In an effort to support BC wildlife, the provincial government is investing funds towards a project to protect an endangered local species.
Premier Christy Clark announced Wednesday an investment of $27 million to enhance the recovery of caribou.
“Biodiversity is really important in BC,” said Clark at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George on Wednesday.
“We know people do want to protect endangered and threatened species, which many of these herds are. We’ll be making a big investment and it is going to help us also figure out how we can do these things a lot more cheaply.”
The program is said to build on existing efforts, consisting of five components:
– Critical caribou habitat protection and restoration
– Maternal penning
– Predator management
– Research and monitoring
– Increased compliance and enforcement
Clark calls caribou an iconic species in BC, and says this initiative will also benefit others.
“All of those things are going to support not just our environment, which all of us want to protect for our children and their children, but also all of the industries who operate out there and who need certainty on the land base.”
There are 51 woodland caribou herds spread across the province divided into four groups, including southern mountain, central mountain, northern mountain, and boreal.
(Files from Kyle Balzer with MYPRINCEGEORGENOW)
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