Some extra protection for the caribou

By Gerry Warner
Kimberley Daily Bulletin
September 24, 2009

An organization often at odds with government had praise for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) Tuesday for erecting signs on the Kootenay Pass section of Highway 3 warning motorists to watch out for endangered Mountain Caribou.

MOTI has installed wildlife-warning signs along a seven kilometre stretch of Highway 3 near the summit of the twisty route that connects Creston and Salmo.

A highly endangered herd of the red-listed species spends most of the winter close to the busy road with some of the large ungulates succumbing to injuries when they try to cross the road and get hit by the speeding traffic. Earlier this year, three mountain caribou, including a pregnant female, were hit by speeding vehicles and all three were killed, said Dave Quinn, Wildsight Purcells program manager.

"We hope these larger, more visible signs will help slow drivers down and help make this often deadly highway safer for both humans and wildlife," Quinn said.

Wildlife biologists say the highway has become a major 'fracture line' for wildlife populations in the southern Selkirk and Purcell mountains, and for mountain caribou, Kootenay Pass is its deadliest section.  It's where the highway corridor crosses a critical movement corridor of the South Selkirk herd.

"The four new signs mark a good first step toward reducing vehicle collisions with mountain caribou," Quinn said. "We understand the MOTI is still investigating decreased speed limits through the summit section and alternate road salting techniques to minimize the time animals spend on the road, where they often linger to lick road salt."

The southern Purcell and Selkirk mountains are a critical connector for large mammal populations that span the Canada-US border. Ensuring animals can safely move through this landscape is a high priority for land managers and conservation groups like Wildsight and Y2Y.

"Mountain caribou are the most endangered large mammal in the southern Canada and play a critical role in the Selkirk ecosystem," said Rob Buffler, executive director of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y). "This small herd depends on being able to cross Highway 3 where it bisects habitat on Kootenay Pass. We hope the new signage will increase driver awareness and get people to slow down on this short section of highway."

"Key actions for recovery of the Selkirk herd identified by the mountain caribou science team include habitat protection, controls on winter motorized recreation, and targeted predator control," Buffler said. "Another critical piece in the complicated puzzle of recovery efforts is to minimize - or even halt - caribou deaths on Highway 3."

Quinn agreed, saying more careful driving on the highway could help ensure that the south Selkirk herd survives. "This is one of just 13 remaining isolated herds, but it's a success story. The population has increased recently. Habitat protection, controlled winter recreation access, targeted predator control and a population augmentation program have helped the herd grow from a low of 25 aminals to an estimated 45 this year."