Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Cry Wolf Redux



Little Smoky Caribou Action Centre

The Little Smoky caribou herd:

The Little Smoky herd is one of Alberta's most endangered woodland caribou herds. Industrial activities in their range have led to a serious loss of suitable habitat that is threatening the very existence of this herd.

The Issue:

The government of Alberta has decided that the best way to protect the Little Smoky caribou herd is a wolf cull. Alberta Fish and Wildlife has been advised by members of the Alberta Caribou Committee that the culling of wolves to protect caribou will not help unless significant portions of the herd's range is off limits to industrial activities like oil and gas and forestry operations. However, forestry is still removing critical habitat, and new oil and gas leases are being permitted in the range.

Killing predators is a last-resort option where caribou populations are in a crisis situation. Caribou need secure habitat in which populations can be restored. But in Alberta, the needs of caribou are being trumped by resource extraction. The new sale of oil and gas land leases in the heart of habitat for the Little Smoky Woodland Caribou herd, and logging in this area by West Fraser are contrary to the government's own policy. The 1996/1997 Operating Guidelines for Industrial Activity in Caribou Ranges in West Central Alberta, the location of the Little Smoky herd, state: Industrial activity can occur on caribou range provided the integrity and supply of habitat is maintained to permit its use by caribou.

In 2004 an assessment of the caribou habitat in the Little Smoky was published by the logging companies active in the ranges, and the Alberta Government. It concluded that the Little Smoky range "...does not currently provide habitat conditions sufficient to maintain stable caribou population growth..." Let the government know that habitat protection must be a priority if caribou are to survive.

Take Action!

Please send a letter today to Hon. David Coutts, Alberta's Minister of Sustainable Resource Development.



Also See:

A Hunting We Will Go

Cry Wolf

Americans Hunt Canadians

Save Our Grizzly Bears


Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
, , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment