More work is getting underway in British Columbia to restore caribou habitat across the province.
Seven projects approved by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation will receive nearly $1.1 million in grants. Of the grants, $356,959 will fund four projects in the northeast.
The provincial government says in a news release that habitat restoration includes planting trees to cover up old roads and seismic lines that were cleared for oil and gas exploration, which give predators clear lines of sight and access to caribou.
The seven projects include:
Amoco Road Restoration
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led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society
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Northeast region (56 kilometres west of Chetwynd)
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designed to benefit the Moberly (Klinse-Za) and Scott East caribou herds by planting trees and creating barriers along a road built for oil and gas exploration
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grant of $53,150 approved for 2020-21
Kotcho Lake Restoration Area
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led by the Fort Nelson First Nation Lands Department
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Northeast region (about 80 kilometres northeast of Fort Nelson)
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designed to benefit the Snake-Sahtahneh caribou herd, by limiting predator use of legacy seismic lines (corridors cleared of vegetation for oil and gas exploration) and replanting areas to increase habitat suitability for caribou
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grant of $164,780 approved for 2020-21
Peck Creek-Upper Carbon
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led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society
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Northeast region (54 kilometres northeast of Mackenzie)
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aims to functionally and ecologically restore 14 kilometres of a road to a more natural state by planting trees and using other techniques to reduce its use by people and predators, which will benefit the Klinse-za and Scott East caribou herds
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grant of $123,865 approved for 2020-21
Doonan Creek
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led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society
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Northeast region (35 kilometres northeast of Mackenzie)
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aims to functionally and ecologically restore 1.6 kilometres of a road to a more natural state by planting trees and using other techniques to reduce its use by people and predators, which will benefit the Klinse-za and Scott East caribou herds
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grant of $15,164 approved for 2020-21
Middle-Upper Bigmouth Creek
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led by Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakers of the Land) LLP
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Kootenay region (130 kilometres north of Revelstoke)
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designed to benefit the Columbia North herd, through planning the restoration of an additional 11.5 kilometres of road in the Bigmouth Valley
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grant of $33,217 approved for 2020-21
Ulkatcho
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led by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
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Cariboo region (about 30 kilometres southeast of Anahim Lake)
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designed to benefit the Itcha-Ilgachuz herd by planting trees and creating barriers along roads to deter predator movement
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grant of $314,572 approved for 2020-21
Tweedsmuir Caribou Winter Range - Chelaslie Road restoration
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led by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
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Skeena region (60 kilometres south of Burns Lake)
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designed to benefit the Tweedsmuir-Entiako caribou herd by creating barriers along roads to deter predator movement, planting trees and transplanting lichen (a preferred food source of caribou)
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grant of $385,960 approved for 2020-21
The province has allocated $8.5 million over three years to the conservation foundation and 11 projects received grants worth about $1.2 million last year.
The foundation will be accepting applications again between September and early November.
The B.C. government has committed $47 million over three years to build what it calls a comprehensive, science-based approach to preserve 54 caribou herds in the province.
— with files from The Canadian Press
Email Managing Editor Matt Preprost at editor@ahnfsj.ca.
