Wolverines are an icon of the wild. These wide ranging, wily critters are known for climbing the steepest peaks and travelling long distances across rugged landscapes. But in southern British Columbia they face even tougher conditions: roads have been cut through their habitat and uncontrolled recreation pushes them away from food and den sites. Until now, wolverines have faced trapping in the Kootenays, but thanks to messages like yours, the province has already proposed a ban on trapping for our corner of the province to begin this year.
Wolverines, who are adapted for winter, storing food and raising their young in the snow, face a difficult future as climate change warms the mountains, northern forests and tundra they call home. The high-elevation, snow-capped peaks of the Columbia and Rocky Mountains are an ever more important refuge for wolverines as our planet warms. We have to give wolverines a chance to survive and thrive in our mountains, away from endless roads and noisy engines. BC needs a plan to protect wolverines—now.
Write a message to Forests Minister Doug Donaldson asking for an effective provincial wolverine management plan (the last plan was from 1989!) that:
- Includes specific habitat protections for denning areas and key habitat for reproductive-age females.
- Includes access management measures to reduce disturbance from uncontrolled recreation.
- Eliminates wolverine trapping across the province to make sure overall populations are strong (trapping should soon be prohibited in the Kootenays and Columbias, but will still be allowed in the Cariboo, Thompson and Northern BC)
Make sure your voice is heard, please write a message in your own words.