman
• Retired ecology prof.

• Number of shows to cover the material
• Length of shows
• Besides TV ½ hour(s) or 1 hour(s) Bill Swan wants a 7-8 minute version (to supplement for public lectures?)

Sponsorship potential (Discovery, Nature of things, another CBC slot?, Aboriginal network, NFB, (another show Bill Swan mentioned that may be interested: ________________________)

Some remaining work

• Expand outline and refine treatment
• letters endorsing the film proposal, from researchers, etc.
• Investigating sponsors
• Locations scouted, chosen and shooting times determined
• letters of "intent to participate" from the principal people involved including: veteran outdoorsmen, artist, interview subjects,
• format decision (the show includes a lot of outdoors and nature shooting film origination is preferable - probably Super 16 - then transfer to tape. This would expand distribution potential.)
• budget drawn.
• sound and video screen tests of the artist and old timers and a selection made. A good test combined with other visuals may help sell the show.
• funding/distribution found.