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Integrated Wildlife Management Plan - Ross River Traditional Territory
Planning Process

In the fall of 1996, the Ross River Dena Council (RRDC) and the Yukon Department of Renewable Resources (YDRR) agreed to cooperatively develop an Integrated Wildlife Management Plan for the Ross River Traditional Territory (RRTT).

The planning process consisted of five phases:

1. Background - YDRR staff summarized information on wildlife populations in RRTT
2. Public consultation - A community planning team was established to focus input from Ross River residents. Comments were also obtained from organizations representing the interests of the community of Faro and of Yukon wide interests
3. Introductory workshop - A preliminary workshop was held to review background information on wildlife and the current state of industrial development and to identify concerns to be addressed in the plan
4. Planning workshop - At a second workshop the major principles of the plan were established and action plans for specific concerns were developed
5. Public review - A draft of the plan was circulated for government and public review and subsequently used by RRDC and YTG as the basic guidelines for fish and wildlife management in RRTT

Plan Coverage

The Ross River plan is the most comprehensive in the Yukon to date. During the public consultation phase of this plan, 69 wildlife issues ranging from big game species to small mammals and fish were discussed. Of these, 48 were either resolved through subsequent workshop presentations or addressed in the plan. In addition to many issues related directly to population and species management, this plan also covers a variety of public concerns about territorial, federal and first nation government policies related to wildlife management and habitat protection.

Management Principles

Elsewhere in the Yukon, principles of wildlife management have not been articulated for integrated management plans, rather they are assumed to be consistent with the objectives of Chapter 16 of the Umbrella Final Agreement. For the Ross River plan, basic principles of Wise Use, Conservation and Co-operation were adopted and referred to in developing solutions and action plans. The principle of "Conservation" as defined by the Umbrella Final Agreement was given a dual interpretation with respect to "sustainable harvest" which was taken to mean both a harvest level that met the community's needs as well as a level that could be safely taken from a wildlife population.

Agreement on these principles, particularly the distinctive interpretations of 'sustainability' was required in order to establish management programs for the Finlayson Caribou Herd and for wolves on its range. Grizzly bears were also recognized as major predators of caribou and moose although information about bears in the area is very limited. Because of their known sensitivity to overharvest and the strong cultural ties of the Ross River Dena to grizzlies, it was agreed that more basic information should be gathered for this species.

It is recognized that both natural predators and humans compete for moose and caribou. It is also acknowledged that we should not manage these systems solely for the benefit of either humans or predators, or for a single species. The management principle through this planning workshop was one of sharing the moose and caribou resource between humans and their natural predators.

Plan Format

The format for this plan is based on a system developed in 1989 for the Porcupine Caribou Herd and subsequently refined for other wildlife planning processes in the Yukon. These include the Southern Lakes Caribou Recovery Program and the Integrated Wildlife Management Plan for the Na'cho N'y'ak Dun Traditional Territory.

The plan is divided into basic management categories such as population, harvest and habitat, within which community concerns are organized and action plans developed. The action items are assigned both by year and responsible/lead organization. Cooperation of all identified partners is assumed and therefore not necessarily repeated for every item. In matters concerning territory wide policies, action items are not appropriate and such issues are referred to other organizations as recommendations, listed near the back of the plan.

The simple format facilitates annual evaluation, accountability and revision. To avoid cluttering the plan with reference material, such documents are produced separately and are available on request from the Yukon Department of Renewable Resources or the Ross River Dena Council.

A unique feature of this plan is the participation of industry at the planning workshops and their subsequent inclusion as partners for relevant action items.

The Finlayson Range

A second departure of the Ross River plan from the standard approach for integrated management plans is that, due to the urgency of addressing wildlife issues on the range of the Finlayson Caribou Herd, the plan is primarily focused there. It was understood that many of the action items required on the Finlayson range will have a broader application to the entire Ross River area. Accordingly, a brief history of wildlife status on the Finlayson Range is presented as part of the plan. Detailed information on the status and management of wildlife in this area can be obtained from the Yukon Department of Renewable Resources.

1970's - reported decline of woodland caribou

Prior to the 1980's, discrete woodland caribou herds had not been identified in the Yukon. Since reports from the Ross River Dena indicated a serious decline of caribou in the Ross River area east of the North Canol Road, the Yukon Department of Renewable Resources initially concentrated on this area to define the range of the Finlayson Caribou Herd and census it.

1982 - first census of Finlayson Caribou

In 1982, the first population count for the Finlayson Caribou Herd estimated 1800 adults from which it was concluded that the population was seriously threatened.

1983 - 1989 - wolf reduction and hunting restrictions

The Yukon Department of Renewable Resources undertook a wolf reduction program on the Finlayson range from 1983 to 1989 where the wolf population was maintained at approximately 15% of its former size. The cooperation of the Ross River Dena, who voluntarily reduced their caribou harvest on the Finlayson range, and regulations restricting caribou hunting by non-first nation Yukon hunters to bull caribou only, together with wolf reductions, resulted in substantial local increases in both caribou and moose populations.

1989 - 1990/91 - caribou and moose populations peak and wolves begin to recover

Following completion of the reduction program, the wolf population began to recover and both the moose and caribou populations continued to increase through 1990/1991. The harvest of Finlayson caribou by resident non-first nation hunters increased through the wolf control period to current levels. Harvests by first-nations hunters may have also increased although exact levels remain uncertain.

1990/91 - 1996 - moose and caribou begin to decline

At some point during this period both the moose and caribou populations in the Finlayson area peaked. Indications are that caribou are starting to decline and the information for moose remain unclear but it is likely that they to could be starting to decline. The wolf population has continued to increase. By 1994, wolves had surpassed the numbers present before wolf reductions began. For the present wolf numbers appear to be stabilizing.

The future:

The future of the caribou, moose and wolf populations is unknown and will depend largely on the management regime for the area. It has been suggested that the decline of the caribou population from 1990 to 1996 could, in part, be due to the older aged caribou that would have normally been killed by wolves but survived due to the wolf reduction program. Surveys to date have shown that calf survival from birth to the rut has declined in every year since the end of wolf removals. A point where dying adults are no longer being replaced by young caribou may be coming or have already been attained. As for wolves, the population appears to be stabilizing. However, because few studies have ever followed wolf population levels following a large reduction program such as was done here, it is difficult to predict where wolf populations will go considering there are more moose and caribou present than before reductions began.

In general terms, the current population of about 4000 caribou should be able to 'sustain' a 3% harvest rate or 120 animals. This is over the average estimated present harvest rate of about 130-150 per year which is the accepted level to 'sustain' the needs of the Ross River community plus some additional resident harvest. Since it is likely that the combined influence of wolf predation and human harvest will eventually reduce the caribou population below the preferred 'sustainable' level of 4000, it was concluded that a wolf population management program was required. Further, discussions surrounding this subject also suggested that human harvest restrictions should be evaluated where moose and caribou populations are declining or where increased hunting pressure was likely to occur.

Elaborations of each of the caribou, moose and wolf components of this plan are included with the appropriate sections.