Forest Practices


Wildlife Habitat Area Designation

The Identified Wildlife Management Strategy (IWMS) is an initiative of the Ministry of Environment in partnership with the Ministry of Forests and Range and carried out in consultation with other resource ministries, stakeholders and the public. The IWMS provides direction, policy, procedures and guidelines for managing Identified Wildlife. The goals of the Strategy are to minimize the effects of forest and range practices on Identified Wildlife situated on Crown land and to maintain their limiting habitats throughout their current ranges and, where appropriate, their historic ranges. In some cases, this will entail restoration of previously occupied habitats, particularly for those species most at risk. Identified Wildlife are managed through the establishment of wildlife habitat areas (WHAs) and the implementation of general wildlife measures (GWMs) and wildlife habitat area objectives, or through other management practices specified in strategic or landscape level plans.

Click here for Approved WHAs.

The Identified Wildlife Management Strategy (IWMS) Version 2004 was released in May 2004 and replaces IWMS Volume 1, released in 1999. IWMS Version 2004 contains an updated list of identified wildlife, updated species accounts and updated procedures for implementing the IWMS. Please click here for the document.

For additional information please click here.