History

• Meaningful public consultation
• Information gaps and the use of the precautionary principle
• Access: recreational and commercial
• Wildlife baiting
• Stewardship education
• Monitoring and enforcement

• Trapping
  • AWA does not object to the continuance of commercial trapping in the park where pre-existing commitments are honoured, but emphasizes that a management plan must clearly outline phasing out of these activities without detrimental effect on those who have been making their living in the park.
• Bison Hunting
  • AWA appreciates that a deferral is appropriate, but emphasizes the importance of obtaining provincial ENGO input in this process.
• Co-Management
  • AWA supports the minister’s decision not to consider the PAC co-managing the park.
• Classification of Caribou Mountains Wildland Park
  • AWA supports the minister’s decision not to consider changing the park’s wildland park designation.
• Guide-Outfitters
  • AWA advocates a phasing-out of traditional operations and ensure that any expansion to existing operators’ plans is curtailed.
• Baiting
  • AWA is opposed to the practice of baiting and states that this practice should not be allowed and should be banned.
• Recreational OHV and Snowmobile Access
  • AWA requests no further extension of concessions to recreational OHV users, and emphasizes that it believes there should be no OHV access within the park.
  • AWA expresses concern that if even a single OHV trail is authorized, illegal use off trail would almost be guaranteed, based on the experience elsewhere including in Bighorn Wildland. The area is very remote and enforcement would be next to impossible.
• Aircraft Access
  • AWA may not be opposed to aircraft access as proposed by the minister, but is concerned with what mechanisms are in place to control and enforce activities, and how to limit growth and size of operations and flights.

AWA stresses that ecosystem-based planning fundamentals need to be in place in the management plan and provincial-scale perspectives be retained in the process, including the need for ENGO representation.

• “Regarding your concern about the wildland park designation of the Caribou Mountains, I can assure you that the Alberta government has no intention of changing the status of this wildland.”
• The minister reiterates that the input from the local committee is one of just many forms for input that will be solicited for the management plan, and although provincial ENGO’s are not represented on the committee, the will have ample opportunity to provide input into the management plan.
• “It is recognized that Caribou Mountains Wildland Provincial Park is of interest to all Albertans. Therefore, the draft management plan will be given broad circulation to the general public and to various other provincial stakeholder organizations for comment.”

• Trapping
  • The government is committed to honouring existing commercial trapping in parks and protected areas established under the Special Places program.
  • Trappers should still work with his department to ensure they have the necessary approvals and permits.
  • The minister is willing to consider waiving the annual fee for dispositions.
• Bison Hunting
  • Management of bison in northern Alberta is being developed in an inter-governmental forum. Bison hunting within the wildland will be deferred until these discussions have concluded. There are good opportunities for bison hunting in more accessible areas outside the wildland.
• Co-Management
  • ACD has full responsibility for the administration and management of legislated provincial protected areas on behalf of all Albertans and is not able to consider the Advisory Committee co-managing the wildland.
• Classification of Caribou Mountains
  • The wildland park status was designated under a Cabinet decision based on recommendations by the Special Places Provincial Coordinating Committee and the park status has wide public support.
  • The wildland classification was created in part to manage large, undeveloped protected areas and to accommodate activities such as hunting and trapping in these areas, and the wildland designation is appropriate for this area. Also, separate legislation for the area is contrary to the government’s objectives to limit the duplication and complexity of Alberta’s protected areas legislation.
• Guide-Outfitters
  • The minister is willing to consider, on an exception basis, enabling the few existing commercial guide-outfitters working in the wildland to continue traditional operations associated with hunting big game animals subject to obtaining the necessary permits and authorizations. This accommodation, however, does not extend to any subsequent commercial guide-outfitters.
• Baiting
  • Baiting of wildlife is generally illegal in Alberta’s parks and protected areas, but the minister is willing to consider, on an exception basis, permitting those few existing commercial guide-outfitters who have bear allocations for this area to bait bears and wolves within the wildland until such time the issue of baiting is resolved province-wide.
• Recreational OHV and Snowmobile Access
  • The minister will consider, on an exception basis, the approval of a designated access route for off-highway vehicles (OHVs) and snowmobiles to one or more lakes in the winter, under frozen ground conditions, for the purpose of ice fishing.
  • While the minister is willing to enable trappers and those few existing commercial guide-outfitters to use their OHVs at other times of the year to facilitate their traditional trapping and hunting operations, he is not willing to extend this concession to recreational OHV users on a general basis.
  • The permafrost environment of the Caribou Mountains plateau is very sensitive to this type of disturbance and cannot be reclaimed or re-established once it is lost.
• Aircraft Access
  • The minister will consider the opportunity for pilots to obtain permits to land fixed-wing aircraft on designated lakes for approved trapping, recreational and commercial hunting, fishing, or other authorized recreational, commercial or research-related activities.
  • The authorizations would only be issued to the aircraft operator, not the individual being serviced by the aircraft.

