Boreal Caribou Study in Northeastern British Columbia

1
Habitat Use and Ecology of Boreal Caribou in
the Snake-Sahtaneh Watersheds of Northeastern
British Columbia
2

• Initiated in 1999/2000 as a partnership
  between BC Environment and Slocan Forest Products
• Funded by
• FRBC/FIA
• HCTF
• OGC SCEK FUND

3

• Objectives
• Identify boreal caribou seasonal movements and
  habitat use
• Identify critical habitats
• Monitor calf and adult survival
• Determine source of predation
• Evaluate effects of industrial activity

4
Snake-Sahtaneh Study Area
? McElhanney Associates 2001
5

• Intensive and long-term industrial development

• Etsho RMZ enhanced resource development
  category (Ft Nelson LRMP)

6
Caribou Telemetry

• Target of 20 GPS/VHF collars on adult female
  caribou
• Locational fixes at
• 4-hr intervals

7

Wolf Telemetry

• 6 Packs 9-11 GPS collars
• Clark (2004) 2 wolves
• Gunnel (2004) 3 wolves
• Kotcho 2 wolves
• Kyklo 2 wolves
• Snake 2 wolves
• Komie 0 wolves

8
Black Bear Telemetry

• 5 collars in 2003 and 4 in 2004 during spring
  caribou calving/post-natal period

9
Caribou Data to June 2004 (n48) approx. 65,000
data points
10
Caribou Population Indices
Pregnancy rates
Adult mortality
Calf survival
11

• Spring calf surveys
• Pregnancy rate high
• Only 20 survive first 6 weeks

12

• Late winter surveys
• Only 5 - 9 of calves survive first year
• Adult survival high
• Population declining?

13
2003 wolves
14
2004 wolves
15
Black bear movements (May to October 2003) versus
caribou neo-natal habitat use
16
What are effects of industrial activity on
caribou?
17
Does industrial activity change boreal caribou
mortality?
18
Interim Operational Guidelines and Best Practices
for Oil and Gas Industry Activities in Boreal
Caribou Range
19
Project Contributors and Acknowledgements

• Kevin Kuhn, Slocan Forest Products (Fort Nelson)
• Rod Backmeyer (MWLAP)
• Rob Woods, John Elliott,, Pierre Johnstone
  (MWLAP) Brian Webster (formerly of MWLAP) and
  Lisa Wilkinson (formerly of BC Environment)
• Steve Bradbury
• Zonk Dancevik, Cam Allen, and Mike Koloff of
  QWEST Helicopters, Fort Nelson
• Jim Hart of YYE Enterprises, Fort Nelson
• Mary Duda (formerly of Slocan Forest Products)
• Staff of Yellow Road and Bridge Maintenance (FSJ)
• Ducks Unlimited Canada (Earth Cover Mapping)
• Shearwater Mapping, Victoria (TEM Mapping)