Woodland Caribou

Caribou Conservation Plan – The Ontario Government’s Response to the provincial Woodland Caribou Recovery Strategy

 
Last fall, MNR initiated the development of a Caribou Conservation Plan to help guide caribou conservation and recovery efforts in Ontario.

The Caribou Conservation Plan has been developed to meet the requirements under subsection 11(8) of the ESA, 2007 to identify and prioritize the actions the government intends to take in response to the final Recovery Strategy for Woodland Caribou (Forest-dwelling, Boreal population) in Ontario (Recovery Strategy) (July 2008) published on August 21, 2008.

To develop the Caribou Conservation Plan, MNR considered the advice provided in the Caribou Recovery Strategy, the recommendations provided by the Woodland Caribou Science Review Panel and input received from the public, stakeholders and Aboriginal Peoples through several stakeholder sessions and through the Environmental Registry

• Caribou Conservation Plan (PDF Size: 3.3 MB)

Provincial Woodland Caribou Recovery Strategy

In August 2008, an Information Notice was posted on the Environmental Registry regarding the completion of the Recovery Strategy for the Forest-Dwelling Boreal Population of Woodland Caribou in Ontario (Notice #XB06E6016 - Recovery Strategy for Forest-dwelling Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Ontario).

Recovery strategies are considered to be advice to government and others on the recommended approaches to protect and recover endangered and threatened species. A finalized Recovery Strategy for Forest-dwelling Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Ontario was submitted to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) by the Ontario Woodland Caribou Recovery Team and is provided below.

• Full Document (PDF Size: 4.26 MB)
• Executive Summary (PDF Size: 93 KB)
• Figures

• Figure 1. Proposed caribou recovery zones for recovery action planning in Ontario and Figure 2. Historical global distribution of caribou (PDF Size: 314 KB) 
• Figure 3.  Current and southern limit of historical area of continuous distribution of forest-dwelling woodland caribou in North America and Figure 4. Approximate historical and current southern limits of continuous distribution of woodland caribou in Ontario (from Darby et al. 1989) (PDF Size: 266 KB)
• Figure 5.  Map of Documented forest-dwelling woodland caribou range occupancy in Ontario prior to 1970 and subsequent decades. (PDF Size: 110 KB)
• Figure 6.  Distribution of woodland caribou ecotypes in Ontario. (PDF Size: 57 KB)

• Tables and Appendices (PDF Size: 221 KB)

• Table 1 - Approaches for caribou recovery
• Table 2 - Description of proposed recovery zones
• Table 3 - Summary of challenges to implementing recovery
• Table 4 - Major government initiatives with potential linkages to the recovery strategy
• Appendix A-1. Recovery habitat conservation approach for caribou 
• Appendix A-2. Proposed preliminary objectives and strategic principles for recovery habitat conservation
• Appendix A-3. Potential caribou population and habitat evaluation measures

Woodland Caribou Science Panel Review

An independent Woodland Caribou Science Review Panel consisting of external caribou experts was established in March 2008 to review the scientific basis for the recommendations in the Recovery Strategy. Their report (below) was submitted to the Minister of Natural Resources in May 2008. 

• Report of the Ontario Woodland Caribou Science Review Panel: The Path Forward
  (PDF Size: 221 KB)

Caribou Discussion Paper

To assist the public, stakeholders and Aboriginal Peoples in providing input into the development of the draft Caribou Conservation Plan, MNR developed a discussion paper, entitled Keeping caribou in Ontario which provided an overview of the ecology and needs of caribou in Ontario and a summary of the recommendations made in both the Caribou Recovery Strategy and the report of the Woodland Caribou Science Review Panel to enhance current approaches for managing and recovering woodland caribou. The discussion paper also included a questionnaire to allow all Ontarians and other interested people the opportunity to provide input into the development of the draft Caribou Conservation Plan. The public was invited to complete and submit this questionnaire from August 21 - September 26, 2008.

The feedback received through the Discussion Paper questionnaire, stakeholder sessions held during fall 2008 and winter 2009 along with the advice provided in the Caribou Recovery Strategy, and by the Woodland Caribou Science Review Panel was considered in developing the draft Caribou Conservation Plan and the proposed habitat regulation for Forest-dwelling Woodland Caribou.

• Caribou Discussion Paper: Keeping caribou in Ontario (PDF Size: 221 KB)