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Coyotes-Wolves-Cougars.blogspot.com

Grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, coyotes, cougars/ mountain lions,bobcats, wolverines, lynx, foxes, fishers and martens are the suite of carnivores that originally inhabited North America after the Pleistocene extinctions. This site invites research, commentary, point/counterpoint on that suite of native animals (predator and prey) that inhabited The Americas circa 1500-at the initial point of European exploration and subsequent colonization. Landscape ecology, journal accounts of explorers and frontiersmen, genetic evaluations of museum animals, peer reviewed 20th and 21st century research on various aspects of our "Wild America" as well as subjective commentary from expert and layman alike. All of the above being revealed and discussed with the underlying goal of one day seeing our Continent rewilded.....Where big enough swaths of open space exist with connective corridors to other large forest, meadow, mountain, valley, prairie, desert and chaparral wildlands.....Thereby enabling all of our historic fauna, including man, to live in a sustainable and healthy environment. - Blogger Rick

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Friday, April 26, 2013

According to Environment Canada, woodland caribou need at least 65 per cent undisturbed habitat to have a 60 per cent chance of being self-sustaining...............In January 2012, Global Forest Watch Canada reported that the eight Alberta(Canada) caribou herds in the oil sands development areas already had 64 per cent industrial disturbance............. AWA says over 95 per cent of the caribou's habitat is disturbed by industry in the Little Smoky range......Killing Wolves is not the long term answer to Caribou sustainability.................If Alberta is sincere about responsible energy development, the provincial government should defer new leasing and disturbance until enough caribou habitat can be restored to recover the populations

Environmentalists want province to stop selling oil leases on caribou range

beaconnews.ca
oil leases on caribou range
The Alberta Wilderness Association is calling on the province to stop oil leases on caribou ranges. Photo: M. Bradley.

The Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) is calling on the province to stop selling oil and gas leases on the habitat of a dwindling caribou herd. The AWA says oils sands development is threatening caribou populations in Alberta.

Woodland caribou are listed as "threatened" under Alberta's Wildlife Act, which is defined as "a species likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed."

AWA says the province is auctioning a total of 14,000 hectares of leases today in five threatened Alberta caribou herds' ranges.
The association says 1300 hectares will be auctioned in the Little Smoky range in west central Alberta, where less than 100 caribou remain.

"Alberta Energy promotes caribou habitat disturbance by selling leases that drive new well sites, ignoring technology options to reduce existing [industry] footprint," says Carolyn Campbell, AWA conservation specialist.

According to Environment Canada, woodland caribou need at least 65 per cent undisturbed habitat to have a 60 per cent chance of being self-sustaining. In January 2012, Global Forest Watch Canada reported that the eight Alberta caribou herds in the oil sands development areas already had 64 per cent industrial disturbance.
AWA says over 95 per cent of the caribou's habitat is disturbed by industry in the Little Smoky range.

Although the Little Smoky caribou have seen a stable population for the last six years, AWA says that's because of a "war on wolves." The Alberta government kills wolves, who prey on caribou, using helicopter shooting and poisoning to keep the herd from dying out.About 650 wolves have been killed since 2005.

Alberta Wilderness Association sent open letter to Energy Minister
On February 6, the group sent an open letter to Energy Minister Ken Hughes requesting deferral of new leases in the Little Smoky caribou range. "The fate of this caribou herd rests with your decision to defer new leasing and disturbance until enough habitat can be restored to recover these populations," says the letter.
"Please take the first step by postponing these auctions of new dispositions in the Little Smoky caribou range."
The association said they haven't received a reply from Hughes.

Federal government released caribou strategy in 2012

In October 2012 the federal government published its final boreal woodland caribou strategy that requires each province to develop an action plan to achieve at least 65 per cent undisturbed habitat for each caribou range.
The plan emphasized habitat restoration, but gave the government another three to five years to develop a plan for each range, then more time to develop an action plan after that.
"If Alberta is sincere about responsible energy development, the provincial government should defer new leasing and disturbance until enough caribou habitat can be restored to recover the populations," said Campbell.

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