• The intent for committee membership was to involve local people who were familiar with the Caribou Mountains.
• He agreed with AWA that provincial conservation organizations are not represented, but both local environmental interests and First Nations interests are well-represented on the committee.
• The Minister states the majority of meetings are open to the public, but a small, focused workshop occurred on March 11, 2006. Prior to the workshop, committee members were canvassed as to whether AWA and a local off-highway group should be invited to the workshop or sit on the committee. The Minister was advised that a decision was made to proceed with only advisory committee members, as per the original terms of reference, but the intent is to revisit representation as outlined in the terms of reference at the next open advisory committee meeting.
• The Caribou Mountains Wildland Management Plan Advisory Committee is only one step in the process towards completion of a management plan, and as the Wildland Park is of interest to all Albertans, the draft plan will be given broad circulation to provincial organizations and to the general public for comment.

Community Development Minister Denis Ducharme responds to the Caribou Mountains Wildland Management Plan Advisory Committee’s requests (March 29) with the following points and concessions:

• Existing commercial trapping in Caribou Mountains Wildland will be honoured. Community Development will consider waiving the annual fee associated with leases issued for trappers’ cabins.
• Further decisions on bison hunting within the Wildland will be deferred until high level inter-governmental discussions have been concluded.
• Community Development has full responsibility for managing all legislated provincial protected areas on behalf of all Albertans and is therefore unable to consider the Advisory Committee co-managing the Wildland.
• Reclassification of the Wildland is not an option since the classification was a Cabinet decision based on recommendations by the Special Places Provincial Coordinating Committee with wide public support.
• Community Development is willing to consider, on an exception basis, enabling existing commercial guide-outfitters to continue their hunting of big game animals. However, this exception to current legislation and policy will not extend to a new operator, should the allocations be reassigned.
• Although baiting of wildlife is illegal in Alberta’s parks and protected areas, Community Development will consider permitting existing commercial guide-outfitters who have bear allocations in the area to bait for bears and wolves in the Wildland. However, this exception will not extend to a new operator, should the allocations be reassigned.
• In the final Management Plan, Community Development will consider, on an exception basis, the approval of a designated access route for OHVs and snowmobiles to one or more lakes in the winter for the purpose of ice-fishing. Trappers and current commercial outfitters will be permitted to use their OHVs at other times of the year as well. This concession will not be extended to recreational OHV users.
• Community Development will consider granting permits to land fixed-wing aircraft on designated lakes in the Wildland to support approved recreational, commercial, or research activities. The permits will be issued to aircraft operators, not to those being serviced by the operators.

Public Advisory Committee member Jerry Chomiak is quoted by CBC as saying that the committee would like a management plan that allows for more activities in the park, especially ATV access in both summer and winter. Chomiak reports that the PAC wants the level of protection of the area downgraded. AWA spokeperson David Samson says increased ATV use would hurt the declining woodland caribou herd in the area. The Park was given its current status under the Special Places legislation and changing or revoking it would be going against what the public asked for.

April 10 – In the legislature, Liberal MLA Harry Chase asks Minister Denis Ducharme to assure the House that he will not allow the Caribou Mountains Wildland Park to lose its protected status as a Wildland Park. He also calls for the Minister of Community Development to table all recommendations made by all parks advisory and planning committees. “In this way,” says Cliff Wallis, “Albertans will have a transparent view of what is being recommended for their Special Places and be able to guard against special interests damaging their heritage.”

