Recovery Plan to Boost Telkwa Caribou Herd
Smithers, B.C. – The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is involved in an effort to increase the size of the Telkwa caribou herd and is encouraging backcountry recreationalists to abide by voluntary restrictions while snowmobiling or skiing to help protect the caribou population.
The herd is estimated to have fewer than 20 animals and the province has made a commitment to aid it’s recovery. One key part of the plan is an agreement way back in 2003 to create voluntary motorized vehicle closures. The agreement is supported by 15 different stakeholder groups including snowmobile clubs, naturalists, hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts.
The thought is that recreational activities like snowmobiling and back country skiing could displace northern caribou from their usual winter habitats and affect foraging. As well encountering snow machines or skiers increases stress on the animals and reduces their energy reserves during winter.
The ministry has some tips for backcountry users who encounter caribou:
- Do not approach the animals.
- Turn off all snowmobile engines and give the caribou a chance to move away.
- Leave the area as soon as it is practical to do so.
- Avoid riding within sight of the animals.
The ministry says it wants to protect and increase the size of the caribou herd while still allowing reasonable access to the Telkwa Mountains for all user groups.
Comments
I hate it when the base all their results from one flawed study and call it the law. The hart ranges caribou herds where growing, I doubt that will remain the case now.
No mention of why the herd is small? What about predators, logging?
Caribou aren’t prolific breeders even under ideal conditions. Populations can be tipped into decline by predation and habitat loss.
Snowmobile tracks are like highways for wolves and lead to increased predation. Caribou are on a pretty tight energy budget in the winter and any incidental disturbance, not to mention actual harassment, hurts their breeding success too. Conventional logging was a problem but has been reduced or eliminated from many (most?) key caribou ranges in BC.
Most herds are in decline; the caribou is not well-suited to co-exist with all the activities of humans on the landscape.
“Voluntary restrictions” (there’s an oxymoron) don’t seem like any kind of solution to declining caribou populations.
CL
Comments for this article are closed.