Beetles & Caribou

Little beetles spell big trouble.

Recent large-scale outbreaks of mountain pine and spruce bark beetles in many areas of BC have prompted aggressive logging activities. in many forest stands, including critical mountain caribou habitat, the war against beetles involves use of clear-cut, selection, and salvage logging, as well as the construction of new roads. This puts added pressure on mountain caribou: lichen-bearing trees are lost, other ungulates ad their predators are drawn to new cut-blocks and roads, and increased access is created for backcountry recreationists.

The few legislated measures that are in place to protect caribou habitat still allow entry into undeveloped areas when beetles are deemed to be a problem. Giving these activities priority within caribou habitat must stop. After all, standing dead and fallen trees provide essential lichen food sources for caribou. A healthy forest requires dead trees, and healthy forested landscapes periodically contain entire stands of dead trees.