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StudyndsfrackingpollutionhigherinwinterclimatesResearchlinkingextremewinterozonepollutiontooilandgasprojectsintheU.S.israisingquestionsaboutsimilarincidentsfurthernorth.Seepage2.NWTgirlmakeslmdebutalongsidemotherinManaActorLucyTulugarjukcel-ebratedherdaughterNuvvi-jaslmdebutalongwiththeNWTpremiereofManalastweekinYellowknife.Seepage26.TAKINGONTRADITIONStudentslearnartofmoosehidetanninginFortSmith.Seepage22-23.Alpacafamily-andbusiness-growingnearFortSmithAstheNWTsonlyalpacaherdkeepsexpandingsodoitsownersplansforthefarmandin-demandwoolbusinessoutsideofFortSmith.Seepage19.TlichoyouthlmbreakssilenceonsexualassaultAlmbyTlichoyouthisshow-inginschoolsandcommunityhallsacrosstheregionhopingtostartaconversationonsex-ualassaultandsuicide.Seepage10.VISITWWW.NORJ.CAAnationalawardwinningindependentnewspaperservingnorthernAlbertaandtheNorthwestTerritoriessince19771.00October72014Vol.38No.23MassiveburnspushingcaribounorthAnothersummerofdroughtandrecouldspelldisasterfordwindlingherdswildlifebiologistByMEAGANWOHLBERGBarrengroundcaribouherdsre-turningtotheirwinteringgroundswillbeavoidingthemorethantwomillionhectaresofdevastatedwil-dernessburnedbyoneoftheworstreseasonsinNWThistorythissummerandbiologistsexpectthemtomovefurthernorth.JanAdamczewskiwildlifebiolo-gistwithEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesENRsaidtheamountofareathatburnedthisyearwasoffthechartsandwhilenotanimmediatedisasterfortheanimalswilllimittheamountofwinterrangeavailabletobarrengroundherds.Thoughdepartmentstaffarestillworkingonmappingouttheextentoftheburnsandtheimpactonforestinventoryandcaribourangeatleasttwomillionhect-aresisknowntohaveburnedontheBathurstrangewhileanotherhalfmillionburnedontheBlue-nose-Eastwinteringzoneaccord-ingtonewENRdata.WehaventseenanythingonthatscaleforaverylongtimeAdam-czewskisaidoftheweeksonendwithnorainthatsawhundredsofrestearthroughtheterritory.Intermsofshort-termconsequencestheoddsarethatthecaribouaregoingtostayawayfromthosenewlyAdamczewskiexpectsthereisenoughwinterrangeleftforthecari-bouintheshorttermbutanticipatessomewillhavetomovehigherontothetundratondasolidfoodsupply.Ithinkitundoubtedlymeanstheyregoingtobewinteringfurthernorthinthenextwhilehesaid.TheyarecapableTlichocommunitieshavecancelledtheirfallhuntsafterbeingunabletotrackdownanyanimals.Adamczewskisaidthefactthatbothherdshaveseenamassivedropinpopulationnumbersmeanstheywilllikelyuseasmallerwinterrange.EstimatesontheBathurstcountthepopulationatpossiblyaslowas15000whiletheBluenose-Eastcouldbelessthan30000.WoodlandcaribouwhichexistinlownumbersfromtheAlbertabor-deruptheMackenzieValleyalmosttoInuvikarealsoexpectedtobeimpactedbythereseasonthoughlessisknownabouttheextent.LikethebarrengroundwhattheypreferistheveryoldforestwithlotsoflichenAdamczewskisaid.Itsprobablynotanimmediatedisasterbutwithhelpfromourforestman-agementcolleagueswewanttotakeacloserlookatit...Itdoesmeanashiftindistributionandlesseramountofwinterrangeavailableforthem.SeeMoreonpage3.Whatisofrealconcerntousnowisthepossibilitythatwewillgetmoreofthesebigreyearslike2014.JanAdamczewskiEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesburnedareas...Theyregoingtobelookingelsewhere.Researchshowscaribouavoidburnedareasprimarilybecausetheirpreferredwinterfood-lichen-hasbeendestroyedandwontregener-atefor40to60yearswritingofftheareafordecades.Herdstendtosticktoforeststhatareatleast100yearsoldwherelichenisplentiful.ofwinteringonthetundrawedogetcollaredcariboufromtheBathurstherdthatnevermakeitdownsouthofthetreeline.Ifsnowconditionsaregoodandtheyhaveplacestofeedthentheycanwinteronthetundra.Butmostyearstheycomedownintothetrees.Themovementnorthcouldim-pacttheabilityofhunterstoaccesscaribouthiswinter.AlreadythePhotoPaulBannisterSequoiaMcDonald4helpsFortSmithvolunteerreghterLorenHudsonspraytherehoseattherehallsopenhouseonSaturdayaspartofFirePreventionWeekcelebrations.Seepages12-17forourspecialFirePreventionWeeksectionfromacrosstheNorth.