Provincial Applications

Many provinces have had guidelines for the conservation of woodland caribou in place for several years. Recovery strategies and action plans are also being developed in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan by government and multi-stakeholder working groups. These plans support the National Recovery Strategy for woodland caribou.

Alberta

In 1996, Weyerhaeuser implemented changes to its forestry practices, based on the principles above, in the caribou ranges of its Grand Prairie/Grande Cache forest area. Caribou habitat needs are also met by maintaining old forest in more than 50 percent of the forested caribou ranges. These changed practices were recognized in the 2001 Alberta Government Status Report on woodland caribou. The company also won an Alberta Emerald Award and a Wildlife Habitat Canada Award for its work to protect caribou habitat. In November 2002 a recovery team, on which Weyerhaeuser participates, was initiated to create an overall recovery plan for caribou in the province.

British Columbia

Caribou herds range over portions of Weyerhaeuser's Vavenby forest tenure in interior B.C. Established special management zones for caribou habitat are being updated based on five to eight years of radio collaring. They are divided into late winter habitat, early winter habitat, and corridors, and are managed to sustain attributes of those types of forest. Significant amounts of structure (live standing single trees and clumps of trees) are retained in harvested areas to support the growth of arboreal lichens. Weyerhaeuser also participates in the development of a recovery plan for Mountain/Arboreal Caribou in B.C.

Ontario

Within the provincially identified caribou zone, Weyerhaeuser follows the provincial Forest Management Guidelines for the Conservation of woodland caribou. The guidelines include a landscape and site-specific approach to maintaining a continuous supply of large tracts of older forest and connectivity between seasonal habitat requirements, as well as tactics aimed at reducing human disturbance impacts. A mosaic approach to harvest pattern has been implemented to ensure areas of approximately 10,000 hectares of suitable mature forest habitat are maintained for caribou into the future.Weyerhaeuser also participates in the development of a provincial recovery plan for caribou.

Saskatchewan

Caribou herds range over portions of Weyerhaeuser's Prince Albert & Pasquia-Porcupine forest tenures in Saskatchewan. Weyerhaeuser has supported or partnered in caribou research activities here since 1994. A strategy for maintaining or enhancing woodland caribou population levels on the Prince Albert forest area was published in 1997. Weyerhaeuser is also a member of the woodland caribou Management Team, which was formed in 2002 to develop a provincial recovery plan for woodland caribou.