By Cheryl Jahn

Hundreds attend caribou forum

Apr 10, 2019 | 10:51 AM

PRINCE GEORGE— Over 500 people packed the auditorium at the Conference and Civic Centre to hear what the federal and provincial governments have planned to recover the Woodland caribou populations. The Province says there is a trio of causes for the decline: disturbances on the landscape, such as fires and harvesting, linear assets, like service roads and access to food. Herds have been declining in recent years. For example, the herd numbers in the Peace country have dropped to about 200 animals from about 800 in the early 2000’s while numbers have dropped from 1,500 to about 700 in the Northeast. 

Two partnership agreements with the West Mobley First Nation and the Saulteau First Nation in the Peace Country were predominantly the discussion during last night’s presentations, although the entire length of the Rockies from north of Mackenzie to Cranbrook is covered under a Species At Risk Section 11 agreement with the federal government. The Partnership agreements lay out very specific land uses and propose moratoriums on resource operations.

“The moratoriums would apply once the agreements are signed,” explains David Muter, Executive Director for Species At Risk Recovery. “So we want to gather that feedback from folks here. We know that there’s a lot of concern. We appreciate coming and discussing that with us. The way it works, those moratoriums would apply once the agreements are finalized.”

Muter assures there are no restrictions to the backcountry access, which was a major source of concern from some in attendance. However, industry is sounding the alarm.

“It’s very disappointing that industries and the communities weren’t brought in beforehand, to participate in the development of the agreement and understand what the socio-economic agreement would be.”

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He says it is putting the cart before the horse. 

Some of the areas under potential restriction directly impact the licencees access to timber supply and Canfor, specifically, discussed the potential loss of jobs.

“Our belief is, if the draft agreements go ahead as proposed, there will be significant job loss in Chetwynd,” says Kevin Horsnell, the Vice President of Woodland Operations for Canfor. “There won’t be enough timbering land base remaining there for the two mills that operate there today. The possible economic impact there might be the closure of a mill in Chetwynd.”

Also, the timber supply for Mackenzie is in question, as a portion of the area under restriction affects the Mackenzie Timber Supply Area.

There is a concern the Partnership agreements inked with the first to First Nations will become the template for agreements along the remainder of the Section 11 agreement.

“The Province has been assuring us that that’s not the case,” says Horsnell. “But I personally find it hard to believe how it can’t be the case. Once they’ve developed these draft agreements and as we move further south in the province, how they can become the cookie-cutter approach to how they will protect the caribou through the rest of the province.”

But the Province assures, what has been laid out is not cast in stone.

“No these are draft agreements and all parties to the agreements have made it very clear that both the Partnership agreement and the Section 11 agreement, they wanted to do public engagement sessions like this to get feedback from communities, feedback from businesses, feedback from local governments before they are presented to Cabinet for final decision,”  says Muter. 

Public enagement sessions are set:

*Mackenzie, April 10  @ Mackenzie Recreation Centre
*Quesnel, April 11 @ Quesnel and District Seniors’ Centre
*Valemount, April 23 @ TBA
*Vanderhoof, April 24 @ TBA