In two press releases, AWA expresses concern about the Caribou Mountains Wildland Park Planning Advisory Committee (CMWPPAC). The committee was commissioned to make management recommendations but has turned that privilege into a lobby effort to allow motorized access and to have the Wildland Park status revoked. “The committee’s letter … was signed on behalf of all members even though at least four members, including Parks Canada, do not support revoking Wildland Park status.”

April 7 – In a letter to Community Development Minister Denis Ducharme, AWA’s David Samson requests that the Minister (1) rebuke the Caribou Mountains Wildland Park Management Plan Advisory Committee and its request to revoke the Wildland Park status and (2) allow representation on the committee from provincial ENGOs.

March 31 – In an email from Advisory Committee member Eric Grinnell to Committee Chair Ken Zurfluh, it is noted that Committee member Jim Webb does not agree with the decision made at the Committee’s March meeting to ask the Minister to reconsider designation of the Wildland.

March 29 – In a letter to Community Development Minister Gary Mar , Jerry Chomiak of the Caribou Mountains Wildland Management Plan Advisory Committee says that the Committee was unaware that the Caribou Mountain Wildlands had been designated a Wildlands Park (on July 24, 2001), a designation that Chomiak calls a “unilateral decision” (see October 2002). He goes on: “The current designation as a Park under the Provincial Parks Act does not have the support of the Committee, and was never recommended, discussed, or agreed upon by this Committee or to the best of our knowledge by its predecessor, the Special Places Committee which was made up of the same members.… The Committee requests that the Minister revoke the Wildland Park designation, and that specific legislation to manage the area be passed.” The letter is signed by Chomiak on behalf of all Committee members, despite a lack of consensus within the Committee on revoking Park status.

Advisory Committee member Greg Newman makes a presentation on behalf of the MD of Mackenzie and the Caribou Mountains Management Plan Advisory Committee to Minister Gary Mar. According to Newman, the following reflects the position of the municipality and the Committee:

• There is a need for protection of the area over and beyond the levels for the Green Zone in Alberta.

• Present and potential new legislation governing Wildland Parks is irrelevant and detrimental to the Caribou Mountains region: “some of the more specific needs of this fragile environment may be missed.”

• The committee questions the designation of this area as a Wildland Park and proposes that a management plan be developed to form a base for unique legislation to govern and enforce this area, as was done for Willmore Wilderness Park.

• The Committee requests co-management status (rather than advisory status) so that their decisions are more respected and enforceable.

• Access for recreation or other needs by ATV or airplane need not be regulated except for specific environmental concerns: “The remoteness of this park regulates itself at this time.”

• Bison management and hunting should be treated the same as in the adjacent Green Zone.

• Commercial activities should be examined on an individual basis.

AWA learns of the content of a recent meeting held in Ft. Vermillion by the Caribou Mountains Wildland Park Planning Advisory Committee. AWA is concerned that there is no representation on the committee by provincial conservation organizations. AWA becomes aware that some
members of the committee intend to lobby intensely, on behalf of local interests, to demand major changes to the wildland park including increased OHV access, potentially more recreational and industrial development in the park, and even the possibility of revoking the Wildland Park status.

March 21: AWA writes to the Hon. Gary Mar, Minister, Alberta Community Development, expressing concerns over the lack of provincial representation, questioning the committee’s mandate, identifying the importance of involving the First Nations Community, calling for public hearings on any new developments, and identifying the need for stronger protection in this and other protected areas.

March 11 – At an Advisory Committee workshop, the Committee agrees to challenge the definition of Wildland Park of the Caribou Mountain region. They identify the main issue and concern regarding Wildland Park designation as access.

May 11 – At a meeting of guide-outfitters in the Caribou Mountains area, the following points were made by various provincial government representatives:

• The management plan must be developed within the parameters of existing legislation and policy.

• The designation of the park prohibits new industrial activity such as forest harvesting or oil and gas exploration and development.

• There is value in having protected areas where access is either limited or difficult.

• Because it is illegal  to hunt bison in the  Park, the provincial government cannot issue a permit for bison hunting.

• Under the Parks Act you cannot feed wildlife. You can still hunt for bears in the Park but baiting bears must be done on lands outside the Park.

