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MOMMA
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We, as snowmobilers are good people. We need a voice that is heard, in order to do that, here are some points to consider when addressing the Recovery strategy for Woodland Caribou, Southern Mountain Population in Canada released by the Federal Government. They are asking for our input. Let's bring it.
MOUNTAIN CARIBOU ALERT
YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED
The Government of Canada
Environment Canada and Parks Canada
“Recovery Strategy for Woodland Caribou,
Southern Mountain population in Canada”
Firstly about the title above, mountain caribou are woodland caribou that choose to live in the mountains in the winter to avoid predators, they are genetically the same animal, hence the wording of the title, but we are talking about the mountain caribou that we are all familiar with.
“BC’s Mountain Caribou Recovery Plan Is Not Working”
The federal government has decided that the Province of British Columbia’s plan to save the mountain caribou is not working. The Province of BC had to initiate a recovery program for mountain caribou because of SARA. The Species at Risk Act (SARA) is a piece of Canadian federal legislation which became law in Canada on December 12, 2002. It is designed to meet one of Canada's key commitments under the International Convention on Biological Diversity. The goal of the Act is to protect endangered or threatened organisms and their habitats. It also manages species which are not yet threatened, but whose existence or habitat is in jeopardy.
SARA defines a method to determine the steps that need to be taken in order to help protect existing relatively healthy environments, as well as recover threatened habitats. It identifies ways in which governments, organizations, and individuals can work together to preserve species at risk and establishes penalties for failure to obey the law.
The Feds Plan
The Feds have released the initial draft of their plan to save the mountain caribou, it is available online at "Recovery Strategy for the Woodland Caribou, Southern Mountain population (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Canada [Proposed]" (2014-01-17) (PDF format, 3,503.36 KB).
What Can You Do?
There is an online site (http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/document/default_e.cfm?documentID=1309) to make comments regarding the draft plan, the public commentary period which ends on March 18th, 2014. If you are shy you do not have to provide your name. We need snowmobilers to speak up so that the Feds will not impose any further closures on recreational snowmobiling. Fortunately for many years there has been a group of snowmobilers working diligently on mountain caribou issues and we have learned a lot. So to assist you make an informed comments here is some information:
1. Snowmobilers are regular folks, often families that have always respected wintering wildlife through avoidance and minimizing any impact of contact. Snowmobile clubs have preached proper backcountry wildlife stewardship since the 1970s.
2. 85% of all mountain caribou mortality occurs in the late spring, summer and fall (not snowmobile season).
3. Number one cause of caribou mortality is predation (wolves, bears, cougars, and wolverine), other reasons are avalanches, natural causes, run over on the highways and trains.
4. Reasons for failure of provincial Mountain Caribou Recovery Plan was the failure of the Province of BC to do its job as they specified in their agreements with organized snowmobiling to implement:
a. An effective Predator Control Strategy (reduce wolf, bear, and cougar populations in immediate vicinity of mountain caribou)
b. An effective Alternate Prey Species Control Strategy (reduce moose and deer population in close proximity to mountain caribou, to reduce predator populations in the area).
c. A successful program to augment small populations by transplanting animals from large populations. (two programs were attempted both failed completely)
5. Snowmobilers’ possible interaction with mountain caribou was always an educational matter; it never should have been dealt with by regulation.
6. The removal of recreational snowmobilers from much of the historical mountain caribou habitat did nothing but allow unimpeded access by predators.
So please feel free the use the information above as part of your comments, and please do comment, if the federal bureaucrats get enough comments from enough snowmobilers they will respect us.
So Why Are Mountain Caribou Populations Declining?
Most caribou populations around the world are declining, climate change is often cited as one reason. Mountain caribou in BC started to decline due to the effects of 70 years of forest harvesting in the Interior of BC. Clear cutting and the resulting growth in the years following clear cutting an area result in excellent habitat for moose and deer, and where there are populations of moose and deer predator populations follow. Wolf, bear, and cougar populations in BC are at historical highs because there are high populations of prey species (moose and deer), and every years less hunters.
Will the Feds Plan Succeed?
The short answer is no, for the same reasons the Province failed. The public in larger urban areas will not accept the above items 4a and 4b, the provincial politicians know this. So the Feds will manage what they can, which brings us back to us snowmobilers. Our impact on the demise of the mountain caribou is so small as to be immeasurable, but we all know how the provincial bureaucrats and the media like to vilify us in mountain caribou stories.
