caribou

By Cheryl Jahn

Reaction swift to caribou report

Swift response to the Lekstrom Report

Jun 20, 2019 | 4:03 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – “The caribou are paramount.”

That was a statement from Premier John Horgan during a media event, releasing the results of a consultation report put together by Blair Lekstrom on Mountain Caribou recovery efforts to date in the Peace Country. That report set out a recommendation for a moratorium on new permits in the region for coal, oil and gas, mining and forestry harvesting.

“From acting on this recommendation from Blair Lekstrom immediately, I believe that gives a genuine sense of purpose to the Species At Risk legislation that the federal government is using to direct our attention to the caribou issue, it also provides certainty to those who sat down and worked on the partnership agreement that we’re serious about it and it also says to industrial users and workers and families that we are prepared to do whatever we can to protect the Mountain Caribou.”

“The caribou are paramount.”

That comment and Lekstrom’s findings evoked strong response.

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“It just confirmed in my mind that this was totally botched right from the beginning. Blair Lekstrom’s report outlined that as well,” says Mike Morris, the MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie. “Blair Lekstrom’s report outlined that as well. Government has to take a good hard look at how they approach this from this point forward and make that everybody is included.”

And that is what local government is asking for. In fact, the City of Prince George recently drafted a resolution for the North Central Local Government Association AGM, which read …”be it resolved that NCLGA advocate for the participation of municipal and regional district governments that are likely to be affected and that the provincial and federal governments begin a process of public consultation in regards to the potential application of the Species at Risk Act pertaining to the Southern Mountain Caribou. ”

While Lekstrom’s report looks at how the recovery work was conducted in the Peace Country and recommends next steps, the rest of the province, like the community of Valemount, is watching what happens with the Section 11 Agreement, which covers an area from Prince George to Cranbrook.

“We’ve been proactively dealing with caribou closures since 2003. It’s nothing new to us in that area,” says Owen Torgerson, Mayor of Valemount. “But I do hope from a municipal and a regional standpoint that the Premier and staff make that a point. That community engagement and herd-planning, particularly, happen at the community level.”

Industry, too, says it is ready to take a seat at the table. The Council of Forest Industries issued this statement shortly after the report was released.

“We remain fully committed to working with government, First Nations, and community leaders in advancing caribou recovery and protesting forest industry jobs. Importantly, we support Blair Lekstrom’s recommendation that a comprehensive socio-economic analysis with impacted areas of the Partnership Agreement be completed prior to the agreement being finalized.” It goes on to say: “Forest sector communities and workers are facing significant challenges. Timber supply shortages, high log costs and volatile market prices have led to closures and curtailments across the Interior of the province. Considering these circumstances, it comes as some relief that the Province has seen fit to pause to ensure that collectively we strike the right balance between caribou recovery and economic viability.”

While Lekstrom’s report sets out the path for further consultation in the Peace Country, there was no clear response from Premier Horgan when asked if there was room to alter the agreements in place with the Salteau and West Moberly First Nations.

“I’m very suspect about the so-called draft agreements. It appears to me that these are agreements in their own right and they will stand,” says Morris. “And I think that’s wrong.”

Premier Horgan says he hopes to have the consultation done with user groups and stakeholders in the Peace Country done by Christmas.