Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
14TuesdayMay272014TobookatLittleBualoRiverFallsTerritorialParkvisitLittleBualoRiverFallsTerritorialParktogetalittlecloser.Campingisaboutgettingaway.Awaytoserenecanoeroutesscenicwaterfallsandoldstoriessharedbythecampre.Teressomethingaboutgettingintouchwithnaturethatalwaysgetsyoumoreintouchwitheachother.GotheextramilethissummerandexploreNWparks.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheagencyadvocatingforthehealthoftwoofthelargestherdsofbarrengroundcari-bouintheNorthiswarningNunavutslanduseplanningcommissiontomakecalvingandpost-calvinggroundsofflimitstominingcompanies.RepresentingtheNWTNunavutnorthernSaskatch-ewanandManitobatheBeverlyandQamanirjuaqCaribouManagementBoardBQCMBtoldtheNunavutPlanningCommissionNPCagainlastmonththatpermitsawardedtocompaniesonthemigratoryherdssensitivesummergroundswillbedev-astatingtotheanimalsandsubsistencehunters.Thecommissionisex-pectedtoreleaseitsdraftlanduseplanfortheterritoryincludingtheKitikmeotre-gion-ahotspotofuraniumandmetalmining-inlateJunebeforeopeningitupforpubliccomment.AhearingontheplanwilltakeplaceinNovember.Apartfromitsdemandsthatcalvingandpost-calvingfeedinggroundsreceivetotalprotectionfromdevelopmenttheboardisadvisingaslowinpaceofdevelopmentthathasseenaninuxofminesandtheaccompanyingroadsandtrafcimpactthecari-bousmigrationalready.IfyoulookatallthepermitsinpossibleplacestheminescangothewholeNunavutcountrysideiscom-pletelycoveredwithinterestsandtheyreallindifferentstagesofdevelopmentsomeareexploratorysometheresworkgoingontodifferentde-greessaidEarlEvansatra-ditionalharvesterfromFortSmithandchairofBQCMB.Theresnostoppingdevel-opmentitsgoingahead.Butwhatwewantthemtodoisscaledownthedevelopment.Itdoesnthavetobesobigsuchabigglutofdevelop-mentallatonce.EvanscitedArevaspro-posedKiggavikuraniummineasanexample.Lo-catednearBakerLakethersturaniummineonthetundraisplannedtoincludeseveralopenpitsalongwithanundergroundmineandanall-weatherroad.BakerLakeisalsothesiteoftheMeadowbankgoldminewhichEvanssaidhasnoticeablyimpactedthecari-bousince2010.WhilesomehavebeenkilledbyvehiclesforcaribouconservationbysubmittingtheirthoughtstotheNPC.Cariboumovingsouth-westEvanssaidtheminingboomhappeningeastinNunavutispushingcari-boufurtherwestandsouthbringingthemintothesouthernNWTandnorth-ernSaskatchewan.ThelasttwoyearsthetrendfortheQamanirjuaqherdistomovewest-waywest.TheyrecomingintoourFortSmitharea.Actu-allytalkingtooneofthepilotsherejustaboutthreeweeksagotheyspottedsomecaribouabout30milesSocialmediapartofproblemThoughmineandroadde-velopmentisamajorforceofimpactoncaribouhealthEvanssaidover-huntingandwastageencouragedbyagrowingsocialmedia-fuelledcommercialhuntiscontrib-utingtotheextirpationofcariboufromcertainareas.Peoplearesellingcari-bouwithrecordedsalesofupto600buttheaverageisbetween350and400foronecaribouhesaid.WiththissocialmediaalltheydoisputonFacebookthattheywantfourcaribouandtheyspecifywhattheywantfourcowcaribou.ThatsjustaboutdecimatedthatpopulationonBafnIsland.Itsahugeprob-lem.TheyvewipedthatoneoutandnowtheyremovingtotheQamanirjuaqherd.Evanssaidsomeofthecommunitiesarenowlookingatatotalallowableharvestbecausethedropinnumbersisbecomingfrightening.Theywanttohavealesserharvestwithmorebullstakenandcontrolledtoacertainextentsoitsnotopenended.Theyllhavetoassesstheherdsandassessthecommunityneeds.Thatswhatitscomingto.ThoughharvestinglimitsareboundtorufeafewfeathersEvanssaidtheyarecurrentlyoneoftheonlytoolsouttheretohelpherdsbouncebackfrompopula-tiondeclineinanerawhenstressorslikemigrationdis-turbanceandhabitatlossfromindustryandclimatechangearehittingcaribouallatonce.Everybodyhastodotheirpartiftheywantthistoworkhesaid.Justbe-causepeoplehavetherightdoesntmeanitstherightthingtouseit.NoindustryoncariboucalvinggroundsboardIndustrycommercialhuntinghurtingbarrengroundherdsEnvironmentWildlifeIllustrationcourtesyofBQCMBTheBeverlyandQamanirjuaqCaribouManagementBoardisdemandingtheNunavutlanduseplanningcommissionkeepcalvingandpost-calvinggroundsofthetwomigratingherdsfreeofdevelopment.theall-seasonroadhaspre-dominantlyincreasedhunt-ingwhichhasmovedthecariboufurtherawaymakingthemlessaccessible.Thoughtheboardalongwithmultiplehuntingandtrappingorganizationshasbeencallingforpermanentprotectionofcalvingandpost-calvingareasforyearsEvanssaidnooneislisten-ing.Hesaidmorecommuni-tiesorganizationsandindi-vidualsneedtojointhecallwestoftownhere.Thatsthersttimethatshappenedinprobably60years-78thereweresomearound40milesoutofhere.Inthe50swasthelasttimethecaribouwerethatclose.Allthedevelop-mentintheeastismovingthecaribouhesaid.Whilethatsgoodforhunt-ersintheNWTitmeansthoseinplaceslikeArviatwherecaribouoncecouldbefoundinpeoplesbackyardsarenowgoingwithoutmeat.Everybodyhastodotheirpartiftheywantthistowork.Justbecausepeoplehavetherightdoesntmeanitstherightthingtouseit.EarlEvansBeverlyandQamanirjuaqCaribouManagementBoard