FIVE-YEAR REVIEW OF THE BEVERLY AND KAMINURIAK CARIBOU PROTECTION MEASURES L. MYCHASIW N.W.T. WILDLIFE SERVICE YELLOWKNIFE, N.W.T. 1984 0 Northwest Territories Renewable Resources File Report No. 42 iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 1978 the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) introduced special operating conditions for land use permits on traditional ranges of the Beverly and Kaminuriak herds of barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus). These Caribou Protection Measures were designed to prevent potentially harmful contact between caribou and land use activities in areas designated as calving grounds and post-calving areas, at designated water crossings, and along migration routes to calving grounds. Special operating conditions were applied in relation to protected areas during prescribed times in each of the 5 years that Caribou Protection Measures were in place. In the first year land use permits for areas inside Caribou Protection Areas were withheld from 15 May to 31 July, but in the following year a land use permit holder was eligible to have his permit area released from controls if monitoring showed that caribou cows and calves were not in the area. The monitoring program was carried out by the Northwest Territories ( N. W. T.) Wildlife Service. The caribou monitor conducted extensive surveys of both the Kaminuriak and Beverly caribou ranges in 1978 and 1979, but from 1980 to 1982 only land use sites were monitored to verify whether or not caribou were in the area. Data from studies carried out by the N.W.T. Wildlife Service were combined with monitoring results to evaluate protection area boundaries, the timing of controls, and designated water crossings. We found that for the 5 years from 1978 - 19 83 the iv Beverly caribou used the northernmost part of the Beverly Caribou Protection Area during peaks of calving. During the same period, Kaminuriak caribou used the west-central part of the Kaminuriak Caribou Protection Area. Movement of female caribou and calves from calving grounds did not follow a definite pattern and discrete post-calving areas could not be identified. Water crossings were ranked according to frequency of use criteria. The N.W.T. Wildlife Service conducted studies with respect to caribou behaviour, water crossings and bio-physical charac teris­ tics of calving grounds. Baseline data on the ecology and behaviour of caribou were collected during the 3 year research program and, in the final year, disturbances were staged to observe caribou behaviour in respons.e to helicopter disturbance under controlled conditions. Recommendations are given with respect to timing of protection measures, designated protection areas, monitoring, and general aspects of the Caribou Protection Measures. v TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................ iii LIST OF FIGURES .............................................. vii LIST OF TABLES ............................................... ix INTRODUCTION ................................................. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CARIBOU MONITORING AND PROTECTION 2 COMPLEMENTARY CARIBOU SURVEYS ................................ 5 TIME AND SPACE RELATIONSHIPS ................................. 6 EVOLUTION OF CARIBOU PROTECTION MEASURES 10 REVIEW OF MONITORING INFORMATION ON SEASONAL PATTERNS OF RANGE USE ••••••••••••• 16 Spring Migration 16 Beverly Herd ••..••. 16 Kaminuriak Herd 16 Calving Grounds 17 Beverly Herd 17 Kaminuriak Herd 26 Timing of Calving 27 Post-calving 27 Designation of Post-calving Areas 27 Beverly Herd 29 Kaminuriak Herd 29 Water Crossings 32 Efficacy of Caribou Protection Measures 35 Deferral of Land Use Operations 37 Rescheduling of Land Use Operations and Voluntary Suspension of Activities •.•••.••••••••••• 38 Aircraft Operations .....••••••••.•••••••••.•.••.. ·39 Obstructing Water Crossings and Interfering with Migration ............................................. 40 RESEARCH PROGRAM ....................... 41 Research and Monitoring Reports 44 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................... 45 Timing of Caribou Protection Measures 45 Caribou Protection Areas 46 Beverly Herd •.••••••• 47 Kaminuriak Herd 47 Monitoring Program 50 Water Crossings 55 Caribou Management Board 56 Aircraft and Other Activities Not Under Land Use Control ............................................... 57 vi SUMMARY DISCUSSION ON RECOMMENDATIONS •.....•...•.••.•.••••... 58 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................. 60 LITERATURE CITED ............................................. 61 APPENDIX A. Caribou Protection Measures, 1982 •.••••••••••.• 64 APPENDIX B. Territorial Land Use Regulations •.••••••.•••... 67 APPENDIX c. Order-in-council PC 1977-1153 83 APPENDIX D. Federal Court Order T-1628-78 87 APPENDIX E. Territorial Lands Act •..