by Alisen Charlten
Wednesday September 21, 2005

Jasper Booster — The Sierra Club of Canada is criticizing Parks Canada for taking inadequate measures in the restoration and protection of woodland caribou herds in Jasper National Park.
Caribou populations in the park have been steadily declining since the 1960s, at which time the herd numbered about 450 caribou. Today, Parks estimates that only about 100 of the animals remain in the south Jasper herd that roams the Tonquin Valley and Jonas Pass areas.
In light of a recent review of the South Jasper National Park Caribou Action Plan for Caribou Recovery, the Sierra Club claims that measures currently being implemented aren’t likely to reverse the population decline of woodland caribou in the southern region of the park.
"Our analysis suggests that the action plan is not strong enough to deal with the two main causes of caribou mortality -- predation and vehicle collisions -- which are both exacerbated by roads," said Rachel Plotkin, Director of Forests and Biodiversity at the Sierra Club of Canada. "Stronger measures such as road closures are needed urgently to ensure that the south Jasper herd is not extirpated (wiped out)."
The review, conducted by Dr. James Schaefer, a caribou biologist from Trent University, points to the closure of roads and trails, specifically those in the Maligne Lake area, as the most effective means of controlling predation especially in winter.
According to facts used in Schaefer’s review, roads and trails provide wolves with easier access to woodland caribou herds, especially in the winter when roads are plowed and tracks are set for skiing in the area.
"Parks Canada is putting recreation ahead of protecting these beautiful and threatened animals," said Ben Gadd of the Jasper Environmental Association (JEA). "We can hike and ski nearly anywhere in Jasper National Park, but the caribou depend on very specific areas for their survival. We have a choice. They don’t."
A few years ago, the possibility of a winter closure of Maligne Lake Rd. was brought before Parks as part of a research proposal on caribou recovery. According to JNP Manager of Resource Conservation Steve Blake, the idea was rejected by local parks officials because it was inconsistent with the Parks Canada management plan. He said many people still believe the road closure was to be implemented in 2002 until officials in Ottawa vetoed the idea -- a misconception he said is simply not true.

Concern for caribou in other areas
The level of caribou mortality on the Icefields Parkway in the Beauty Creek area is also a point of great concern, said Jill Seaton of the JEA.
During the winter caribou in the area often come down to the highway to lick salt off the road, which becomes especially dangerous at night.
It seems that Parks might already have a handle on the problem though as they are currently planning to spray certain sections of Hwy. 93 with lithium chloride which will make the salt impalatable to caribou.
According to Park officials, the technique has already seen success in keeping sheep off the roads in certain areas.
Meanwhile, the issue of predation from wolves and vehicles in the Maligne area is definitely more complicated.
When considering solutions, Parks Canada believes a balance needs to be struck between conservation and use of the area.
"We need widespread public support on this," said Steve Blake, Manager of Resource Conservation for Parks Canada. "Implementing heavy-handed approaches that alienate our supporters is not how we want to do it. Education getting compliance from people is how we see long-term success."
Blake added that success will come from an ability to work with the community and at the same time recover the caribou population.
Banning of dogs from trails in caribou areas, reduction of speed limits on the Icefields Parkway and the illumination of snowmobile by wardens have been some of the most recent measures taken to deal with caribou disturbance.
According to Blake, the information that Schaefer’s review is based on is out of date. He said that current data being used by Parks doesn’t point to caribou mortality as the biggest issue in population decline nor does it support the idea that area roads promote wolf predation above natural levels.
Blake is quick to point out, however, that Parks doesn’t discount the impact of predation.
The caribou recovery plan has also called for a reduction in track setting for cross-country skiing in certain areas. The Bald Hills area will no longer be track set for cross country skiing and similar considerations may be made for the trails around Maligne Lake, according to Blake.
He also noted the use of a technique called ‘fladry’, which incorporates fabric streamers as a barrier (similar to those on elk-proof fences around town) to deter wolves from using the trails.
Parks is also discouraging the use of trails in caribou territory for trackless skiing and during certain times of year such as calving and rutting seasons to limit both predation and disturbance.
But Schaefer and the JEA are skeptical of whether making trail use voluntary will have enough impact.
"Unless you close an area completely your still going to get people going in there," said Seaton.
Despite the criticism, Schaefer’s review also recognized the strengths of the plan including: an explicit listing of advantages and disadvantages of each recovery action, a commitment to communicating the importance of caribou and caribou recovery to a broader audience and detailing of recovery actions likely to lessen disturbance of caribou.

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