• Guide/outfitter allocations are annual commitments and do not grant any long-term exclusive rights to a particular land base or resource. Sustainable Resource Development does not view guiding/outfitting as a long-term commitment and retains complete discretion with respect to allocations.

• Trappers’ cabins are to be used for trapping business only, not for other commercial purposes.

October – In a letter to Energy Minister Murray Smith (October 3), conservation specialist Lara Smandych reiterates AWA’s opposition to the pending sale of license #B0806 (20030416), requesting that this licence not be sold as it falls within AWA’s Caribou Mountains area of concern.

July – A team of scientists studies invertebrates, birds, plants, lichens, fisheries, mosses, soils, etc. in the Wentzel Lake area.

 April 24 – The following recommendations are presented at a meeting of the Caribou Mountains Management Plan Committee on behalf of the Alberta Environment Network (Federation of Alberta Naturalists, CPAWS Edmonton Chapter, AWA, and Albertans for a Wild Chinchaga):

• Expansion of the current boundaries of the Park to include all woodland caribou and bison range.

• Cessation of logging in the Caribou Management Zones adjacent to the Wildland Park.

• No increased commercial use of the area unless it clearly does not contribute to degradation of the environment.

• No new access routes.

• Ecologically sustainable rates of use on existing trails where motorized use is permitted.

• Careful monitoring of fishery resources to ensure their maintenance or restoration, if necessary.

• Sufficient resources to monitor and control negative environmental impacts.

• Ongoing monitoring of wildlife populations to ensure sustainability.

• No hunting of woodland caribou or bison until comprehensive research has been done.

• Engagement of local indigenous peoples by the government in discussions regarding some form of co-management of the Park.

 March 14 – In a letter to Energy Minister Murray Smith, conservation specialist Tamaini Snaith expresses opposition on behalf of AWA to the pending sale of license #B0806 (20030416), requesting that this licence not be sold as it falls within AWA’s Caribou Mountains area of concern.

October 30 – The first meeting of the Caribou Mountains Wildland Management Plan Advisory Committee is held:

• Background information on the area is given. Before the area was designated as a Wildland Park, the Caribou Mountains Special Places Local Committee gave the following key recommendations:

  • Continued economic benefit from guiding, trapping and recreation

  • Preservation, recreation, tourism and heritage appreciation

  • A protected area in the Caribou Mountains

• Due to concerns that the Local Committee’s recommended site was too large, 5 townships in the northwest corner of the site were not included in the final designation as a Wildland Park because of the industrial and metallic minerals exploration interest in the area (Ashton Mineral Leases).  Ashton completed some exploration testing in the Caribou Mountains, and subsequently their permits were not renewed in the Wildland nor in the five townships on the northern boundary.

• “The Caribou Mountains Local Committee recommended the area be protected … but didn’t make a recommendation on what class of protected area it should be designated as. After the report was received, Government looked at all the recommendations and chose a designation that was a best fit – in this case a Wildland Park” (Doug Bowes, Alberta Community Development, Parks and Protected Areas).

• It is agreed that most decisions will be reached through consensus. Dissenting views will be recorded and passed on to the Minister. If consensus cannot be reached on an issue, it will be recorded as such.

• There are no petroleum and natural gas dispositions with surface access or metallic and industrial mineral permits in the Wildland. Avelyn Nicol, Planning Advisor for Parks and Protected Areas, states that any future sales of PNG would not have surface access – companies would have to drill from outside the Park.

July 24 – Caribou Mountains Wildland Park is established by Order-in-Council 308/2001.

