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The NWT government is asking for the public’s feedback on a draft boreal caribou range plan for the Wek’èezhìı region.
The draft plan was developed with Indigenous governments and organizations and outlines management actions for boreal caribou in the region.
The GNWT has opened an anonymous survey for people to share their views on the draft plan before April 17
“Boreal caribou are an important part of the land, culture and way of life in the Northwest Territories. This range plan reflects a collaborative, balanced approach that brings together Indigenous knowledge, science, and community priorities to protect caribou habitat while supporting responsible development,” stated environment minister Jay Macdonald in a news release.
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“Public input is an important part of getting this right, and I encourage every resident of the North to share their perspective as we move toward a final plan.”
The territorial government said feedback from the survey will be “reviewed and considered in finalizing the range plan.”
Boreal caribou were listed as threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act in 2003 and the NWT Species at Risk Act in 2014. That means the species is considered likely to become endangered in the territory if nothing is done to address the factors leading to its decline.
An interim range plan for boreal caribou was completed in 2021, ahead of the opening of the Tłı̨chǫ Highway, and approved by the Wek’èezhìı Renewable Resources Board.
The new, proposed range plan is set to replace the interim plan.
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