Bay du Nord Wilderness Area

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Bay du Nord Wilderness Area
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Description

• Bay du Nord Wilderness Reserve and Middle Ridge
  Wildlife Reserve are two large inland reserves in
  the southeastern part of Newfoundland.
• The area is an essentially untouched, upland
  plateau about 300 m in elevation, characterized
  by extensive barrens, kalmia heaths, bogs and
  fens.

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Description

• The Tolt and Mount Sylvester are two rocky
  outcrops that protrude out of the plateau.
• Throughout Newfoundland steep, solitary rock
  knobs rise 100 m or more above the surrounding
  terrain. Called tolts in Newfoundland they are
  the remnants of a higher landscape in post
  glacial time.

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Description
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Description

• The river valleys are forested with Balsam Fir,
  or in the Terra Nova and Northwest River valleys,
  with Black Spruce, White Birch and Trembling
  Aspen.

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Caribou

• The largest Caribou herd in insular Newfoundland
  (15,000 animals) uses large sections of these
  reserves.
• Calving takes place in the southeastern portion
  of Bay du Nord W.R. and in most of Middle Ridge
  W.R., while two-thirds of Bay du Nord is used as
  a wintering ground.

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Waterfowl

• Several species of waterfowl are common breeders
  in the lakes and wetlands.
• Canada Goose, Black Duck, Teal, Common Goldeneye
  and Merganser are common.
• A Harlequin Duck with young was seen on Bay du
  Nord River in 1998.
• Further studies would help study this nationally
  endangered species are present.

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Ptarmigans

• Rock Ptarmigan are thought to breed in small
  numbers in the higher parts of the Bay du Nord
  Middle Ridge area.
• The Newfoundland subspecies of Rock Ptarmigan,
  spp. welchi is a restricted-range subspecies
• Willow Ptarmigan, on the other hand, are an
  abundant resident species.

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Issues

• Bay du Nord and Middle Ridge are essentially
  unchanged by any human activity.
• Lack of road access helps to keep the area in its
  undisturbed state.
• Although protected from mineral exploration,
  logging, and motorized wheeled vehicles, the
  hunting of Caribou, Moose, waterfowl and Willow
  Ptarmigan is allowed in the Bay du Nord section.

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Issues

• In the Middle Ridge Wildlife Reserve, mineral
  exploration is permitted, but in recent years
  there has been little of this sort of activity.
• The Newfoundland Department of Tourism, Culture
  and Recreation, Park and Natural Areas Division
  is hoping to add this section to the Bay du Nord
  Wilderness Reserve.

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Summary

• Habitats coniferous forest (boreal/alpine),
  rivers/streams, bog, scree/boulders, rocky flats
  barrens
• Land Use Nature conservation and research,
  Hunting, Tourism/recreation,
  Urban/industrial/transport
• Potential or ongoing Threats Extraction
  industry, Hunting, Recreation/tourism

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References

• IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS OF CANADAhttp//www.bsc-eoc.
  org/iba/site.cfm?siteIDNF018langen
• The Canadian Nature Federationhttp//www.cnf.ca/
• http//www.coastofbays.nf.ca/cobta/wilderness.html
  
• http//www.chrs.ca/Rivers/BayduNord/BayduNord-F_e.
  htm1