The provincial engagement process has ended, but you can still ask federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna to protect all critical caribou habitat now.
The BC Government needs to hear that their proposed Caribou Recovery Program just doesn’t do enough. Please take the time to provide official comment on the program discussion paper before June 15 (and we'll copy your message to the Environment and FLNRO Ministers).
Some key points to consider when you write your message below:
First, we need an immediate moratorium on any further degradation of mountain caribou habitat, including logging, mining, road building and recreation tenures, until a strong recovery plan is in effect.
Keep it simple: Habitat loss and fragmentation from logging, mining, roads and recreational use are recognized as the underlying cause for caribou herds’ sharp declines.
To be effective, a caribou recovery plan must include:
- Strong action plans for all herds, tied to population recovery targets, with sufficient funding.
- Full habitat protection for summer and winter habitat at all elevations.
- Enforceable access management and permanent road closures in critical habitat.
- Full review and reductions of commercial recreation tenures.
- Protection and restoration of habitat across all of the caribou range to allow for long-term recovery. No herds or herd habitat should be abandoned.
- Long-term funding for habitat restoration, including restoring roads and silviculture.
- A captive breeding program to supplement other recovery actions for small herds.