Towards a caribou habitat management strategy for northwestern Ontario: running the gauntlet
Abstract: A management strategy for woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) habitat is being developed i n northwes-tern Ontar io. This strategy is based upon a set o f draft Timber Management Guidelines for the Provision of Woodland Caribou Habitat. These guidelines recommend maintaining a sus...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1996
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1027.3148 http://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/download/1238/1177/ |
| Summary: | Abstract: A management strategy for woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) habitat is being developed i n northwes-tern Ontar io. This strategy is based upon a set o f draft Timber Management Guidelines for the Provision of Woodland Caribou Habitat. These guidelines recommend maintaining a sustainable supply o f winter habitat wi th in large tracts o f o ld forest, protecting calving areas and min imiz ing human disturbance. D u e to the large temporal and spatial scale o f caribou habi-tat management, an ecosystem-based approach is recommended. Public response to the strategy shows a strong dichot-omy between environmental and utilitarian values among all the major stakeholder groups. The major issues raised by the public include security o f industrial w o o d supply, quality o f the knowledge base, level o f awareness o f caribou, eco-nomic impacts on remote communities, concern about environmental impacts and silvicultural k n o w- h o w. T h e government is responding to these concerns as the strategy evolves. Current emphasis is placed on increasing awareness o f the public, training resource managers in caribou biology, management and habitat planning, implementing interim habitat management prescriptions and studying the potential impact on w o o d supply. T h e final direction for a north-western Ontario strategy to conserve woodland caribou habitat has yet to be decided, although a commitment has been made to strive for the conservation o f woodland caribou populations and their habitat. Rangifer, Special Issue No. 9, 159-170 |
|---|