Search results for "Newfoundland and Labrador"

You did it! Thank you!

Absolutely huge news out of Ottawa today!  The federal government has released a scientific report on the Boreal population of Woodland caribou, a nationally threatened species.  The report identifies critical habitat needed for the survival of Boreal woodland caribou.

Why is this report so important?  Well, it shows that nearly 2.5 million sq. km of the Boreal is considered critical habitat.  That’s a lot of Boreal forest.  In fact it supports CPAWS’ position that at least half of Canada’s Boreal forest should be protected.

Now that this report is out and we know where the scientists say where critical habitat is, the next urgent step is for the federal government to consult Aboriginal Canadians and their Traditional Knowledge, and move quickly to release the national recovery strategy for woodland caribou.  In fact, this is a requirement under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).

I'll let you know how you can help.  In the meantime, why not send a note to Environment Minister Jim Prentice?  He's responsible for the report's release, and will have a large say in how the government deals with its obligation to uphold SARA.  You can let him know you care about caribou and remind him that the recovery strategy is an important next step.

CPAWS and their partners have been pestering the government to release this report for months.  Thanks to everyone (more than 10,000 of you!) who signed the petition and postcards for caribou. You helped make it happen!  Now help us on the next step in protecting Canada’s woodland caribou and their Boreal forest home.

Check out the details of the report and background info here.

Quebec bou: 1, NWT bou: 0

A huge study of Quebec's caribou is underway, thanks to $1.7 million dollars from the provincial and federal governments.  The study will focus on the barren-ground (migratory) 'bou in far northern Quebec, not us Boreal woodland caribou.

Quebec's barren-ground caribou seem to be in fairly good shape so far.  But over in the western arctic, the news is bleak.  Herds of both Barren-ground and Peary (cute little arctic critters) caribou have plummeted over the past few decades.

Is it natural cycles, hunting, development, climate change or all of the above?  I hope the Quebec study will shed some light on what's impacting the herds.

Newfoundland reports "startling" loss of woodland caribou

For a while, the Newfoundland island population of Woodland caribou was the only population in all of Canada that could be considered relatively healthy.

No longer.  Woodland 'bou populations on the Rock are in a “startling” decline according to Hon. Minister Charlene Johnson, and the provincial government is taking notice.  While that's good news, their focus is on increased hunting of black bears (one of the caribous' chief predators), not on the underlying problem of habitat loss.  

Say the CPAWSers at our Newfoundland chapter:

It is great to see the province put caribou protection high on the list of wildlife protection priorities on the island of Newfoundland. We at CPAWSNL believe action should be swift to support a diminishing caribou population by all means possible. While some people believe the black bear predation is one of the main reasons for the loss of woodland caribou, we should always remember that the primary cause of species decline is fragmentation and destruction of habitat.

But even a predator-free Newfoundland won't ensure the survival of caribou if their habitat isn't protected.  –Newfoundland should support a review of the status of the Newfoundland island population by the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Canada in light of this new information!