Beetles & caribou

Recent large-scale outbreaks of mountain pine and spruce bark beetles in many areas of BC have prompted aggressive logging activities. In many forest stands, including critical mountain caribou habitat, actions to deal with beetles have included use of clear-cut, selection and salvage logging, as well as the construction of new roads.

This puts added pressure on mountain caribou. Lichen-bearing trees are lost, other ungulates, such as deer and moose, and their predators are drawn to new cut-blocks and increased access is created for backcountry recreationists.

Current habitat protection measures require that the forest industry consult with a qualified caribou expert and seek an exemption from legislated protections in order to undertake any activities in protected habitat. Applicants for exemptions must be able to demonstrate that proposed actions are not detrimental to caribou. This oversight of public resources by qualified and independent professionals provides some security for habitat protections. The Mountain Caribou Project is encouraging government to maintain this oversight and to expand it to include the industrial mining and recreation sectors and any development activities they wish to initiate in protected caribou habitat.