Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
Seasonal closures will remain in place later than previous years for the Tonquin Valley and other caribou ranges within Jasper National Park.
Access to these backcountry areas will be prohibited between Nov. 1, 2021 and May 15, 2022, rather than ending mid-to-late February as was formerly the case.
“Without action, the only two caribou herds remaining entirely within Jasper will disappear. Parks Canada is focusing our efforts where they can make the most difference – in the Tonquin and Brazeau herds,” Parks Canada said in a statement.
“It is important to increase our efforts to protect caribou in the Tonquin and Brazeau caribou ranges and to maintain the ecological conditions needed to support a potential conservation breeding program.”
The closures are anticipated to prevent backcountry users from creating packed trails, which could lead wolves to prey on caribou that would be more inaccessible otherwise.
Parks Canada said the changes to seasonal closures are based on its ongoing research and monitoring, as well as recommendations from a scientific review of its conservation breeding proposal back in January.
“These new measures represent stronger protection for the Tonquin and Brazeau herds and increase the likelihood of successfully rebuilding caribou herds in Jasper National Park.”
Carolyn Campbell, conservation director with the Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA), praised the decision to keep these caribou ranges closed all winter.
“AWA thinks that’s a good, evidence-based decision – somewhat overdue, but we really appreciate that they’ve taken it this year,” Campbell said.
“It is really important that they take a precautionary approach to managing access and pressures in those ranges.”
Private horse use has also been discontinued in the Tonquin Valley.
For the Brazeau caribou range, boundaries will be expanded on the west side of Highway 93, in the Winston Churchill Range, to include areas where caribou have been observed in surveys and on remote cameras over the past five years.
The Maligne caribou range won’t have access restrictions, as Parks Canada says there’s no evidence that caribou remain in the Maligne herd.
“If caribou are observed in the Maligne caribou range in the future, the closure will be reassessed and reinstated if appropriate,” Parks Canada added.
“Critical habitat for caribou in the Maligne range remains protected under the Canada National Parks Act and Species at Risk Act.”
Campbell criticized the rollback of restrictions for Maligne, because this was prime habitat for future caribou reoccupation.
“We believe the federal government needs to manage for caribou recovery that includes this prime Maligne range. We will hold them to account for that.”
In addition to the seasonal closures, Parks Canada is expected to decided whether or not to build a captive breeding facility in an effort to renew dwindling caribou populations.
Young animals born in this facility would be released into the wild Tonquin herd.
Before the breeding program can begin, Parks Canada also needs to undertake an impact assessment and consultation.
Campbell described this interim recovery measure as “tragic but necessary.”
“It should not have come to this. We should have been more precautionary earlier before the number of breeding females was so critically low that they can’t recover on their own.”
She added how AWA appreciated the scientific review of the proposal by outside experts.