So please take the time
to send your comments online to
the Government of Canada
http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/document/default_e.cfm?documentID=1309
YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED
The Government of Canada
Environment Canada and Parks Canada
“Recovery Strategy for Woodland Caribou,
Southern Mountain population in Canada”
Firstly about the title above, mountain caribou are woodland caribou that choose to live in the mountains in the winter to avoid predators, they are genetically the same animal, hence the wording of the title, but we are talking about the mountain caribou that we are all familiar with.
“BC’s Mountain Caribou Recovery Plan Is Not Working”
The federal government has decided that the Province of British Columbia’s plan to save the mountain caribou is not working. The Province of BC had to initiate a recovery program for mountain caribou because of SARA. The Species at Risk Act (SARA) is a piece of Canadian federal legislation which became law in Canada on December 12, 2002. It is designed to meet one of Canada's key commitments under the International Convention on Biological Diversity. The goal of the Act is to protect endangered or threatened organisms and their habitats. It also manages species which are not yet threatened, but whose existence or habitat is in jeopardy.
SARA defines a method to determine the steps that need to be taken in order to help protect existing relatively healthy environments, as well as recover threatened habitats. It identifies ways in which governments, organizations, and individuals can work together to preserve species at risk and establishes penalties for failure to obey the law.
The Feds Plan
The Feds have released the initial draft of their plan to save the mountain caribou, it is available online at "Recovery Strategy for the Woodland Caribou, Southern Mountain population (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Canada [Proposed]" (2014-01-17) (PDF format, 3,503.36 KB).
What Can You Do?
There is an online site (http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/document/default_e.cfm?documentID=1309) to make comments regarding the draft plan, the public commentary period which ends on March 18th, 2014. If you are shy you do not have to provide your name. We need snowmobilers to speak up so that the Feds will not impose any further closures on recreational snowmobiling. Fortunately for many years there has been a group of snowmobilers working diligently on mountain caribou issues and we have learned a lot. So to assist you make an informed comments here is some information:
1. Snowmobilers are regular folks, often families that have always respected wintering wildlife through avoidance and minimizing any impact of contact. Snowmobile clubs have preached proper backcountry wildlife stewardship since the 1970s.
2. 85% of all mountain caribou mortality occurs in the late spring, summer and fall (not snowmobile season).
3. Number one cause of caribou mortality is predation (wolves, bears, cougars, and wolverine), other reasons are avalanches, natural causes, run over on the highways and trains.
4. Reasons for failure of provincial Mountain Caribou Recovery Plan was the failure of the Province of BC to do its job as they specified in their agreements with organized snowmobiling to implement:
a. An effective Predator Control Strategy (reduce wolf, bear, and cougar populations in immediate vicinity of mountain caribou)
b. An effective Alternate Prey Species Control Strategy (reduce moose and deer population in close proximity to mountain caribou, to reduce predator populations in the area).
c. A successful program to augment small populations by transplanting animals from large populations. (two programs were attempted both failed completely)
5. Snowmobilers’ possible interaction with mountain caribou was always an educational matter; it never should have been dealt with by regulation.
6. The removal of recreational snowmobilers from much of the historical mountain caribou habitat did nothing but allow unimpeded access by predators.
So please feel free the use the information above as part of your comments, and please do comment, if the federal bureaucrats get enough comments from enough snowmobilers they will respect us.
So Why Are Mountain Caribou Populations Declining?
Most caribou populations around the world are declining, climate change is often cited as one reason. Mountain caribou in BC started to decline due to the effects of 70 years of forest harvesting in the Interior of BC. Clear cutting and the resulting growth in the years following clear cutting an area result in excellent habitat for moose and deer, and where there are populations of moose and deer predator populations follow. Wolf, bear, and cougar populations in BC are at historical highs because there are high populations of prey species (moose and deer), and every years less hunters.
Will the Feds Plan Succeed?
The short answer is no, for the same reasons the Province failed. The public in larger urban areas will not accept the above items 4a and 4b, the provincial politicians know this. So the Feds will manage what they can, which brings us back to us snowmobilers. Our impact on the demise of the mountain caribou is so small as to be immeasurable, but we all know how the provincial bureaucrats and the media like to vilify us in mountain caribou stories.
So please take the time
to send your comments online to
the Government of Canada
http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/document/default_e.cfm?documentID=1309
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