Plan Background 

Why is a Management Plan needed?
An assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in 2002 designated Northern Mountain caribou as a species of Special Concern. This designation means COSEWIC believes this population of caribou are at risk of becoming a threatened or an endangered species because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.

In January 2005, the Government of Canada listed Northern Mountain caribou as a species of Special Concern under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). Once listed, the Act requires the development of a management plan within three years. 

What is the scope of the Management Plan?
The Plan will be general in nature. It is not specific to any particular herd in the population. It is an “umbrella” plan that will be used to guide the development of management plans and management actions for specific herds.

What will a Management Plan for the Northern Mountain caribou include?
The Management Plan will provide general guidelines for the management of the whole population. It will set out population and habitat goals and objectives, as well as identify key knowledge gaps and general research and management needs. The Plan will also summarize the current knowledge of the herds that make up the population, including recent and historic status, monitoring history, and threats to herds and their habitats. It is intended to guide future caribou management practices through the decision-making processes of First Nation, territorial and provincial governments, and of wildlife boards and councils.

The Management Plan will respect the provisions of existing and future land claims agreements. It will be used to guide the development of various regional or herd specific plans by the responsible jurisdictions and will include recommendations for management actions for individual herds. 

The Plan will not directly change any existing third party rights, including harvesting rights.  It will not directly change any existing regulations or management plans that apply to any herd in the population.

Where is the information about the caribou coming from?
The Northern Mountain Caribou Management Team is using information from many sources to prepare the draft of the Management Plan. These sources include wildlife managers, biologists and the staff of Lands and Resources departments working for BC, Yukon, NWT, and First Nations governments. Community surveys and discussions with people who hunt caribou are some of the other sources.