FFWD REW

New deal good for caribou?

Today’s papers are hailing the new Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement as a major step forward for caribou protection in Canada. And it is. A step.

The agreement hopes to create more sustainable logging practices country-wide and will halt logging and road building in 29 million hectares of caribou habitat. According to the Edmonton Journal in Alberta signatory companies have committed to no harvesting or road building in almost 4.4 million hectares of caribou range for three years.

The problem is three years is not enough to turn around and stabilize the declining caribou population. Although it is better than nothing a longer-term strategy is needed to ensure the protection of Albertan and Canadian caribou herds. Also not all companies are partaking in the agreement only Forest Products Association of Canada companies have signed on so far. Companies that are not members may or may not choose to take part in the agreement.

In Alberta most caribou herds are declining and a few are in danger of extirpation (regional extinction). One of these herds is the Little Smoky herd whose range exteneds along the eastern slopes north of Hinton. On the map it is clear that not only are FPAC companies not logging in most of the area (there are a number of other logging and oil and gas companies operating in the area) well over half of it isn’t part of the development moratorium. Research has shown that caribou need large undisturbed tracts of land — something that this agreement will not create for the Little Smoky herd. Biologist Stan Boutin told the Edmonton Journal "he’s willing to bet that there is pretty substantive development (in the protected areas) already and that there is no merchantable timber in many parts of the forest inhabited by the caribou."

And other than the good will of the timber companies what kind of enforcement will there be? If an agreement has no teeth it doesn’t do endangered species much good.

So while the agreement is a step in the right direction and many environmentalist are cautiously optimistic this is far from a solution to Alberta’s rapidly declining caribou numbers. Industry has taken the first step now it needs to keep on walking.

Tags: