An Analysis of Government Actions for the Protection and Recovery of Forest-dwelling Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Abstract:The Government of Ontario has legal responsibilities to protect and recover the province's population of forest-dwelling woodland caribou, which is classified as a threatened species. Loss and fragmentation of habitat caused by commercial timber harvesting, land clearing, and linear disturbances such as road building have resulted in range recession. Ontario's Woodland Caribou Conservation Plan (2009) serves as the provincial government's response to a recovery strategy. This paper contends that the likelihood of success for this conservation plan is low as it focuses on mitigating rather than eliminating threats, relies on the unproven and circumspect hypothesis that woodland caribou will re-occupy logged habitat, and lacks clarity and details on implementation. Sound government action focused on protection and recovery is needed to prevent the imperilment and extirpation of this species at risk.

Caribou conservation and recovery in Ontario: development and implementation of the Caribou Conservation Plan

“…The CCP further committed to an expanded provincial caribou monitoring program that included an annual range monitoring program and a provincial caribou database to maintain all current and historical caribou inventory data. A provincial caribou monitoring plan is currently under development to coordinate monitoring activities consistent with an adaptive management approach, negating Wilkinson's (2010) concern that the lack of a monitoring plan will lead to an inability to determine if the program is achieving its objectives. Population monitoring was initiated for two ranges in 2009-10, and is being continued under the CCP commitment for the monitoring of one to two ranges annually.…”

“…Many respondents felt that it was essential to identify caribou habitat that would be "protected", in the sense that it would be set aside from resource development and exploitation as a protected area. Wilkinson (2010) similarly expressed the concern that there is little direction in the CCP on what and how much habitat will be protected. It was difficult to reconcile this perspective with the view that caribou conservation requires the consideration and management of entire landscapes over large spatial and temporal scales, and that entire ranges represent important habitat (Racey & Arsenault, 2007).…”

“…Although there is some evidence to support this suggestion based on repeated observations of habitat use through time, it is recognized that there are some uncertainties around the effectiveness of silvicultural practices to renew habitat conditions similar to those that follow wildfire and thus support caribou reoccupancy (OMNR, 2008a), sometimes referred to as an "untested hypothesis" (Suffling et al, 2008;Wilkinson, 2010). While this perspective is to some extent valid, it is also clear that past approaches to the management of boreal landscapes in the absence of caribou considerations were decidedly unsuccessful at retaining caribou (Racey & Armstrong, 1998); positive management adjustments based on forest ecology and caribou science are expected to have a much higher likelihood of success at retaining caribou, particularly when enacted within an adaptive management framework.…”

“…The CCP commits to a review of the feasibility and effectiveness of directly and indirectly managing predator numbers, and the development of criteria and guidelines. Despite the concerns expressed by Wilkinson (2010) that this is ecologically indefensible and would open the door to the culling of wolves, this will be a comprehensive, ecologicallybased review that will consider a range of predator management options including habitat management.…”

“…The purpose of this paper is to more fully describe the development of the CCP, clarify and expand on some of the issues raised by Wilkinson (2010), and address initial implementation of the CCP, while recognizing that full implementation of the CCP will be a long-term and ongoing process.…”