Quebec, Canada residents are very concerned about the health of the remaining Woodland Caribou in their Province.

New Poll Indicates Quebecer's are Concerned about Endangered Woodland Caribou

NEMASKA, Eeyou Istchee - A recent poll by Leger Marketing on Quebecers perceptions and attitudes and opinions about woodland caribou sheds light on the importance of this endangered species to the po

Among a survey sample of Crees and non-Cree residents of Northern Quebec and Quebecers based in the south, the key findings of the poll reveal:

• The vast majority of survey respondents (88-92%) consider it important for Canada to protect endangered species
  
  While general knowledge of woodland caribou is low, particularly among residents in the south, the vast majority of respondents (87-92%) believe that the government of Quebec should share information on the status of woodland caribou before making decisions about resource development in their territory
  
  In general, 63% of survey respondents believe that the government of Quebec places to much emphasis on economic development and jobs not enough concern for the environment
  
  When placed in the context of protecting endangered woodland caribou, 86% of Quebecers are in favour of placing moratoriums on current plans in critical habitat in order to allow for alternative plans to be developed, with 65% favouring a reduction in forestry activities at the expense of economic activity if necessary

Predictably, the poll revealed that concern for woodland caribou and the environment in general was greater among residents of the south than the north, with Cree respondents typically straddling the middle over the range of questions.

 Overall, those surveyed appear to believe that the government of Quebec too readily caters to the needs to large corporations with respect to resource development projects. In contrast, just over half the respondents believe that, as a society, we tend to heed the concerns raised by environmental groups with respect to development. With the contrast of these two questions, it is not surprising to find that 85% of participants believe that it is possible for compromise solutions to be found between economic activity and concerns over the environment.

Context of the Poll
The Crees have been actively working to protect endangered woodland caribou in their traditional territory (Eeyou Istchee). In 2009, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife (MNRW) approved a series of forestry roads designed to access the last remaining large undisturbed forests in Eeyou Istchee. These forests also make up the last remaining habitat of the woodland caribou south of the commercial forest limit. In response, the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) called for a moratorium on development activities in these areas until the government of Quebec met its obligations under Quebec and federal endangered species laws and implemented a caribou protection/recovery management plan.

These forestry roads were also submitted for environmental assessment under the Environmental Quality Act and section 22 of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. Through the course of these environmental assessments, the Provincial Review Committee observed that the MNRW did not provide information on status of the woodland caribou herds that would be affected by these roads; moreover the MNRW has yet to put in place a caribou protection/recovery plan that could mitigate the impacts of these proposed forestry activities. As a result, the Provincial Review Committee has suspended its decision on these projects until the government of Quebec has a plan in place that addresses the woodland caribou issue.

To date, the MNRW has not been willing to publically release any information regarding the status of woodland caribou or their habitat in Eeyou Istchee. In an attempt to alert Quebecers to the perilous situation of the woodland caribou in Eeyou Istchee, the Cree Regional Authority commissioned a study by Global Forest Watch Canada to assess the rate of human intervention into the woodland caribou range in James Bay. The study concluded, "There are escalating anthropogenic-caused disturbances within the habitat of the woodland caribou of the James Bay region of northern Québec, but there are large areas of protection and restoration opportunities remaining.�� Unfortunately these remaining areas of protection and restoration opportunity are in the path of the proposed forestry roads that are currently under environmental assessment.

The Crees believe that decisions on the future of caribou in Eeyou Istchee should be made in an open and transparent fashion with full disclosure of all available information. This poll indicates that Quebecers hold similar beliefs and are concerned about endangered species and woodland carou and about the how the government has been managing development in the north.

Global Forest Watch Canada Study: