Towards a Caribou Habitat Management Strategy for Northwestern Ontario: Running the Gauntlet

Gerald D Racey,Edward R Armstrong

doi:10.7557/2.16.4.1238

Abstract

A management strategy for woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) habitat is being developed in northwestern Ontario. This strategy is based upon a set of draft Timber Management Guidelines for the Provision of Woodland Caribou Habitat. These guidelines recommend maintaining a sustainable supply of winter habitat within large tracts of old forest, protecting calving areas and minimizing human disturbance. Due to the large temporal and spatial scale of caribou habitat management, an ecosystem-based approach is recommended. Public response to the strategy shows a strong dichotomy between environmental and utilitarian values among all the major stakeholder groups. The major issues raised by the public include security of industrial wood supply, quality of the knowledge base, level of awareness of caribou, economic impacts on remote communities, concern about environmental impacts and silvicultural know-how. The government is responding to these concerns as the strategy evolves. Current emphasis is placed on increasing awareness of the public, training resource managers in caribou biology, management and habitat planning, implementing interim habitat management prescriptions and studying the potential impact on wood supply. The final direction for a northwestern Ontario strategy to conserve woodland caribou habitat has yet to be decided, although a commitment has been made to strive for the conservation of woodland caribou populations and their habitat.

Highlights

Northwestern Ontario is developing a strategy for managing woodland caribou {Rangifer tarandus caribou) habitat
T h e final direction for anorth western Ontario strategy to conserve woodland caribou habitat has yet to be decided, acommitment has been made to strive for the conservation of woodland caribou populations and their habitat
The impetus for trying to manage woodland caribou habitat in the forested regions of northwestern Ontario arose from increased awareness o f their presence across the landscape, and the realization that they were a resource that was neither being considered nor conserved by contemporary forest management practices

Summary

Introduction

Northwestern Ontario is developing a strategy for managing woodland caribou {Rangifer tarandus caribou) habitat. This paper describes our progress and approach i n developing and implementing this strategy It represents a case study i n caribou habitat management, and builds upon proposals previously documented by Racey et al (1991). As such, it is not so mucha scientific paper as a chronicle o f activities and responses to those activities i n pursuit of a management strategy. The strategy was required to halt the documented northward recession of woodland caribou range in Ontario This range recession has resulted from a variety o f factors including changes i n forest structure, predator-prey balance, disease and hunting (Darby et al, 1989). The impetus for trying to manage woodland caribou habitat in the forested regions of northwestern Ontario arose from increased awareness o f their presence across the landscape, and the realization that they were a resource that was neither being considered nor conserved by contemporary forest management practices

Results

Discussion

Conclusion