Wildlife habitat areas (WHAs) are mapped areas that are necessary to meet the habitat requirements of an Identified Wildlife element. WHAs designate critical habitats in which activities are managed to limit their impact on the Identified Wildlife element for which the area was established. The purpose of WHAs is to conserve those habitats considered most limiting to a given Identified Wildlife element. This dataset contains proposed WHAs for the entire province except for the Omenica Region as there are none in the consultation phase at this time

The dataset contains approved legal boundaries for wildlife habitat areas and specified areas for species at risk and regionally important wildlife. Additional information including approved orders associated with WHAs is available [here](http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/cgi-bin/apps/faw/wharesult.cgi?search=show_approved).

An Ungulate Winter Range (UWR) is defined as an area that contains habitat that is necessary to meet the winter habitat requirements of an ungulate species. UWRs are based on current understanding of ungulate habitat requirements in winter, as interpreted by FLNR regional staff from current scientific and management literature, local knowledge, and other expertise from the region. UWRs within this set of data are currently in the review and consultation stage of the area designation process. As UWRs are designated they will be moved into the [Approved Ungulate Winter Range](http://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/ungulate-winter-range) dataset.

A Fisheries Sensitive Watershed (FSW) is a mapped area with specific management objectives intended to guide development activities which may adversely impact important fish values . FSWs within this set of data are currently in the review and consultation stage of the area designation process. As FSWs are designated they will be moved into the [Approved Fisheries Sensitive Watersheds](http://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/fisheries-sensitive-watersheds) dataset and thus often this dataset is empty.