yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris), and wapiti (Cervis canadensis). The population also boasts a large population of mule deer (Odocoileus hermionus) and American black bears (Ursus americanus). Threats and preservation Approximately 20% of the Okanagan dry forests remains intact, with most parts having been heavily altered due to clearing of land for agricultural production. Growing urban expansion also threatens this ecoregion, most notably around the cities of Kamloops, Kelowna, and Spokane. Connectivity between grasslands for wildlife is heavily impaired by the development of lowland valleys. Human-caused climate change threatens to increase the frequency and intensity of droughts and wildfires in this ecoregion. Wildfires of note include the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park fire, 2009 West Kelowna wildfires, and 2017 British Columbia wildfires. Protected areas Some of the largest protected areas of this ecoregion include: Arrowstone Provincial Park Bonaparte Provincial Park Colville National Forest Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park Riverside State Park White Lake Grasslands Protected Area See also List of ecoregions in Canada (WWF) List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF) References External links Ecozones and ecoregions of British Columbia Forests of British Columbia Forests of Washington (state) Nearctic ecoregions Temperate coniferous forests