Overview

The Canadian Mountain Network (CMN) is developing a national and interdisciplinary research, training, and knowledge mobilization agenda focused on mountain regions. We have engaged post-secondary institutions, Indigenous representative organizations, governments (local, provincial/territorial and federal), companies, nonprofits, and individual experts from across the country to co-design this agenda. Our vision is to provide Canadians with state-of-the-art tools and knowledge, based on multiple ways of knowing, that are essential for informed decision-making to sustain and manage mountain places in the face of unprecedented environmental, economic and societal changes.

In February 2018, CMN was selected as one of 11 proposals (69 submitted) to submit a Full Application to the federal Networks of Centres of Excellence funding competition. CMN will request $20 million in funding over five years from the federal government, with the opportunity for two additional five-year extensions.

We are now working to better understand the cluster of individuals and organizations - academic and non-academic - working with various technologies to help us better understand and interpret change in mountain regions. We believe that CMN funding to support the development and distribution of new technologies will benefit our efforts across all three activity areas - research, training and knowledge mobilization - and all relevant Research Themes, Challenges, and Research Priority Areas. Find more details on the CMN activity areas and research agenda here: http://canadianmountainnetwork.ca/mountain-nce/letter-intent-abstract/

For the NCE Full Application, we require formal consultation and planning efforts in order to provide quantifiable and qualitative data to support the development and funding of a Technology Cluster, as well as identify prospective cluster participants.

This survey is the first step in those efforts. The first 4 questions tell us a little about your stakeholder profile and the next 9 questions seek to determine alignment of stakeholder interests with the suggested CMN Research Priority Areas (RPAs).
 
Please contact Dr. Chris Hopkinson, Research Chair in Terrestrial Ecosystem Remote Sensing at the University of Lethbridge, with any questions regarding this survey at c.hopkinson@uleth.ca
Stakeholder profile
The first 4 questions tell us a little about you and your interaction with mountain environments

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* 1. Your region of residence

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* 2. Your stakeholder category

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* 3. How do you primarily interact with mountain environments?

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* 4. How frequently are you in the mountains?

Research Priority Areas
For the following 9 responses, please indicate your level of interest from no interest (1) to high interest (5).

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* 5. RPA-1 Mountains as a source of Canadian identity?
Outcome: Enhanced understanding of the historic and contemporary role of mountains in the development of Canadian identity and the process of Reconciliation.

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* 6. RPA-2: Mountains as the foundation of vibrant cultures?
Outcome: Transform our understanding of mountains in sustaining Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and the diversity of connections that nonIndigenous residents have with mountain environments

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* 7. RPA-3: Mountains as cradles of biodiversity?
Outcomes: Establish a world-class mountain biodiversity and bio-surveillance system and characterize the dynamics of unique mountain food web interactions - knowledge essential for developing local food security and conservation strategies.

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* 8. RPA-4: Mountains as dynamic and complex landscapes?
Outcomes: Development of new dynamic models across spatial scales, to inform natural resource and human-use management and policy decisions, and quantification of ecological-social-economic trade-offs.

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* 9. RPA-5: Mountains as water towers?
Outcomes: Integrating a comprehensive understanding of changing water resources across all CMN-supported activities.

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* 10. RPA-6: Mountains as complex socio-ecological systems?
Outcomes: An integrated understanding of the evolution of mountain socio-ecological systems, including the economic, cultural and social impacts of tourism, infrastructure needs, and other land uses.

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* 11. RPA-7: Mountains as hazardous places?
Outcomes: Guidance to small communities and industry for recognizing mountain hazards, engaging professional support, and communicating risk awareness to reduce costs of exposure to mountain hazards.

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* 12. RPA-8: Mountain peoples as keepers of traditional land management practices?
Outcomes: New mechanisms for Indigenous communities to lead land use planning and conservation, and the impact of conservation policies on the design of future protected areas, including Indigenous Protected Areas.

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* 13. RPA-9: Mountains as the foundation of local economies?
Outcomes: Strategies for rural and remote communities to enhance their quality of life (in the context of local aspirations) and creatively repositioning themselves in a global economy.

Feedback and suggestions
The following 6 questions are your opportunity to provide feedback that will guide the development of the Technology Cluster within the Canadian Mountain Network

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* 14. What technologies do you currently use in your work or research to address knowledge gaps?

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* 15. What are some technological needs (e.g. sensors, software, transportation) that currently exist and could be addressed through R&D funding from CMN (e.g. research, market studies, prototype development, intellectual property)?

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* 16. CMN is proposing development of a Mountain Observatory as a space to share geographic and temporal information with the public in accordance with Tri Council requirements and emerging best practices. It would receive a start upgrant in year 1 of CMN’s operations using NCE funds, and potentially funding for subsequent development. How could this database be designed to create value for you?

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* 17. In addition to the services above, would you see value in meetings dedicated to identifying technological solutions that will enhance our understanding of mountain regions? If yes, what type of event would you suggests; e.g. workshops or conference special sessions?

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* 18. What other individuals or organizations should be involved in this conversation in the future?

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* 19. Do you have any other comments or suggestions to inform the development of the Canadian Mountain Network, or more specifically, the Technology Cluster?

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* 20. We are tentatively planning to host a one day workshop in Alberta (Lethbridge or Edmonton) to discuss the Canadian Mountain Network proposal, the results of this survey and stakeholder-suggested focal topics for the Technology Cluster. Would you be interested in attending such a workshop? If 'yes' providing your email address is optional and to enable follow up.

Thank you for your time and valuable feedback. The results of this survey will be compiled and made publicly available on the CMN web site in the summer of 2018 http://canadianmountainnetwork.ca/
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