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Southern Lakes Caribou Recovery Program Progress Report: 1992-1996

Introduction

Stories from elders, signs left on the land by caribou and their hunters, and written historical records all attest to the great numbers of caribou that once roamed the southern Yukon and northwestern British Columbia. They were a staple food of major cultural significance for First Nations communities, and were heavily hunted by gold seekers at the turn of the century as well. During the last 100 years though, the thousands of caribou have declined to several hundred, and the stories of whole mountainsides "moving with caribou" are now stories from years past.

The demise of the caribou stimulated a growing concern among the people who shared their range. This concern culminated in a unique, community-based initiative to try to reverse the downward slide of the caribou. Meetings were organized by the Carcross/Tagish First Nation and local residents to bring together everyone with knowledge and interest in the caribou.

The problems facing the group and the caribou seemed formidable. The caribou range over an area with the densest human population in the Yukon, with ever increasing pressures for residential, agricultural, industrial, and recreational development. Their range spans the Yukon-B.C. border, and the overlapping traditional areas of the Carcross/Tagish, Kwanlin Dün, Teslin Tlingit, Taku River Tlingit, Ta'an Kwäch'än, and Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.

Given the practical and political complexities, there was every reason to expect little progress made towards a plan for caribou recovery. The outcome of the meetings in 1992-93, however, was the Southern Lakes Caribou Recovery Program (initially called the Carcross Caribou Recovery Program, but changed when the ranges of the animals became better known). This program is now entering its fourth year, and it has achieved more in that time than many thought possible.

The purposes of this report are to provide background information on what stimulated development of this Caribou Recovery Program (not to be confused with the Aishihik-Kluane or Finlayson Caribou Recovery Programs), to present the program's goals, and to report on what has been done so far and what we hope to do in the coming years. We hope that this not only acts to inform, but also inspires the involvement of everyone in this region in helping this great wildlife resource recover.

What Happened?

The caribou herds in the Southern Lakes region are a relic of a much larger herd which once ranged throughout the south-central Yukon. Shed antlers and knowledge of old caribou fences, used by native hunters to funnel migrating caribou, show that the caribou were formerly abundant as far west as Dezadeash Lake. Today, the range is greatly reduced and fragmented.

Many factors have likely played a role in the caribou decline. According to elders, the decline of the caribou began with the Klondike gold rush of 1898. The influx of prospectors brought with it market hunters, domestic livestock, and more settlements. This development accelerated with the construction of the Alaska Highway in the 1940s. With greater access, more caribou were shot, more land was cleared, mining activity increased, and the habitat and migration routes of the caribou were disrupted.

The pattern of wildfires also changed during the last century. Increased human activity led to more fires being started, but active fire suppression was also practiced, especially near settlements. Caribou and moose have evolved with fire, and it is necessary for regenerating their habitat. Naturally occurring fires result in a mix of newly burned and unburned forest, which provides adequate wintering habitat as well as growing forests which will be used in years to come. Fire control, in contrast, leads to less young forest, and also increases the chances of very extensive, hot burns in the resulting large tracts of similar age forest.