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

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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.