October 7 – The Caribou Mountains Special Places Local Committee gives their report to the Minister of Environment. The report contains a Permitted Activities Schedule that includes the following:

• Trappers to retain all their existing rights, including access by ATVs, airplanes, and snowmobiles; cabins every 20 miles; right to maintain all existing lines and obtain new allocations

• Guides and outfitters to retain all existing rights, including motorized year-round access (ATVs and airplanes), right to obtain new allocations

• Hunting to be managed by Fish and Wildlife; motorized access to be permitted (but “regulate subsistence hunting by aboriginal people in the interest of public safety and conservation”)

• Retain open access to fisheries for all anglers

July – The Alberta Woodland Caribou Conservation Strategy Development Committee delivers a report to the provincial Director of Wildlife Management. This is the third strategy for woodland caribou conservation that has been written and shelved. The report recommends a decision-making process, identifies information needs and management tools, and proposes specific implementation milestones. The goal is to develop a strategy that will result in “healthy caribou populations in perpetuity throughout Alberta’s caribou range.” Although the proposed strategy is not approved by Alberta Environment, staff and a number of stakeholders have used the strategy for guidance in the planning and implementation of resource management activities on woodland caribou range. The lack of endorsement of senior government officials is viewed by some as a lack of commitment to caribou conservation efforts.

February – Environment Network News (Jan/Feb) reports that Home Oil has voluntarily agreed to curtail development in the Caribou Mountains for one year. This emerged from an analysis conducted by Gray Jones of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee in which Jones worked with lichenologist and botanist Dr. Bernard DeVries.

April 24 – Caribou Mountains Resource Management Plan (Draft) is released by Alberta Environmental Protection.

• The Plan Purpose is: “The intent of the Caribou Mountains Resource Management Plan is to protect permafrost, slow-growing fish, as well as caribou and caribou habitat. The plan also recognizes other natural values such as landforms, vegetation, other wildlife and climatic features. Activities in the area must meet this intent.”

• The Plan is to be updated every five years with a full public review. While any change to the intent of the plan requires public review, minor changes can be requested and are handled by the Peace River Regional Resource Management Committee.

• The primary objectives of the Draft Management Plan are the following:

  • to protect permafrost; slow-growing fish; mountain caribou and their habitat; water quality, quantity, and flow regime; and historical/cultural (especially aboriginal) resources

  • to maintain the wilderness characteristics of the area, maintaining viable sustainable populations of fish and wildlife

  • to maintain biodiversity and landscapes by protecting rare, endangered, or threatened species and unique features

  • to keep the Bigfish Research Site for fire research and vegetation monitoring

  • to manage wildfire to protect permafrost, caribou habitat, and forest productivity and to protect forests from unacceptable damage by insect and disease outbreaks

  • to strive for sustained yield timber management; to enable mineral resource development; to facilitate a range of recreation and tourism activities, such as fly-in commercial recreation, OHV use, canoeing, hunting, and ice-fishing; and to manage access and structures

• Guidelines include the following:

  • there will be no all-weather road access unless shown not to conflict with the Management Plan intent

  • sharing of access routes will be encouraged to minimize impacts

  • rare, endangered, or threatened species and their habitats, and unique sites will be identified and given protective notations, special operating conditions, or both

  • mitigation will be encouraged as part of resource development and only native vegetation will be used for reclamation

  • timber harvesting and reforestation methods that complement the maintenance of wildlife habitat will be practiced

  • in collaboration with First Nations, significant historical sites will be located, mapped, and given protective notations, and limitations will apply to any proposed development or activity near a significant site

  • government will ensure that industry is made aware of the special status of the area

  • fire suppression that damages permafrost insulation will be used only if absolutely necessary, and damaged areas will be immediately reclaimed

  • activities and developments will be low-impact

  • instream flow needs of water bodies will be the highest management priority and buffer strips beside water bodies will be maintained

March – The ERCB responds to AWA’s letter requesting the rescinding of Home Oil’s well licenses: “The Board has decided not to initiate a review of the subject well licences at this time. Home has therefore been advised it may proceed with the remainder of its drilling program for this winter season.”

February – In letters to the ERCB, AWA and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee request that the ERCB rescind the approved well licenses for Home Oil in the Caribou Mountains until a full public  hearing is conducted and a comprehensive environmental assessment has been done.

“The Strategy for Conservation of Woodland Caribou in Alberta” is drafted by the provincial wildlife management agency. Few recommendations from this report are adopted, and the plan receives considerable criticism from government agencies, public groups, and industry.

November ­– A multi-stakeholder committee known as the Woodland Caribou Conservation Strategy Development Committee (WCCSDC) is formed to scope issues and develop yet another provincial woodland caribou conservation strategy.

Environmental Protection staff meet to discuss the future management of the Caribou Mountains.