Woodland Caribou Predator Exclosure and Habitat Protection Feasibility

Effective woodland caribou recovery requires a balanced approach that combines cost-efficiency with long-term planning for future development and diverse habitat-use priorities. This project concentrated on the trade-offs and cost-effectiveness associated with four recovery management strategies: 1) Predator management using a 2,000 km2 exclosure, 2) Wolf control, 3) Habitat restoration, and 4) Habitat protection. Each of these options is explored in in-depth reports and feasibility studies contained in this project in addition to a cost-effectiveness analysis.

This project modeled potential caribou recovery options and found that extirpation occurs even when habitat management and reclamation methods are employed. Predator exclosures and/or wolf control is an essential bridge to sustain caribou populations for the five decades required for habitat to recover. Predator control methods are also significantly more cost-effective. While wolf control is the most cost-effective option (costing ~$7 million for 4 herds), its long-term social acceptability is questioned. While predator exclosures are expensive (ranging from $46 million to $325 million) they have the potential to eliminate the need for ongoing wolf control measures entirely.