Boreal Caribou Protection and Recovery Plan

Boreal caribou range across Canada, including northeast British Columbia. These caribou are listed as “Threatened” in Schedule 1 of Canada’s Species at Risk Act and are red-listed in B.C. Recent population trends from herd monitoring activities and Indigenous and local knowledge have confirmed a long-term decline in local boreal caribou populations.

A draft Boreal Caribou Protection and Recovery Plan (BCPRP) has been developed to replace the existing implementation plan for the ongoing management of Boreal caribou in British Columbia, which has been in place since 2011 and was designed to slow the rate of caribou population declines. The draft BCPRP outlines a recovery path for four of the five boreal caribou ranges in B.C.: Calendar, Maxhamish, Snake-Sahtahneh, and Westside Fort Nelson. It defines recovery objectives, establishes a foundation upon which management decisions will be based, and outlines habitat and population management actions necessary to reverse caribou population declines and improve the likelihood of self-sustaining populations over time. The BCPRP was co-developed by the B.C. government and Fort Nelson First Nation, in collaboration with the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality.

Next Steps

Feedback gathered through this public engagement process will be considered as the draft Boreal Caribou Protection and Recovery Plan is revised and when decisions are made on boreal caribou recovery management measures.