Release of NWT Boreal Caribou Recovery Strategy and NWT Amphibian Management Plan

Date

Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) Minister Robert C. McLeod has released the NWT Boreal Caribou Recovery Strategy and NWT Amphibian Management Plan. The recovery strategy and management plan set out goals, objectives and recommended approaches for the conservation and recovery of boreal caribou and amphibians. They do not result in any automatic prohibitions or protections for the species or their habitat.

This action fulfills the Government of the Northwest Territories' responsibilities to release these documents under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act and follows the submission of consensus agreements from the Conference of Management Authorities (CMA) approving these documents. The CMA now has nine months to develop consensus agreements on the implementation of the NWT Boreal Caribou Recovery Strategy and NWT Amphibian Management Plan.

The completion of recovery strategies and management plans for species at risk supports the 18th Legislative Assembly's priorities of environmental stewardship, encouraging coordination and effectiveness in resource management systems, and recognizing traditional knowledge and land claim agreements.

Quick facts:

Boreal caribou:

  • Boreal caribou were added to the NWT List of Species at Risk as a threatened species on February 27, 2014.
  • They were designated as threatened because of their small population size and an expected continuing decline in the amount of secure habitat and the number of boreal caribou.
  • The main threats to boreal caribou in the NWT are habitat loss and habitat fragmentation from human-caused disturbance (i.e., seismic lines and roads) and natural disturbances (i.e., forest fires).
  • The recovery strategy was developed collaboratively and accepted by the boreal caribou management authorities (Wildlife Management Advisory Council (WMAC) (NWT), Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board (GRRB), Sahtú Renewable Resources Board (SRRB), Wek’èezhìı Renewable Resources Board (WRRB), Tłı̨chǫ Government, and GNWT), with input from Aboriginal organizations and the public.

Amphibians:

  • Northern leopard frog and western toad were added to the NWT List of Species at Risk as threatened species on March 19, 2015 and February 25, 2016, respectively.
  • Because all amphibians in the NWT share several threats in common and there is considerable overlap in their management needs, an NWT-wide amphibian management plan was developed to address the needs of all NWT amphibians.
  • Amphibians occur in all regions of the NWT. The species are northern leopard frog, boreal chorus frog, wood frog, western toad, Canadian toad, and possibly the long-toed salamander.
  • The main threats facing amphibians in the NWT are diseases (chytrid fungus and ranavirus). Other threats include human activities that alter habitat, accidental human-caused mortality, increasing UV-B radiation, contaminants, and climate change.
  • The management plan was developed collaboratively and accepted by the parties with management authority for amphibians in the NWT (WMAC (NWT), GRRB, SRRB, WRRB, Tłı̨chǫ Government, and GNWT), with input from Aboriginal organizations and the public.

Additional species information and supporting documentation are available here.