•...••.•.•.•..•••••..•. 98 APPENDIX F. Caribou Protection Measures, 1978 .............. 109 APPENDIX G. Caribou Protection Measures, 1979 .............. 111 APPENDIX H. Caribou Protection Measures, 19 80 .............. 114 APPENDIX I. Transport Canada Information Circular 0/1/78 117 APPENDIX J. Boundary Realignments for Water Crossings 3 ' 4 ' 5 ' 1 2 ' 1 3 ' 1 4 ' 17 ' 1 8 ' 2 1 ' 2 2 ' 23 ' and 2 4 . 1 2 0 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Caribou Protection Areas in 1980, 1981, 1982 and the Baker Lake area defined by Order-in- Council 1977-1153 ........................ ......... 4 Figure 2. Caribou Protection Area map for 1978 .•....•.•••... 7 Figure 3. Caribou Protection Areas for 1979 and designated water crossings • .• • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • • • 8 Figure 4. Beverly and Kaminuriak spring migration routes from 1978 to 1982 .•.••••••••••••.•••••••••• 19 Figure 5. Beverly calving grounds for 4 years from 1957 to 1960 and Kaminuriak calving grounds for 5 years from 1972 to 1977 ••.••••••.•...•••..•••••••• 21 Figure 6. Beverly calving grounds for 3 years from 1962 to 1974 and Kaminuriak calving grounds for 5 years from 1963 to 1971 .••••.••••••••••...•.•••••• 23 Figure 7. Beverly and Kaminuriak calving grounds from 1978 to 1982 • • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . 25 Figure 8. Beverly and Kaminuriak post-calving movements from 1978 to 1982 • • • • . • • • . • • • • • • . • . • • . • • . • • • . • • • . • 31 Figure 9. Designated water crossings of Beverly and Kaminuriak herds ••••••.•...••••••••..••.•...••.•.. 34 Figure 10. Proposed new boundaries for Caribou Protection Measures • . • . • • • . • . • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • . • . • . • • • • • 48 ix LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Calving intervals or peak-calving on Beverly and Kaminuriak calving grounds ••••••••.•..•..••••• 28 Table 2. Locations of designated water crossings and dates when sites were described •.•.••••..•.•••••.• 33 Table 3. Documented use of designated water crossings in 1978, 1979 and 1980 •..•••••...•.•••...•....•... 36 Table 4. Land use operations deferred by DIAND in response to recommendations of the caribou monitor . 39 Table 5. Aerial monitoring of caribou from 1978 to 1 9 82 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 51 1 INTRODUCTION The Caribou Protection Measures were implemented by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) in 1978 to impose controls with respect to land use operations in places where, and at times when, barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) of the Beverly and Kaminuriak herds were believed most sensitive to disturbance. The main thrust of the measures is to prevent potentially harmful contact between land use activities and caribou. Contact is minimized by deferring land use operations that could interfere with caribou at prescribed times on their calving grounds, during post-calving movements and at designated water crossings. The approach taken is consistent with the general principle advanced by Cowan (1971) whereby optimum utilization of a habitat and optimum production from a population can only be realized in a known and predictable social and physical environment. Introduction of a wide variety of surprises may induce avoidance behaviour and excitability that lead to greater energy demands and inefficient use of habitat. This review considers DIAND' s deferral system and the work carried out by the Northwest Territories (N.W.T.) Wildlife Service during the 5 year term of the protection measures. DIAND funded four distinct but interrelated programs carried out by the N.W.T. Wildlife Service: 1) monitoring caribou movements and distribution 2) disturbance studies on calving grounds 3) water crossing studies 4) characteristics of calving grounds. 2 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CARIBOU MONITORING AND PROTECTION Darby (1978) cited six main objectives for the monitoring program: 1) to monitor and map the movements and activities of the Beverly and Kaminur iak caribou herds during spring migration, the calving period ( 15 May - 30 June) and post-calving period (1 July - 31 July); 2) to determine caribou usage of water crossing sites, make a special study of the Kazan River crossing, and develop specific criteria for identification of "critical" water crossing sites; 3) to evaluate protection area boundaries of calving and post-calving in relation to actual positions of animals and identify specific habitats of importance within these areas; 4) to note and map human activities near caribou and advise Land Use Inspectors of any anticipated problems; 5) to make observations on the behavioural response of caribou to human activities, including activities related to mining exploration