Boreal Caribou Management

Boreal Caribou are listed as Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), are provincially red-listed (Threatened to Endangered), and are identified as Priority 1 under the B.C. Conservation Framework.

Approximately 1300 Boreal caribou occupy 6 herds (range) areas in northeast British Columbia. They primarily use large peatlands and open forest throughout the year. The population of Boreal Caribou in British Columbia are contiguous with Boreal Caribou in Alberta and Northwest Territories, as they move across these jurisdictional boundaries.

Boreal Caribou in British Columbia are believed to be in decline. This decline may be attributed to habitat loss, fragmentation and alteration, and increased predation, resulting from forestry and petroleum and natural gas activities (for more information on threats to Boreal Caribou, please see Science Update document below). In order to reduce the expected decline and ensure Boreal Caribou are maintained in British Columbia for future generations, the province of British Columbia is taking action.

In June 2010, government committed to actions to manage Boreal Caribou by establishing 550,000 hectares of Resource Review Areas (RRAs) and enabling habitat restoration and mitigation actions within Boreal Caribou range. In order to facilitate the implementation of government commitments for Boreal Caribou management, the Ministry of Environment developed the "Implementation Plan for the Ongoing Management of Boreal Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou pop. 14) in British Columbia" with support from other British Columbia government agencies. The Plan identifies government’s goals and objectives, and associated agency responsibilities for implementing components of the plan.

Background Information

• Boreal Caribou Background Information

• Goddard, A.D. 2009. Boreal Caribou in northeastern British Columbia. Biological rationale, data summary and literature review. B.C. Min. Environ., Fort St. John, BC. Peace Region Technical Report. 21 pp. (PDF 1.96MB)
• Ministry of Environment. 2010a. Science update for the Boreal Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou pop. 14) in British Columbia. Victoria, BC. 54 pp.
  (PDF 1.52MB)
• Thiessen, C. 2009. Peace Region Boreal Caribou monitoring: annual report 2008-09. B.C. Min. Environ., Fort St. John, BC. Peace Region Technical Report. 36 pp. (PDF 3.28MB)
• Wilson, S.F., C. Pasztor, and S. Dickinson. 2010. Projected Boreal Caribou habitat conditions and range populations for future management in British Columbia. Prepared for Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources and Ministry of Environment, Victoria, BC. 11 pp. (PDF 2.95MB)

• Government's Decision
  • Information Bulletin
  • Revised Boreal Caribou MOU_June 2013 (PDF 160KB)
    • MOU Extension July 2016 (PDF)
    • MOU Extension November 2016 (PDF)
      

• Program Governence
  • British Columbia Boreal Caribou MOU Research and Effectiveness Monitoring Board Terms of Reference (ToR) June 2013 (PDF 429KB)
  • British Columbia Boreal Caribou MOU Strategic Lead Team Terms of Reference May 31, 2012 (PDF 35KB)
    

• Actions to Support Boreal Caribou Management

  Habitat Management

  • Forestry Activities
    • Ungulate Winter Range Orders
    • Wildlife Habitat Area Orders
  • Petroleum and Natural Gas Activities
    • Authorities to establish Environmental Objectives under the Oil and Gas Activities Act (www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/ogaa/index.html)
    • Ungulate Winter Range Orders (www.for.gov.bc.ca/tasb/legsregs/ogaa/winter-range.htm)
    • Wildlife Habitat Area Orders (www.for.gov.bc.ca/tasb/legsregs/ogaa/wildlife-habitat.htm)
    • FAQs: Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Management under OGAA and EPMR (www.for.gov.bc.ca/tasb/legsregs/ogaa/OGAA_FAQs.pdf)
    • The attached document entitled “Interim Operating Practices for Oil and Gas Activities in Identified Boreal Caribou Habitat in British Columbia – September 2011” contains operating practices intended to standardize the management of oil and gas activities in order to reduce their effects on Boreal Caribou and their habitat. It is expected that these operating practices will be considered by the Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) when regulating petroleum and natural gas activities within Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHAs) and Ungulate Winter Ranges (UWRs) established for Boreal Caribou under the Oil and Gas Activities Act.  These operating practices are interim, and are subject to change as a result of additional input from First Nations and members of the environmental community. The practices may also be revised as we learn more about how to mitigate the effects of oil and gas development on caribou. The Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations will advise the OGC of any changes that result from these reviews and/or additional government policy that supports the management of Boreal Caribou.
  • Habitat Restoration
    • Boreal Caribou Habitat Restoration (PDF 506KB)
  • Fire Suppression
    • Coming Soon
  • Resource Review Areas
    • Performance Measures for Resource Review Areas for Woodland Caribou in British Columbia (PDF 2.9MB)

  Wildlife Management

  • Boreal Caribou Population Dynamics
    • Coming Soon
  • Alternate Prey Population Dynamics
    • Coming Soon
  • Predator Population Dynamics
    • Coming Soon

Additional Resources

• Environmental Stewardship Division (MOE)
• Endangered Species and Ecosystems
• British Columbia Conservation Data Centre
• Species at Risk Act Public Registry
• Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)
• SCEK