FEDERAL CARIBOU RECOVERY PLAN UNLIKELY TO REVERSE POPULATION DECLINE
(Ottawa: September 12, 2005) - A Parks Canada action plan to save a threatened woodland caribou herd in south Jasper is likely inadequate to reverse its population decline says a
Sierra Club of Canada report."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" says 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."
"The South Jasper herd’s range falls entirely in a protected area" says Jill Seaton of the Jasper Environmental Association. "If the federal government cannot save this species at risk on its own lands, what are chances for other woodland caribou populations confronted by forestry and oil and gas development?"
"Caribou are in serious trouble in the Rockies, yet Parks Canada is failing to protect the only herd with half a chance of surviving the next fifty years. Parks Canada is putting recreation ahead of protecting these beautiful and threatened animals. 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," said Ben Gadd of the Jasper Environmental Association.
Sierra Club of Canada report, prepared by Dr. James Schaefer, a caribou biologist from Trent University, also notes a lack of coordination with the Alberta and British Columbia in the development of provincial recovery plans which could support recovery of the South Jasper Herd.
The environmental groups noted that the action plan has several strengths including: 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.
Active in Canada since 1969, Sierra Club of Canada’s mission is to develop a diverse, well-trained grassroots network working to protect the integrity of global ecosystems. Sierra Club of Canada has actively campaigned for a federal law to protect species at risk since the early 1990s.
The Jasper Environmental Association functions as an independent environmental monitor in Jasper National Park, identifies issues that might adversely affect the wilderness and wildlife of the park and acts as a
resource centre for national environmental groups needing information on park issues.-30-
For further information, contact:
Rachel Plotkin, the Sierra Club of Canada, (613) 241-4611
Volker Schelhas, Jasper Environmental Association (780) 852-4003
Jill Seaton, Jasper Environmental Association, (780) 852-4152