Threatened designation for woodland caribou under the ESA, threatens traditional uses in Ontario’s Crown forests

The boreal population of woodland caribou are listed as a threatened species in Ontario under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), 2007. This designation has had profound impacts on the way northern Ontario Crown lands are managed. Many northern Ontario communities within or nearby the designated ‘continuous caribou zone’ are already feeling the effects of woodland caribou management. Restrictions on development in Crown forests are limiting the productivity of industries that sustain northern Ontario communities, as well as diminishing the value of our Crown forests for recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, trapping and many others. In particular, current and proposed management strategies will limit the quality and quantity of hunting and fishing opportunities. Many opportunities will be lost due to a reduction in public accessibility to Crown land that occurs by removing forest access roads, as well as woodland caribou habitat management, which will ultimately come at the expense of moose productivity.

The OFAH has long recognized the potential for woodland caribou management to jeopardize our hunting and fishing traditions. The OFAH continues to advocate for strategies that prioritize and focus management in a way that optimizes woodland caribou conservation with the multitude of other benefits that are derived from our Crown land natural resources. The following documents are recent submissions that outline the OFAH position and recommendations for sound science-based woodland caribou management:

• OFAH Recommendations on the Future of Caribou in the Lake Superior Coast Range – May, 2018
• OFAH Response to the Federal Recovery Strategy for Woodland Caribou – February 2012
• The OFAH Alternative Approach for Managing Woodland Caribou in Ontario – August 2011
• Mountain Pine Beetle: Another Reason why Jack Pine Forest Restoration for Woodland Caribou is Fundamentally Flawed – April 2011
• OFAH Proposed Approach to the Proposed Approach for Habitat Protection for Woodland Caribou Under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (EBR #011-2303) – March 2011
• OFAH Response to Caribou Habitat Regulation Stakeholder Session – March 2011

On behalf of our members, the OFAH will continue to advocate for management strategies that appropriately balance woodland caribou conservation with other Crown forest uses such as fishing and hunting. We will provide updates as new information becomes available.