Economic Benefits to Saving Mountain Caribou

June 14th 2007

Arrow Lakes News, Page 0010, 14-Jun-2007
By Robert Mangelsdorf

The mountain caribou is one of the most endangered mammals in North America with a population of 1,800 in B.C. The caribou shares its habitat with 21 other identified endangered animals.

Saving the mountain caribou could have a number of economic benefits for the community, says the head of a conservation group trying to save one of North America is most endangered mammals.

Lawrence Redfern is the director of the Mountain Caribou Project, a coalition of nine conservation groups promoting the recovery of the mountain caribou.

He believes that by protecting the mountain caribou, B.C. can demonstrate to the rest of the world that it can manage its forests in a sustainable manner, and that will have positive long-term repercussions for the B.C. economy.

'The one thing people overlook is the benefits that can accrue to all of us whether we're involved in forestry, tourism, or we just live in these communities,' said Redfern. 'Forestry is becoming increasingly competitive on a global level and the market for sustainabily produced forest products is growing, and the market for products that are clearly unsustainably produced is shrinking.'

In the last seven years, more than half of B.C. is forestlands have been eco-certified by an independent third party. Redfern believes this shows that forestry companies recognize the value in demonstrating sustainable management.

'And healthy wildlife is clearly understood by the consumer as a demonstration of sustainable management,' he said.

Redfern's comments come ahead of a report by the provincial government detailing plans for the recovery of the mountain caribou, expected later this summer.

However, earlier this week the Ministry of Forests released a study detailing the impact mountain caribou conservation measures would have on local mills, and found that he majority of districts will likely not face any significant milling impacts at all and that any impacts would be negligible.

'Tourism can also be positively affected by conservation efforts,' says Redfern.

'The tourism industry is worth $10 billion and the number one reason people come here from around the world is nature. They might golf while they're here but they came here to golf because of nature, and it would be foolish to chip away at it,' he said. 'Our scenery is no greater than Europe's or Japan's, but we have all of that plus the wildlife, and that's unique.'

Currently, there are less than 1,800 mountain caribou left in B.C. The Central Selkirk herd, whose habitat is just north of Nakusp, has fallen from 200 to less than 90 in the last 10 years. The South Monashee herd now numbers only seven caribou.

Mountain caribou are negatively affected by clear-cut logging, unlike other ungulate species, which thrive in the newly opened grazing areas that clear-cuts provide.

Species like white-tail deer and moose have increased in population because of logging practices, and so have the predators that feed off them, accordingly. As a result, there are now larger numbers of cougars and wolves feeding off of the already stressed mountain caribou herds.

Other human activities such as snowmobiling and heli-skiing can disturb mountain caribou during the crucial winter months, causing smaller, weaker offspring.

The Mountain Caribou Project is advocating the province adopt the recommendations of its own science team, which in 2006 released a report stating that logging restrictions, predator management, and restricting motorized winter recreation would be needed if the mountain caribou is to recover.

Copyright 2007 nakusp