NWT wildlife authorities identify actions to support northern mountain caribou

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Northern mountain caribou - Pierre-Emmanuel Chaillon

The Conference of Management Authorities, established under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act to manage and recover species at risk in the Northwest Territories (NWT), has reached agreement on the implementation of the Management Plan for Northern Mountain Caribou in the Northwest Territories.

Northern mountain caribou are listed as a species of Special Concern in both the NWT and in Canada. The NWT management plan, released in July 2023, is the result of a collaborative effort by wildlife management authorities across the range of northern mountain caribou in the NWT. It is based on the Government of Canada’s management plan for northern mountain caribou (2012) and shares the same overall goal: to prevent northern mountain caribou from becoming Threatened or Endangered by having responsible agencies cooperatively work together to carefully manage these caribou and their habitat.

The implementation agreement identifies the actions NWT management authorities intend to take to put the management plan into action. Successful conservation of northern mountain caribou in the NWT will depend on the commitment and cooperation of the many different groups with responsibility for wildlife management in the NWT, together with residents and visitors. Progress on implementation will be reported on every five years, as required under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act.

Additional species information and supporting documents, including status reports, assessments and consensus agreements, are available at www.nwtspeciesatrisk.ca.

Photo: Northern mountain caribou, Pierre-Emmanuel Chaillon

For more information contact

Jody Pellissey, Chairperson
Conference of Management Authorities
c/o NWT Species at Risk Secretariat
(867) 767-9237 ext. 53215
SARA@gov.nt.ca

Quick Facts

  • The Management Plan for Northern Mountain Caribou in the Northwest Territories provides guidance on the stewardship and long-term management of northern mountain caribou and their habitat throughout the NWT.
  • The NWT management plan includes the national management plan (2012) and an NWT addition developed by the Conference of Management Authorities (CMA). Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations as well as NWT residents were invited to provide input on the NWT management plan.
  • The CMA is made up of the wildlife co-management boards and governments that share responsibility for wildlife in the NWT. Management authorities for northern mountain caribou in the NWT are:
    • Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board;
    • Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı (Sahtú Renewable Resources Board); and
    • Government of the Northwest Territories. 
  • There are no automatic prohibitions or protections for northern mountain caribou, or its habitat, associated with the implementation of the management plan. The management plan does not change quotas, by-laws or regulations already in place.
  • Implementation of the management plan is subject to appropriations, priorities and budgetary constraints of the management authorities.

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