Let’s not give up on the caribou
Dear Editor,
Having attended the recent public forum about caribou conservation, I feel compelled to write, as the scope of discussion at the forum was somewhat narrow, only addressing “recreational” users’ concerns.
First I’d like to say that it saddens me and angers me that Parks Canada did not take any meaningful action for the last 25 to 30 years, during which time study after study gave recommendations for the protection of caribou. Conservationists were ignored, the Jasper Environmental Association was ignored, and biologists were ignored. Parks Canada did not do what needed to be done. Instead, there was ever more “study”, which in and of itself did yet more damage to caribou.
So where does that leave us now? There are very few caribou, and now there is a desperate effort to save what’s left. Okay, we cannot turn the clock back, so let’s move forward. I support the effort to bring back the caribou herds from the brink of extirpation.
I am an avid backcountry user (one of those recreational users), and yet, I feel it would be wrong to oppose the proposed closures. I get it that outside the Parks caribou habitat is being trashed. I also know that Parks Canada has been inexcusably slow to take action in protecting this iconic species. However, those wrongs don’t make a right — they don’t give excuse to the people who are crying foul at Parks Canada now so that they can ignore the plight of the caribou in the park. If there is even a slight chance that the caribou can be brought back from the brink, then all actions must be taken to work towards that.
How can we look our children in the eye and say we just gave up because people thought it more important to go skiing wherever and whenever, than to protect the caribou? And what about the precautionary principle? To those people who demand 100 per cent proof that it will work before being willing to make any kind of sacrifice, the caribou won’t tell you if it’s working or not, they will simply disappear.
In spite of Parks Canada being very late in responding to the plight of caribou, it is encouraging to see that action is now being taken. We the lovers of the wild should be holding their feet to the fire to do what’s right for the wild and wildlife.
Monika Schaefer,
Jasper, Alta.
Parks Canada needs to answer some questions
Dear Editor,
In order to really understand Parks Canada’s reasons and arguments about proposed area closures to save the caribou in Jasper National Park, I attended a meeting in Jasper, February 28. The presentation was not officially about caribou, but most of the discussion ended up on that subject. I for one, resent the fact that officials pointedly reminded everyone there that since they were not biologists, they would have difficulty understanding the complex ideas behind the proposed area winter closures.
Not withstanding the above, the officials there did not provide any information about Parks Canada’s caribou studies, causes of mortality, migration studies, population fluctuation, and so on. There was some time spent on the necessity of winning the hearts and minds of the general public in order to save the caribou. May we suggest that Canadians have the right to be fully and honestly informed, that Parks Canada has the duty to be completely open in its consultation process with the Canadian taxpayer? You are proposing to close access (supposedly just for the winter?) to 3,000 to 4,000 square kilometres of the park, without a definite time frame, implying in perpetuity, and even possibly extending it year-round.
You need to understand that from our perspective, Parks Canada’s consultation process has often lacked sincerity, and seems to be initiated as an afterthought to pay lip service to the legislation.
We would appreciate thorough answers to the following questions:
What are the yearly historical counts for the caribou population from 1900 to the present?
What are the mortality numbers for caribou, summer and winter, for the four herds?
What are the causes of caribou kills, (wolf, bear, unknown, etc.) for the last 25 years?
We would like to see maps of winter and summer caribou distribution based on radio collar information for the last 25 years.
In the Tonquin Valley, what is the rate of caribou mortality in the winter before closure: numbers/dates/causes of death?
In view of the above, is Parks Canada already committed to the winter closure of the Maligne Valley?
I would like to thank Parks Canada in advance for a prompt response to these questions and concerns, especially since it is my understanding that Parks Canada is proposing a May 1 closure announcement.
Mike Merilovich and Georges Tremel
Jasper, Alta.
