This is the time for the provincial government to implement a mountain caribou recovery plan based on the highest level of protection from the government’s own mountain caribou Science Team’s recommendations.

Specifically, the science shows that mountain caribou can recover and be safeguarded for future generations by implementing a recovery plan that:

a) Identifies and permanently protects the habitat necessary for self-sustaining mountain caribou populations.

b) Describes attributes of mountain caribou habitat.

c) Sets clear legal targets for management of forest seral (or “generational”) stages in mountain caribou habitat.

d) Includes legislated access closures for motorized recreation and road density standards based on the best available science.

e) Has clear criteria for predator and prey management activities. where management is specific to known “problem animals” and/or localized to areas where caribou occur.

f) Includes a commitment to urgent measures such as augmentation of smaller herds.

g) Clearly identifies and gives direction to the legal and regulatory mechanisms necessary to legally require mountain caribou recovery actions, and includes a commitment to fully funding mountain caribou recovery.

As well, the provincial government is positioned to ensure that the recovery plan adopted by the federal government meets all the above criteria and that the criteria inform the recovery action plan.