SAFEGUARDING SASKATCHEWAN'S DISAPPEARING WOODLAND CARIBOU

The Issue: Saskatchewan’s Woodland Caribou are disappearing. Research evidence is pointing to spreading human activities as the underlying cause.

	- Bruce Petersen

As we harvest trees, mine the earth, dam the rivers and build new road networks, we are introducing a myriad of un-natural changes that affect the caribou’s ability to survive. Current conservation measures in our boreal are not enough to help the caribou.

The Opportunity: Caribou research is showing just how important it is to maintain significant areas of intact caribou habitat. This includes protection of core habitats and connectivity between habitats, so that the animals can continue to safely travel, feed and reproduce in the forest.

We have opportunity to use the knowledge from research studies to reverse the trend of dwindling caribou in Saskatchewan. This means that critical woodland caribou habitats must be identified and set aside from industrial developments like commercial logging, mining and road building.

The caribou are often called the ‘canary in the coal mine’. Their declining numbers is signaling growing problems for the forest’s intricate web of life. In preserving critical caribou habitat we will have taken an important step towards looking after the forest as a whole.

What CPAWS is Doing:

promoting conservation-based land use planning in Saskatchewan’s boreal forest. This involves meeting and working with people in northern communities, industry and government to develop new zoning structures that address ecosystem sensitivities and needs, while allowing for economic development that provides for long-lasting livelihoods.

participating on the provincial government’s woodland caribou recovery planning team. This involves the identification and protection of critical caribou habitat

partnering with a Saskatchewan-based caribou research team that provides accurate and current information on what’s happening to the caribou in some parts of our forest.

promoting protection of the Churchill River. The Churchill is a large and important wildlife travel corridor that extends across our province.

educating the public about what is happening to the caribou and encouraging them to get involved.

Take Action: As a citizen, you can contribute in various ways:

discuss the caribou habitat issues and solutions with your provincial elected representative(s)
Let others know about the plight of the caribou and help them get involved
Join CPAWS Saskatchewan and support our work
sign an on-line petition to let the federal government know that you want woodland caribou habitat to be mapped and protected