Towards a caribou habitat management strategy for northwestern Ontario: running the gauntlet

• Main Authors: Gerald D. Racey, Edward R. Armstrong
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1996
• Subjects: Rangifer; Rangifer tarandus
• 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/

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